FOREST AND STREAM 
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Woodcock in Corn 
By Theodore Gordon. 
The time has gone by when we could take ad¬ 
vantage of the woodcock’s habit of visiting fields 
of tall, low lying corn, in August and September; 
but in its day it was fascinating sport and gave 
one sothe very difficult snap shooting. 
I never made a really large bag in this way, but 
I knew one man who made a sort Of specialty of 
cornfield shooting. He made some large scores, 
as birds from a distance came into the local fields 
in August attracted by rich feeding in the corn. 
Our friend prided himself upon not being 
“fussy,” upon using any old gun and any kind of 
ammunition. With two of the finest breech load¬ 
ers in his gun cabinet, he frequently shot an old 
io gauge muzzle loader, common black powder, 
and newspaper leaves, or any trash for wadding. 
He was a strong advocate of large charges of 
powder and very fine shot; and killed all kinds of 
game birds with “Mustard” seed, (No. 12, the 
finest shot manufactured, except “Dust.” The last 
is used by collectors for humming birds, and oth¬ 
er tender things). Of course the pattern must 
have been wide, but anyhow, he claimed to have 
bagged 49 woodcock in corn, and to have killed 
them “Straight,” not missing a shot. 
I never saw more than one-quarter that num¬ 
ber in the corn, in one day, and do not remember 
killing more than 8 birds in such places. I know 
that I made long journeys to districts where the 
birds were by no means plentiful, for a little of 
this shooting. I know that I went to Ohio be¬ 
cause I had noted what appeared to be fair breed¬ 
ing ground, 'when quail shooting the previous au¬ 
tumn. The land was rich, and the corn immense, 
towering far above one’s head. I found wood¬ 
cock in fields where there were low damp spots, 
and one could say very quickly, after inspecting 
these if there were birds about. The borings and 
chalks were easily seen. 
One day early in September, I had tramped my 
legs weary for three cock, before returning to 
mine inn, but I was not dissatisfied; a few wood¬ 
cock are enough when they are not plentiful. In 
conversation with one of the men seated on the 
front porch he asked me if I had tried a field of 
magnificent corn that seemed to be within the 
village limits, and I said that I had not. “Well,” 
he said, “That strikes me as the most likely place 
I know of for a few woodcock.” 
The field was only a few squares away, so I 
resolved to try it at once and proceeding thither 
found that the portion nearest the village was on 
high ground, but that it gradually sloped away to 
a considerably lower level. 
My dog was a slow worker and in com never 
ranged more than 20 paces in advance of me 
which was all right for this shooting. 
In a low spot near the far.fence I found the 
tell-tale borings; plenty of them, and a moment 
later a fine cock flushed and was cut down, as he 
disappeared from view. We started and bagged 
three birds, and 1 heard the whistle of another. 
As all the woodcock had flown 'in the direction of 
the high portion of the field, I beat in that di¬ 
rection. On that day I was trying the mustard 
seed shot, and it seemed quite as effective as 
number 10, the size usually preferred; but the 
ranges were short. We had worked back and 
forth to within a short distance of the fence next 
the village, before we put up the other cock, and 
it flushed a bit wild, but by good luck it followed 
the lane of stalks in which I stood, and I could 
see it just topping the corn. 
I fired one barrel and the bird set its wings, 
hard hit, so I gave it the left to make sure, and 
at once a shrill yelling came from the fence. 
Hastily gathering my bird, I hurried to the place 
from which the outcry proceeded, and found the 
village gang of boys in soma excitement. They 
had been well peppered with No. 12 shot. It seems 
that they heard my first shot and at once raced 
to the highest point on the fence surrounding the 
field, where there was an entrance with high 
posts and bars. By standing on the bar next the 
top they could overlook the corn, the flying wood¬ 
cock and the effect of my shots. They had mark¬ 
ed down the last bird, but retained their position, 
boy-like never thinking of danger. The wood¬ 
cock flew directly at them and both charges of 
shot were well sprinkled over their persons. The 
only real danger was to the eyes, as the tiny shot 
stung hands and faces without penetrating the 
skin. The boys were very nice about the affair, 
making no complaints, and treating the accident 
as a joke, but I felt much more serious. I was 
thinking of their eyes. 'I carried them off to the 
only drug store for soda water, and never shot 
in that field again. Woodcock arrive from the 
South, early in spring and the eggs are hatched 
the first week in May. The young birds are 
usually full grown before July 1st. They scatter 
from the breeding grounds in August. 
CONDITIONS ON GAME RANGES. 
The following are extracts from the annual re¬ 
port of the Bureau of Biological Survey, United 
States Department of Agriculture, referring to 
the game reservations other than those for the 
protection of birds. 
National Bison Range. With an addition of 
19 calves born to the herd of buffalo on the Na¬ 
tional Bison Range, Montana, during the past 
year, the total number of the herd is now 115. 
It is difficult to ascertain the number of elk on 
the range, but 25 head have been observed by the 
warden in charge, an increase of one over last 
year. There were nine antelope on the range at 
the end of the fiscal year, but the number of 
young born in the past spring is not yet known. 
No animals have died during the year. 
Weather conditions during the spring were 
ideal, and an abundance of bunch grass and 
other feed was the result. Many improvements 
have been made, roads have been repaired, trails 
cleared, and a telephone line two miles long con¬ 
structed to connect with the Flathead 'Company’s 
lines. 
Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Negotiations have 
been practically consummated for the purchase 
Deer Being Shipped From Mackinaw, Mich. 
