, 1875-02-07
Snow-Birds as a Substitute for
Pigeons.
Their Special Advantage from a
Sportsman's Standpoint. ::
Local Gossip Concerning Turf and
Trigger.
The Billiard Tourney.
SkOW.RtRDC

: sNoW,BtRDs. .,
TIE UNHAPPY SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PIGEON,
The spozteman-by this term We meRh the
devotee Of the gun-knows no special season for
the enjoyment Of his sport. Unlike the disci-
Pies Of baseball, lovers Of the turf. aud follow
ers Of every 8ther outdoor amusement he is
not restricted to the genial weather Of the sum-
mcr months. Though the temperature, OF shat
season may be preferred by him as most con-
ducive to steady aim, land to tho Iveliness Of
the birds hs pops at, yet his enthusiasm is not
abated when
The frost has killed the roses,
And winter has begun,
And Watery beads from noses
Are glsterng in tha sun.
Nor when the grounds clad With snow and
the Intelligent pigeon has betaken himself. to
warmer cfnes to bill and COO aud breed, does
he hang his gun on the rack, and coutent HIM
self with recollection Of past gIories wou on the
spoi ting grounds. or drear1y wait the return Of
warm weather. He braves the wintrY blasts
rides for miles to his favorite shooting park
inures himself to the cold, and pops away with
almost "a steady and deauly aim and with
fully as much enjoyment as when the
summer sun inspired hlm to vicious slaughter,
ana suggested to the pigeon, d he vas sprung
out Of traps, tho cool and refreshing beauties OF
the Nooda.
Hence, uhilo other outdoor pleasures have
lain dormant only to be aroused INTO activity by
warm weather, tae members OF the sporting
clubs have never ceased to enjoy themselves 10
their own peculiar way. Indeed. the Wiotef has
been \ rather active season. marked with num-
bet Of important matclea and sono very good
shooting,
While the incorporate weather Of this season
has no apparent effect upon the ardor Of the
sportsman, it fills the fsyorlta object Of his gun
with proponsjtv TO Zee more Of tue world. nnd.
Like well-to-do people, disposed to hy tue SHOWS
aud *coid snaps" Of tile North, the pigeon
goea South. Not even to Accommodate
the Gun. Kennicott, Prairie, or other clubs,
will he consent to foregohis wlntef trip to warmer
climates. The scarcity Of this bid 1t the
present season is about the only thing that gives
the summer and fall an advantage over this tlme
~ respects the pleasure Of the sportsman.
But his zeal has almost overcome this
his powder and ahot which are bnt little inferior
to the pigeon aud serve very well in the shsauce
Of tho latter bird.
While the pigeons ~ enjoying themselves in tho
geuial sunshine Of more southerly districts, the
-bifls fit from snow-b2uK to soow-banx. and
clirp mud twitter among the leahess branches of
the trees. These diminutlve creatures OF the
feathexed tribe, the larbingers Of cold weather,
tue WINGED heralders OF snow-storms, the sollta-
~ welcomers OF an their tribe OF winter, are
substituted for the absent pigsous.
The xid pigeon, which furnishes the food for
the sporlsmnn's powder, becomes tired of the
amusement, however, exciting, md departs from
these r.t,ons ut tie first approach OF cold
weather. In tho latter part Of the foil lame
pigeons ars used and until the weather has
reachsd wiutry temperature they exhibit all
the favorite characleristics OF the wild bird.
But in such seasons they AFRO useless.
Their habits incline them to. sect places OF
warmth and shelter. md. now. when PLACED
10 the traps they become chilled into inactivity.
Wheo tho traps are eprnug they fy sluggish
and for tie experienced Bportsmau AFFORD no
amusement Hencs the snow-blfd. being Indeed
tho Offspring OF winter and peculiarly lively At
this season, is used.
And they ara obtainable in largo numbers.
They liz IN immense focAs over tho prairie
WASTES Of Snow, and hap and twittera In every
grove. The demand Tor them just now
among sportsmen has created quite
commerce in lhe lttle b,peds. They are sought
They are caught in nsss in groat numbers Ala
eiub-ahoot few davs ago, held by the Gun Club
Ut it's grounds on milwaukee, avenua. 700 were
purchased from one person, and mcss Of them fell
victims to the aoort. This Club secures its supply
from IN Englisaman living in Lake View. who. with
his Sons, is every day engaged IN their capture.
On ono occasion he 1etted over eighty at Sin
Gle setting OF his nats: He now has on hand 800
which are to he used in club-shoot to take
place Wednesday. The shoots OF this Club
have occurred this winter almost as frequently
ss during the summer aud fall months. They
are pract,cing most Assidnoua}y IN expectation OF
4 mach with tho Kennicotts, q challenge from
whom is cersain to be Issued very soon, and ~
certain TO bo accepted For the past two OF three
months they have used snaw-blrds exclusively.
At first after being so long Accustomed to much
larger and less sctlvo BIRDS they found 1t exceed
ipgly difficult to bit them, and scores usually
comprised = considerable numsar OF BLANKS;
des ss 80 ga5 rapidly 'ez xhen rse.ssd
from tho trap. tbs4 lit requires the
s.eadiest hand aud most accnrnte eye to
bring him to earth. Il is obvious, therefore,
thu: suov-bi1d shooting constitutes the best
club-praotice. .Pigcon-shooting, among not
far eportsmeu, has been reduced to almost
certainty. 70 kill Ave straight doubles Or ten
straight singles is not IN uncommon achieve
rueot. Bportsmeu beconoas so familiar with the
characteristics OF the birds that they ara monot-
opo1sly successtul.
4 vnriaton upon the nonotony OF ski1l+ this
certainty OF slaughter il partially secured by in-
creasipe the distances Of the traps from the
shooter. But oven this la not very effective as
means Of bringing his skill to greater perfection
A most Desirable field for practice has been
found 10 the use OF snow-birds. The clubs
which have INDUCED in this kind OF shooting re-
centlv have advanced very materially in dexteri-
ty. and the anow-bird is rapidly becoming = ia
yorlte. The shoots had this winter by the Gun
Club hAve increased to efficiency in high de-
gree. 1t shoot recently in which twenty mem
bers participated, the iue average OF ssven birds
out Of ten Waa made.
THE TURF.
LOCAL AND GENERAL
In local circles rhe1a has been htto OF sporting
interest during tho past week, everything being
in nrospectiye, The severe weather bus been