Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-12
! ALL ABOUT PIGEONS.
Their Family Discfpline--How $50
Catch Them..Their Treatment, &c.

ALL ABOUT PIGEONS. i a.
Their Family Discipline--Ho,v sto
Catch Them--Their Treatment, sc.
The State Sportsmen's Convention of
New York, assemble in Buffalo next Mon
day. At least 10000 pigeons have been
sent from the eastern shore of Michigan to
be shot during the Convention. The Buffa-
10 Express gives some hints relative to pig
cons that may be interesting to our sports
men
WHERE THEY BOOST.
This has been an unfortunate year for
netting birds, as there has been so much
mast, or different kinds of nuts in the
woods that they do not come out as usual
to get food. Amongst the largest roosts
ever known was the recent one in Wells
vile in this state, on the border of Pennsyl-
vania and by the line of the New York and
Erie Railroad. 1t extended through Pot
ter county, but it was broken up by the
snow last April and the bulk of the birds
went to Michigan. Some have since re-
turned but in nothing like such quantities
as they were in that vicinity last year. The
great bulk of the pigeons are supposed to
be roosting at present somewhere in Can
ada.
FAMILY DISCIPLINE.
They usually congregate for raising their
families in large tracts of dense woodland
as much as ten miles from any habitation.
Their breeding places range from five to
ten miles in length by from half mile to
two miles in width and in some instances
from twenty to thirty nests are in a tree,
Matching about two to O nest. Where they
have food they will breed every month
The female bird sets on the nest in the
morning while the male bird searches for
food, while in the afternoon the male bird
sets on the nest and the female collects
food
The clatter is deafening in the vast colony
of millions of birds, and everlasting billing
and cooling being carried on, with pigeon
talk of the cares of the family and the best
place for procuring snails, worms insects
and bugs for the young. When they get to
be ten days old they are big enough to eat
beech nut they are considered to have
come of age and are left to shift for them
selves. The old birds feed principally on
nuts, grain, etc. Landing in countless
numbers on q field OF spring wheat they
will completely clear the ground of seed.
HOW TO CATCH THEM
1t is useless to attempt to catch them
with nets in the breeding places, but when
they sally out for food in large focks, hur-
rying hither and thither in anxious quest,
they will see pigeons flying about whose
eyes IN reality are sewn up and who are at
tached to long cords; and coming still near
er they will see pigeon whose feet are
tied to stool, generally small piece of
wood, on which he can rest easily; to this
there is attached a jack worked by person
concealed in house built of boughs; at
every jerk OF the stool the pigeon spreads
his wings as if alighting. 1t seems perfect
ly clear that here is prospect for good
food, especially as grain and other pigeon
Injuries are strewn ON the ground. The
whole flock alight, the net is sprung and
the struggling mass enclosed. The net is
generally from fifteen to twenty feet
square. By a simple contrivance, when
the flock ahghts, the man in the bough
house springs the mesh over the pigeons
who have alighted beside their unconscious
deceivers. From two or three dozen to
twenty dozen are caught at once. From
five to ten dozen is good catch.
A JOURNEY.
They are taken out of the nets and put
in coops four feet long, two feet and a half
wide, and five inches high in the clear If
the coops were made higher the pigeons
would pile one on another, and get suffo-
Gated Nearly half die ON the road in
warm weather, when long shipments have
to be made. In cold weather the mortality
is not SO large. On their arrival little
water is given them at first, the amount
gradually increasing until they are i'll nor
NAL state, as far as thirst is concerned.
Nothing is given them ON the road except
corn; no water can be given as they dirty
themselves and the coop with it. A little
water is sprinkled over them occasionally.
CATCHING FOR MARKET.
The great bulk are caught by profess
sional pigeon-hunters, who instantly kill
them, put them in barrels, and send them
to New York and other markets. They
can take three hauls in this way to one
where they have to be taken out carefully
one by one. They have pinchers with
round and smooth prongs which do not
break the skin, and professionals will kill
twenty dozen in very few minutes.
Young pigeons, just before they are able
to fly, are called squads Their flesh is de-
icious, and brings the highest price in the
market. They are caught by telling the
trees in which they are nested. The hunt
ers notch a number of trees, and selecting
the largest, it is felled, and falling ON an
other tree, and that falling on another, all
crash down IN succession, bringing the
birds to the ground, where they are killed,
dressed, and sent to market.
TRAP SHOOTING.
Shooting pigeons from traps is an excit-
ing trial of skill, and in addition to the
regular contest at the convention, we hear
of some private matches that will undoubt-
eddy prove interesting. At the regular
convention, outside shooting is prohibited,
as it would be dangerous in crowd, and
the police will be in attendance to see this
regulation enforced. On ordinary occa-
sions stray fellows are posted around to pop
at any birds that have escaped the regular
shooting. Any guns can be used, with all
the powder that may be wished the
amount of shot, though, is limited to an
ounce and a half to each charge.
A Domestic Mystery Explained.
A Fort Wayne (Ohiol paper relates how