The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-23
Pigeon EsO0st.

The Ashtabula Sentinel gives very inter
estng account of visit at night to pigeon
roost, about two miles east of the Ohio line
in the Chenango Swamp, in Crawford coun.
ty, Pa. The Sentinel says:
When within two miles OF the roostinn
! place we began to hear the roar Of the wing,
of the millions of birds there concregated
which literally equal!sd the roar OF Niagara
But the sights and sounds that greeted US as
we nearcd the swamp, beggars description.
There were probably hundred hunters as
sembled and ut work. These were divided
into parties of not more than two or three
some in the T0meraCks, and some in the A Id.
ers. At a shot in the bushes the birds 70 20
in mOss and settled on the trees and when
fired upon there, they flew to the bushes.-
This changing continued all night. At a
single shot, the flock always rose and flew a
short distance to settle or be fired upon sgain.
This scene lasted all night. The usual mode
of bunting the pigeons is for two men to 90
, together-one with gun, the other with a
bag, lantern and matches. AS soon MS the
shot is fired, the bug-man strikes a light and
"bags" the birds and this must be done
speedily, or the wounded ones will hide and
be lost. Six dozen is quite a load for any
man. We"gin eout" under five dozen, very
soon. We were told to fire with one barrel
at the bushes, and with the other at the "ble
up The term boil up, is very natural
one for at every shot, the flock will rise
straight upward, and after circIing few mo
mcnts, make swooping course, and then
light perhaps within to" yards of where
they rose. The number killed seems almost
incredible. One man killed four dozen at
sirgle shot, and nine hundred in the night.
Like everything else known to man, tic
Almighty Dollar is connected with this
Pigeon buyers are stationed on an Island in
the swamp, who purchase them as fast us
killed, at so cents Il dozen. Women ere
employed to pick them, who receive 5 cents
per dozen, which is about what the feathers
arc supposed TO be worth. These buyers
keep iull supply of ammunition, candles,
etc., the latter item probably embracing
those "rinews Of war;" usually bought in
New York, in "oreina packages" The
pigeons are Immediately shipped for New
York, where they bring good pice, and
where the courtesy OF the buyer extends the
term "ircsn, 10 uh bItlCie OeClueCIy apPre'
Cabie 10 the olfaCtores.
Amongst other convenances, the BUYERS
have employed man TO blow a horn all
night, to direct the hunters to the CAMP
He makes a Gabriel of himself for one dol
lar each night, and troops of ugly looking
sinners follow up the sound of his trumpet
to unbag the pigeons and pocket the dimes.
The habits of these birds are an interest
ing study and that alone would repay visit
to their hsunts. They appear to have no in
dividuality and all their actions are 10 f1ocks
the flock seeming 10 be the individuaI.-
At hight they come in in Aocks, and in the
morning they make up in locks to leave,
uniting smaller into larger ones, when the
appearance is like a swarm oil bees. At the
sight OF flash they instantly change their
course or scatter. We noticed an immense
flock like cloud, when large meteor sho,
athwart the sky, at the scntlations of which
the teathered host scattered in all directions,
In the morning, little after sunrise, thew
begin to leave, and in fifteen minutes thew
are all gone, spreading in all directions over
the country to Iced. From this roost they
dIVerge daily in all directions over district,
whose diameter is probably two hundred
miles, to return again every night, and be
hunted from bush to bush, and Kept in mo.
tlon by the rapacity OF man, insteud OF the
rest that Nature directed them TO seek in
this sequested spot, We.