The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-04-28
some suggestions to seo'tss"e".
New Orleans Times !

New Orleans Tinlesl
The time has come when the sports
| mans trusty brown barrels are carefully
and lovingly laid away, until the fTosts
of autumn call them forth to q new les
direction. Although the merry time
when sport may be had a field has passed
away until brown November shall come,
| there are certain duties shat are dear to
the sportsman's heart, even though they
may be somewhat laxly done. 1t is OF
some of these things we would speak.
For the first time in the history of
Louisiana we have a game law. Let
every man who loves the wild creatures
| God has made, see that the law respect
| ing the game and birds 6f Louisiana is
sternly enforced. Though the true
sportsman eyer hath ~ nature open as
| day to melting charity yet to those who
would needlessly and cruelty slaughter
| the wild birds and animals when they
are useless, the heart should be t1ke the
neither millstoRe in hardness. Let the
| law be so thoroughly enforced tilatWhO-
ever would kill gaae out OF season shall
not be able to dispose of a single feather.
| The law should he for the protection
Of tile weak. It's ISOLATION should not
be permitted, to favor the gourmand OF
| the marketman.
Then anOtherthing should command
prompt and earnest attefYtIon. There
| is u host of wandering yagah0nds, white
and black, who have well nigh exteFnii-
mated some of OUT most delightful song
| birds It is hard to understand why
| this should be. The birds which fall
victims to the four dollar shot guns
have no recognized food value. 1t would
appear tbat they are destroyed IN q
spirit OF internal cruelty Now, I'LL this
can be stopped. The Law is sufficiently
explicit. ThesWarm OF worthless idteTs
who destroy the birds and endanger
| lives by their reckless shooting can DC
suppressed efEectually. Letthis be done.
SO will Giie feathered fofesters thank
their protector in their own dBmb way,
| and the magnolia and orange graves
will again resound with natures own
music.
1t seems pertinent to suggest that ID
| the attraction OF rifle shooting at long
range, spoTtsmeu are forgetting the
more important, and certainly the more
desirable, practice at sporting ranges.
There should be more attention given
to shooting at distances in which game
il killed. Nearly all the field shooting
with the rifle in the South is done at
100 yards, or q less distance, We are IN
danger Of losing that prestige that has
made the American hunter and riileman
SO renowned Oh many stricken field.
That quickness Of hand and snreness
fof nerve which enables the dead shot,
| who sees the dun hide of deer iOr only
| Il second as it leaps, 10 drop his game
with single bullet, is in danger of being
| lost for lack OF use. Whila tits not the
Intention Of this article 10 any way to
| discourage long range rifle shooting,
nc believe our suggestions as'e timely,
| iii order that the king of weapons shall
| mot lose its cliiafest value and attraction
/ to sportmen. They ale offered because
| we feel sure they will lind u responsive
sympathy III every true sportsnlan's
| heart.
And so may the good ST Hubert ever
l keep and guard al who love the CLINT
of brown barrels and the free, indie
/ pendent lilo of the gentle forest ranger
/ under the greenwood tree!