Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-01-27
For the Freeman.
Bird Shooting in Kansas.

country, and the habits of the birds, all
make much difference between the shoot
ing here IN | there Prairie chickens are
ut once in the foremost rank of birds for
GOOD shooting. Qnil>, ge,'~e, ducks,
>niles, br.,nt, and other kinds come in for
Il fair share Of attention: but none equal
The chickens for real sport. They are 50
shy hat Il good degree Of skill is required.
they must often be shot on he wing; they
are fine eating, and these things make til,
hunting of them keen >pmt. Each season
claims its advantages, also, for ~looin
Law covers the chickens AMI qutil>, and
also Il few other birds. Il part of the wear
the breeding season, >prInG and >ttlnmrr
Spring and fall rs we'll IL winter. off T.
advantages for ducks geese, brant, and
>nipeS.
Ii has been my fortune for Il yc.u past to
have The formation of Il col eg. cabinet o
my hands, and early stuffed specimens
were earnestly sought. One to build up {,
cabinet needs not only to b IN ardent
lover of nature, bu he mus love >hootin.
and tramplng. Many Il lon- tramp must
be made to study geology and gather spec
linens: or to tlnd botanical specimens; or
to get birds and animals, or insects. To
the work OF gathering and arranging Il
cabinet for Baker University, found that
brought not onl V deep love OF nature in
all her moods. but also keen enjoyment of
hunting and trampiny. some of the buv>
and possibly others who read this, will
remember how | enjoyed Il hunting o. fish
ng excursion in Vermont. A. the latter
amounts to almost n"lhng here. rrcuur~t
must be li;li TO the former 50 when if
becomes Necessary to 90 OF for a div or
I wee X to yet Il good addition to our cHh-
net, my heart never refuses. Let me tell
y"u OF Il couple Of excursions OF our
. Science Club. for birds.
Last April, when the weather was rr.tin,
a g"oi deal w'rn. Il part of the L ,ulor\
class dcridrd that there must be m. IL.
ducks and other water water birds in tlr
cabinet 10 make II look aS il Ounht S,wr
planned to 90 up the kaW RIVER. build 4
boat AMI float down. >hootingstS We came.
Three students went with me. and M =
p INT II the kaw, about ci1 htv miles al oyc
Lawrence. at Wlnltwu, We buit. i'm = t,.w
houi :. Il rude. .tlal-bottnmrd boat. pllt a III
b.ndIc of hay in the front end, and -hov-
ing Oft from the sllO e flo ted down fine
stream. Hunting was olr principal object.
Yet We studied general Topography. took 8,
draft OF the river, it. islands, etc Three
nights We slept on the banks of the river.
and the 'HrtA Il ~ 1T TWO o clock lauuc,t
in Lawrence. lhe chaucc~ for >hunlin.,
Were good, though the S,.;i~un WIS 4 littlr
late. but Uur >Icrc>- WIS not very marked
We bro l-.t IN Twenty-Five species not be
fore III th, cabinet. Leading the lit was
4 white pelican. 4 noble old tenn il,. whose
wings ~pannvd rlghtN weight incIc> IN t, h.r
bill WAS twelve inches Ing y duublc-
crested cornOrant seven species f da.ch,.
II black toN. squirrels, IN animal net b, lore
noticed III the state 10y >,.i,,r4tlli men. and
other spec imcl~. 10 ct The pelican w.,
had great ,h;~e. 1t WAS ~i-hlrd inst
below Topekn, Il III It ;thr:,.. an was
sent ashore to yct thc,td Of it whil, the
rest tloat,-d down. l;unnInr acrus> Il ben
camr t, the river, oniN to br ~i.h.rt .v
he u ant bird too soon tur Il shot
would >W i'm tfr fastest OF ANY hlrd ever
saw, the loon mot exc p td Au,in ii
iong run OF II lnIlc aht.,U, and | mi III
-onie tail grass beside the river while
sweeping III i,.>ticallE h. noDi,. Air,i c:tu,.
down thr stream. almost too hcau,iful tu
SlIo"t. But the d nItud~ Of llIr cabinet
amt >cl' nee oNrrcIM.c tine m.IutnI;IIN .t,!-
nlirat"n o, lhc bird, and ii tnt ii.ht mo-
mcnt | poured Il chtr4r of Yrr~r ~.lot int,
III fifty \ar'l-. | Hitcm Il t. ii y " hon
~aW | huI h.t II hHrd. SON c,,u.d mot ri~-.
Another hare ot smaller r>hot.IWuurtlr,,.
"t which took effect in il bill ana p,r:,l Ii
still cid no, stop il AMI it >Aam . th-
Othcr >IIc. litc Olt came ;tIuhg ami tu,l
beg IN Il most memorable ch -. III hu t
dr4Vmg the bird down. and ul tI" shore.
keeping ah at OF il. \ he tn of 4 n Z.
o. more a ferry CROSSED tn river. ind If III
one >It'' 4 70 tAW ~ OF : mes t;lu un III Ipr,.
than haIf WY ;tcru~>. Getting flr uut ou
thI>, | headed "tf Tho pelican. while .h,.
boat coming Gown carefully. - t. nui I .
ALLOW / to pass them zap IN. str, am. t.c
tud nt> finally got a shot At ~n"g rtn.t.
and the grard"-t trophy "t turrr d:t> :
hunt was pulled inl" III" boat. \ "Ar
shot Eobtrt~ Killed five duch~. ~ E:,U
! done the day b tore. 1t W. gr;n Ijju =
! NJ to lie chin the BIZ b n,Ir Of i!av.
le the boa tiuu 1oNnWlr,I with the, ca :
| rent amt tll,m 10 shoot At the durks ~
times We saw them bN the hundac. \
beaver showed himself, htt ;co ia. away 1,
bc re.,che' with "lIr hot guns.
| l he oh hunt Of our = Science { Ial .
was this winter, for g,,'~c. Northeast @
here is ihr toNn Eudor.I. and M prc.,. ll,.!
there told u OF many grt>r on the @ry,I
wheat ntld~. ii { li,u> lie near ll,. Nav;
md the tmlIrr on it. banks all i,ca !;
god place tcr camping. Vacation t"i
liO.liaN> llaN in@conr. Il party OF eight of ~
with lltwO UoUbr teams. started uur Ihrr,
We're II few inches OF >nuW. ;lnd the nurll
W nd m.,Gc it chilly riding. Some Chiefs
ems. IliIil>. and i;bhl,e ,not on g ruu,
promi &c, u> good >,pi CT when INTO camp
1t b e me lark b fore We cot t. the c,!pI
groLnj> 'nd W, had t. loct It place II
the ,.rk Bat thes,. things did not de-, 70,
o II comfort. y hug, tire. :; hot supper {,
fowl ana coffee pat lis in thc h.>i ui htInlo
and under thirh blankets we ~,,pt u
though the thclmnnict, did Mt >e. k zero
The next morning. Unlrr III llr, ton
OF our preacher Guide. We went ut af c
,hc .e,.>c. We hid in corn shocks, in IL,
weeds. among the Iii : an inc corn >talI,
everywhere, while hr drove ovyr tn
wheat fields To- ~c:trc tIcm mp. bII all il
vain. At three oclo-k We c;tlnr in
camp. tired. hungry. cold, and half di~
toura1cd, only 10 md that Il boy of on
party on horseback. h al rid ten clu~,. t
unc On the prairie. ,tni >llot 1t W til Il >m Il
,iIot--un. 1t WAS t grand cid wlndr
mta>uliug sc, cr.,l inches more IN lenyih
and wing, tllan The books allow \ mum
btr OF chickens AMI ,ljri Is hld been taken
/ new specimen in tln way uf Il >:nai
crceptr. Il few rabbits. and that WIS tn
end OF our iiI>t day among the mre-e Tn
nrAt day we must 20 home, and we frrr,
we should have the skin ol Ii one to ;,dprI
/