244 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 17, 1889. 



DUCKS AND DUCK SHOOTING. 



NATTJEE has divided ducks into two broad classes, the 

 divers, and the non-divers. Ducks of the first class, 

 having their feet or paddles well behind, can, by diving, 

 obtain their food from the bottom of even quite deep 

 water. The non-diver, on the contrary, feeds on the flats 

 or in water so shallow, that the bottom can be reached 

 by the head and neck only being put under water. 



The object of these different organizations is evidently 

 to increase the range of their food. The divers readily 

 reach the marine plants, which grow on the bottom, and 

 the smaller Crustacea and insects, also found there; 

 whereas the non-divers consume the food found at or 

 near the surface, or on the flats or mud-banks tempo- 

 rarily left bare. 



The divers needing light for their search for food in 

 deep water, feed almost wholly in the daytime. The 

 non-divers on the contrary, feed principally at night, 

 and are guided probably to their food by their sense of 

 smell, which in most of the class is quite acute. 



Ducks are large feeders. To propel a body of several 

 pounds weight through the air, at a speed of 50 or 60 

 miles an hour, requires great expenditure of muscular 

 energy, which can only be supplied by much nourish- 

 ment. Besides, ducks are cold weather birds, and their 

 animal heat must be kept up by much fuel in the form 

 of food. It is apparent therefore, how ingeniously Nature 

 has provided for the multiplication and liberal support 

 of waterfowl, by doubling as it were their feeding grounds, 

 and making the bottom as well as the surface and shores 

 of the water, tributary to their support. ► 



The different habits of these two classes of ducks per- 

 haps explain the extraordinary difference in their mental 

 endowment. The non-divers are very intelligent birds 

 and in their keenness of observation and power of draw- 

 ing inferences as to danger from very slight circumstan- 

 ces, they are equal to, if they do not surpass man. 



The divers, on the contrary, like the sea coot, the can- 

 vasback, the redhead, the blue bill or bay widgeon, etc., 

 are dull birds, with apparently limited observation, and 

 are slow to avoid danger. But this class of ducks live 

 and feed on broad waters, and can only be approached 

 by boats which are easily noticeable, so that the approach 

 of danger is sufficiently obvious, even to their sluggish 

 observation. 



The non-divers feed near the shore, often quite close to 

 high reeds or bushes, which allows a stealthy approach 

 of their enemies: a constant hazard, to be avoided only 

 by their higher organization and the development of their 

 powers of observation. 



The diving fowl come more readily to decoys. They 

 fly but a few feet above the level of the water, and so 

 have a limited range of observation. They will light 

 among decoys, set near an open boat, or a boat slightly 

 concealed by bushes. If shot from the shore with decoys, 

 a very slight screen is sufficient for the shooter. 



Tbey have apparently little or no sense of smell. They 

 rise slowly and heavily from the water, and at an acute 

 angle with the surface, and although among this class 

 are some ducks, like the canvasback, which afford the 

 most delicious food, they are far less interesting to the 

 sportsman, and require much less of his care, patience 

 and skill for their capture. 



They are largely shot in the Chesapeake and Currituck 

 waters from batteries, which are boxes sunk to the water's 

 edge, in which the shooter lies down for concealment: 

 and in this way the autumn and winter markets are kept 

 supplied by the market gunners with this table luxury. 



The non-divers, like the mallards, the black and gray 

 duck, the bald pate or American widgeon, fly high in the 

 air, approach their feeding grounds or the decoys 30yds. 

 or more up in the air, and then only after a close scrutiny 

 and observation of all surrounding objects. They differ 

 from the divers by not usually alighting among the de- 

 coys and by sailing a few yards above them ; they come 

 up from the leeward and fly either into or across the 

 wind, and in so doing, if they detect any motion or recog- 

 nize the artificial character of the decoys, they spring 

 into the air, with the wind under their wings, and are 

 beyond shot often in less than a second's time. 



They also have the power, if alarmed when sitting on 

 the water, of springing six or eight feet up into the air, 

 like a quail or partridge when flushed, and making off 

 with great rapidity. 



Apparently they have keen power of scent; for fre- 

 quently when the wind drifts them into the line of the 

 scent of the sportsman in his stand, they will instantly, 

 even at a distance of 50 or 60yds., recognize the danger, 

 and escape it by rapid flight across the wind. 



Currituck Sound, in North Carolina, is the resort in 

 autumn and winter of great numbers of ducks of all 

 kinds. The canvasback and the redhead frequent the 

 open waters, and are shot in great numbers for the mar- 

 ket from batteries and blinds by the native gunners. 

 The non-diving ducks frequent the shallow waters and 

 marshes which form the eastern side of the sound, and 

 which lie adjacent to the wide sand beach which is the 

 barrier to the ocean. 



On the eastern side large tracts of marshes have been 

 purchased by various shooting clubs. Among them is the 

 Swan Island Club. This club owns about six thousand 

 acres of marsh land and shallow waters, held under an 

 original grant from the State of North Carolina, which 

 gave exclusive titles, to the waters, as well as the land, 

 thus affording ample legal protection against trespassers. 

 As, however, the canvasback and redhead bring a much 

 higher price in the market than the non-diving ducks, 

 there is little temptation to the natives to shoot the latter; 

 and as the members of the Swan Island Club do not shoot 

 from batteries or blinds, there is no interference between 

 them and the natives; and the relations of the parties are 

 harmonious and satisfactory, the club giving a good deal 

 of employment to the natives as boatmen, etc. 



This club is exceptional in having no by-laws nor rules, 

 but it is tacitly understood that no member is to go out to 

 shoot before breakfast, and that each member has his 

 choice of position for the day by rotation. 



The member who has this first choice of position 

 naturally takes an early survey of the club grounds 

 before announcing his choice. His object is to find a 

 large body of ducks which appear to be wonted to the 

 place they are resting in, and to want to remain there for 

 the day; or, failing this, to find a place in the probable 

 line of flights of ducks for the day. 



With a glass he can command a stretch of about five 

 miles, and in this extent he sees thousands and thousands 

 of ducks. It would seem a very easy matter to go almost 



anywhere, and secure three or four dozen as his day's 

 bag; but experience soon teaches him that nature has 

 made much too good provision for the safety of her 

 feathered children to allow of any such certainty. He 

 therefore studies the weather, the 'wind , the flight of such 

 birds as are moving, and especially the possible changes 

 in the day, so as to secure a position well to windward, 

 as the ducks moving during the day usually make their 

 flight to windward. 



Having announced his choice, he starts for his destina- 

 tion with his flat-bottomed boat well loaded with decoys, 

 and is rapidly driven over the shallow water by his boat- 

 man with a long shoving pole. Having arrived at the 

 bay or cove which he has selected, he puts out the decoys 

 in such a position that the ducks coming to them may 

 have a long sweep over the water from the leeward, so 

 that the wind blowing across their flight gradually draws 

 them toward the stand or screen in the reeds or bushes, 

 in which he is concealed as carefully as possible. 



The great object is to secure the ducks passing within 

 shot of the sportsman and then leaving him, flying 

 straight into the wind. The more perfectly this position 

 is obtained the better will be the shooting. The ducks 

 when flying away offer a better mark. He does not flare 

 or jump when the gun is raised, and if there are two or 

 more ducks the second barrel can be used more effectually. 



It is very difficult to place the decoys perfectly until 

 several birds have drawn in and passed over them. The 

 first few birds often come wild and full of suspicion, 

 probably owing to the decoys having an artificial appear- 

 ance, or their being too near the stand, or too far to the 

 right or the left. 



Various changes will have to be made, and some good 

 shots apparently lost before the decoys are all right; then 

 the satisfactory shooting begins and continues until a 

 shift of the wind of two or three points may compel the 

 sportsman to move his entire rig to some other point 

 where the wind favors, and begin his shooting over again. 

 And so the day goes on, his success being dependent on 

 the vigilance of his observation, and on his activity and 

 energy in arranging for the changes of the day and the 

 caprices of the ducks. Then the element of luck comes 

 largely in. A day may have been a very dull one until 

 the middle of the afternoon, when a sudden and unfore- 

 seen change of wind and weather may bring a great 

 flight of ducks and give a couple of hours most active 

 shooting. 



The shooting is wholly at single birds, that is, when a 

 flock of ducks come to the decoys they spread, so that two 

 can be rarely caught in a line so as to be covered by one 

 barrel. A right and left shot at single birds is usually all 

 that can be accomplished. 



The gun in use at the club is a light No. 10 breech- 

 loader, loaded with IJdrs. powder and lioz. or l|oz. shot. 

 This, with a good shot, insures the death in the air of any 

 single bird within fifty yards. With No, 5 shot a bird 

 may be killed at even seventy yards, but not with cer- 

 tainty, and such long shot are avoided. 



Geese are shot with No. 1 shot of the same load as to 

 powder and weight of shot as for the ducks, and can be 

 effectually shot at seventy-five or eighty yards, and occa- 

 sionally at a hundred. 



The shooting ceases at sunset, and varies of course as 

 to its success with the weather, the height of the water, 

 and the habits of the ducks for the day. On a still, bright 

 day ducks come very little to the decoys. A windy day 

 with clouds increases their readiness to decoy, and on a 

 stormv day with violent rain or snow they decoy very 

 boldly. 



At Swan Island, on a bright, pleasant day, twenty or 

 twenty-five birds make a good average bag. On a more 

 favorable windy or cloudy day, forty or fifty are a good 

 bag. On a first rate shooting day the bag may come up 

 to seventy or even to ninety or a hundred. 



These bags are made between ten in the morning, abftut 

 which time the decoys are set, the stands made up and 

 the shooting begins, and half past four or a quarter to 

 five, when the sun sets. In fact, a member of the club is 

 generally sure of six hours of active, interesting and suc- 

 cessful shooting for three days out of four. 



All the ducks killed on the Swan Island preserve are 

 excellent eating, though perhaps not quite equal in flavor 

 to the canvasbacks of the Chesapeake, after they have 

 fed for two or three weeks on the wild celery. The wild 

 celery grows sparsely in Currituck Sound, where the 

 widgeon grass furnishes abundant pasture for the im- 

 mense flocks of swan, ducks and geese. 



All the ducks not eaten by the club are sent to the 

 market in Norfolk, so that nothing is wasted, and every 

 bird killed furnishes a good, nutritious dinner for some- 

 body . 



The duck shooting at Currituck begins, by the law of 

 North Carolina, on the 10th of November, and is restricted 

 to the hours between sunrise and sunset. The climato of 

 the sea coast of North Carolina is a very healthful and 

 delicious one during the late autumn and winter. Occa- 

 sionally a severe frost freezes over the shallow waters, 

 but the ice generally continues but for a day or two, and 

 as it melts and leaves spaces of open water, good shooting 

 can be had. The ordinary temperature is very like that 

 of the New England September or October, but with a 

 very much softer character. 



As a sanitarium, the place is of great excellence. The 

 open-air life and the exercise, of which the snipe shoot- 

 ing affords abundance, and the good food, for the ducks 

 are by choice the principal article of diet, and the sound 

 sleep, make a marvelous change in the mental and physi- 

 cal condition of the man who exchanges his office and 

 indoor life in New York or Boston for his vacation at the 

 club. 



It is probable that the club grounds will continue for 

 many years to be a good preserve for ducks. They are 

 disturbed as little as possible on their feeding grounds. 

 They find abundant food and entire quiet, and it is not 

 uncommon to see from the lookout on the club house 

 from fifteen to twenty thousand ducks and geese within 

 the limits of the club's grounds. 



The number killed is but a very small fraction of the 

 immense numbers that pass the winter there; and until 

 their breeding grounds in the extreme north and north- 

 west are broken up, the annual increase will far exceed 

 the loss from, shooting, or even from that unseen and 

 somewhat mysterious destruction carried on by Nature 

 through the agency of birds or animals of prey , or by un- 

 usual severity of storms and other similar causes, which 

 regulate and balance the different orders of living crea- 

 tures, whether inhabiting the land or the water. M. 



THE SAFETY OF GUN LOCKS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Of the casualties mentioned by you in "A Fourth 

 Chapter of Accidents" something more than fifty per 

 cent, were occasioned by the hammer falling without 

 the trigger being pulled ; and as it is improbable that all 

 the unfortunates were guilty of using the rubbish sold as 

 a cheap gun, the inference is that the rebounding lock 

 does not always furnish adequate protection, even in 

 well made guns. At least one firm of London makers 

 think so for in some of their hammer guns Holland & 

 Holland use the additional security of an intercepting 

 safety. 



And apropos of this safety I wonder why it is that no 

 tumbler bolt is used in the hammerless gun built in this 

 country. The gun critics are quite agreed that there is 

 need for it, and abroad the makers of best reputation 

 use it. Mr. J, H. Walsh ("Stonehenge") in "The Modern 

 Sportsman's Gun and Rifle" takes very strong ground in 

 favor of an intercepting safety, a judgment concurred in 

 by "Gloan" and by the authors of "Shooting" in the 

 Badminton Library. The latter insist on it, almost as a 

 sine qua non. They say: "We strongly recommend a 

 sportsman invariably to insist when choosing a hammer- 

 less gun that it shall possess besides a so-called safety 

 bolt an intercepting block that is only moved from its 

 protective position when the triggers are purposely 

 pulled." (Badminton Library; "Shooting," pp. 93.) 



Mr. Purdey employs intercepting safeties. Mr. Lan- 

 caster has invented and uses a device for blocking the 

 mainspring. The Messrs. Holland use the block safety 

 so popular in the Scott gun. Mr. Grant relies on a sec- 

 ondary scear, as does also Mr. Greener in some guns. 

 And, without further enumeration, it may be said that 

 the best British makers use a tumbler bolt of some 

 description, either of their own motion or to appease the 

 demands of their customers. 



Then why, I ask, is it not as generally used in this 

 country ? Certainly not because of the trifling additional 

 cost of manfacture, for we have makers who seem to 

 be more anxious to make fine guns than large profits. 

 Neither can it be that the best gun made by any of them 

 is without it secure beyond the possibility of such acci- 

 dents as the tumbler bolt is designed to prevent; for to 

 claim it would be to assert that the authorities are all 

 wrong, or that the American gun possesses some super- 

 lative excellence in design, material and finish which 

 they have failed to discover in the weapons of the crack 

 London makers, quite universally regarded as the highest 

 achievements in sporting arms. I think that the answer 

 lies in the fact that our shooting men know little and care 

 less about the construction of their guns, if only they 

 shoot well and function easily. I doubt that many of 

 them have ever examined the lock with the purpose of 

 ascertaining just what is meant by the word "safe" 

 underneath the trigger slide. Could they be induced to 

 do so there would soon be a demand for something to 

 prevent the firing of the piece by a hammer falling be- 

 cause of a sudden jar or the breaking or fouling of the 

 scear nose or tumbler bent. When such a demand shall 

 be heard the makers will respond quickly enough, with 

 the result of enabling one, for a fair price, to buy an 

 American-built gun that shall be quite as safe as its 

 British compet itors. Caution. 



THE HUNTING RIFLE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your paper of Sept. 12 a correspondent, "Senex," 

 says he would like the .32-20-115 rifle better if it carried 

 85grs. of powder, but he seems to fear that so large a 

 charge might cause the bullet to strip or lead the barrel 

 if the twist of the grooves is very quick. The following 

 account of an experiment made by me lately shows that 

 with proper loading there is no risk of stripping: 



Having a Maynard .32 barrel, rifled with a turn in 

 16in. and chambered for the .32-160grs. cartridge, I 

 loaded with the Winchester factory-made llogr. bullets 

 and 30grs. of Curtis & Harvey's No. 6 powder. (Judging 

 from powder trials I believe this charge to be quite as 

 strong as 35grs. of Hazard rifle powder). A lubricated 

 cloth wad was next the powder in the shell, and then a 

 card wad to prevent the powder adhering to the bullet in 

 its flight. 



I first tried three shots at 36yds. range in my garden, 

 using a chair for a rest. They hit the central line of the 

 bullseye and were all in a space Jin, wide and fin. deep 

 (measuring through the center of the bullet holes). The 

 bullets struck with great force, considerably indenting a 

 fin. iron plate behind the target. 



I then loaded sixteen cartridges and took the rifle to a 

 proper range some miles distant. The light was good, 

 but the wind blew in strong gusts from 4 o'clock. I fired 

 from the prone position without a rest, using an aperture 

 hind sight and the bead of the Lyman and Beach fore- 

 sight. After one cartridge for a sighting shot the remain- 

 ing fifteen gave the following results: 



Three at 50yds. struck in a space 2in. square. 



Four at 75yds. in 2in. deep by Sin. wide. 



Four at 100yds. in 2in. deep by 6in. wide. 



Four at 150yds. in 4in. deep by 2£in. wide. 



The wind was extra strong at the 100yds. target, which 

 accounts for the shots being in a greater width than at 

 the other ranges. The 115-grain bullets were scarcely 

 tight enough for the shells, and were pushed in with the 

 fingers. If some shells were made slightly smaller in the 

 mouth, and a proper bullet-seater used, similar to that 

 supplied by the Maynard people for then own bullets, 

 there is no doubt that cartridges loaded as above described 

 would shoot with the most delicate accuracy up to 200yds. 

 I should have mentioned that the rifle was not wiped out 

 at all while firing the 16 shots. I never clean the barrel 

 now during a whole afternoon's shoot at the weekly meet- 

 ings of the club to which I belong, having found that 

 with proper wadding there is no perceptible difference 

 between the last and the first shot. 



I lately made another trial of the muzzleloader described 

 in Forest and Stream of July 18, Fired from right and 

 left barrels alternately, with hollow bullets and 90 grains 

 of powder, it will put a succession of shots into a 4in. 

 ring at 100yds. The recoil is so moderate that it would 

 not be noticed at game shooting. J. J, Meyrick. 

 Dublin, Irelan d. 



Florida Cruising.— Mr. F. D. Hughes's advertisement 

 in this issue offers an exceptional opportunity for a small 

 party to join the advertiser for cruising, hunting and 

 tarpon fishing in Florida this season, 



