SEPTEMBER, 1917 
397 
FOREST AND STREAM 
SHORE BIRD SHOOTING ON LONG ISLAND 
THERE ARE MANY INDICATIONS THAT AS A RESULT OF THE MIGRATORY BIRD LAW 
SHORE BIRD SHOOTING WILL BE BETTER THIS SEASON THAN FOR SEVERAL YEARS PAST 
I F the fact that shore birds were un¬ 
usually plentiful on Long Island last 
year is any indication of what this sea¬ 
son will bring forth, the shooting should 
be good. Long Island has been growing in 
popularity among gunners during the past 
few years, largely, perhaps, because of its 
accessibility from the city. It is coming 
to be more widely known each season, as 
gunners relate their experiences, that one 
can find a good day’s sport within thirty or 
forty miles from the Pennsylvania Station. 
Such is the fact, notwithstanding the un¬ 
belief of not a few who are slow to be¬ 
lieve simply because they have lacked ocu¬ 
lar proof. The writer is not prepared to 
state that any gunner is certain of a re- 
By H. S. RUSHMORE 
the gunner at the beginning of the season. 
At such times even the almost entirely in¬ 
experienced hunter is able to whistle birds 
to his stools, and many fall to his gun. 
With no previous training in whistling, he 
can learn from the flying birds themselves 
and although, while experimenting, he may 
cause one or two flocks to scurry away, 
laughing at his efforts, he will soon pick up 
the accomplishment and see the live birds 
swooping down to settle among his stools. 
The experienced sportsman will perhaps 
overlook what to him may appear a merely 
elemental suggestion for all shorebird 
shooting, as it may be of assistance to some 
brother sportsman whose office duties have 
prevented him from spending as much time 
gun look ridiculously small, and one gets 
the impression that they could scarcely hold 
enough shot to destroy a fly at ten paces. 
But he “brings back the bacon,” to employ 
a homely but well known phrase. It may 
be partly because he is an excellent shot, 
but my own belief is that it is mostly at¬ 
tributable to the readiness with which a 
gun as light as that is can be handled. One 
doesn’t need a cannon for easily killed 
birds. 
It is not part of my design to advertise 
any particular guides, but the gunner may 
easily find good guides by applying to the 
postmaster of the village he selects as the 
place from which to leave the train. The 
guides are all provided with stools for the 
A commercial transaction in shore birds on the sands of Long Island 
spectable bag of game, or, indeed, of any 
bag at all upon a chosen day. He is pre¬ 
pared to say, however, that the game will 
be there and that those who know how to 
whistle the birds in and who study the 
flights as affected by the various winds, are 
practically certain to have something to 
show, upon their return, of which they will 
have no reason to be ashamed. 
The Southern shore of Long Island, 
where the shorebird shooting is best, pro¬ 
duces four vareties in numbers worth while 
considering. These are the greater and 
lesser yellowleg, and the black breasted and 
the golden plover. Of these the lesser yel¬ 
lowleg usually appears first. With correct 
wind conditions prevailing it not infre¬ 
quently occurs that very large flights greet 
in the open as he has been privileged to 
spend. Shorebirds are not like crows or 
geese, with leathery skins. They have ten¬ 
der skins and are not so heavily feathered 
but that a fine shot will prove sufficient to 
kill. No. 8 or No. 9 shot are plenty large 
enough. As to the size of the gun’s bore, 
one cannot so easily choose in that respect, 
inasmuch as the average person does not 
feel sufficiently affluent to own more than 
one shotgun. Usually he chooses the 12 
gauge as most fitting for all purposes. A 
16 gauge is better for shorebird shooting, 
and I have a friend who always uses a 
20 gauge for this work. And, singular as it 
may appear, he manages to kill more birds 
in, say, a dozen trips than any man I know. 
The shells used in his toy-like appearing 
birds sought, and know the best grounds. 
The grounds remain the same, of course, 
but their adaptibility for the sport is de¬ 
pendent not a little upon the direction of 
the wind, so if one can afford it, he would 
better employ a guide for his first trip, at 
any rate. Afterward, when by study he 
has acquainted himself with the geography 
of the meadows and the habits of the birds, 
he can equip himself with a few stools from 
a sporting goods store in the city and sally 
forth by himself, fairly confident that he 
will find his quarry. 
There exists a popular belief among gun¬ 
ners that the best flights of birds are to be 
found in the very early morning. Not a 
few hold that the evening flight equals that 
of the morning. Still others say the birds 
