The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-01-04
Ghe Sportsman.
SHOOTING THE WILD GOOSE.
Exciting Sport Among the Ponds Of Eastern
Massachusetts,.

INhN9 VI IDuutl llt vi
rectly across the track of the myriads of
wild geese that journey northward with
the approach Of summer, and southwark
when cold weather comes. To bring
down the swift-moYing flock, which looks
high in the air, like mere thread drawn
across the sky, requires skill and patience;
to entice them within shooting range after
they have struck the water is yet more
difficult.
The experienced hunter selects a pond
where wild fowl have been known to stop
either for rest, fresh water, or sand, for
geese must have all these, although they
can do without either for long time.
Then he selects cove or miniature bay,
backed by boggy swamps, and, if praetiea.
bic, with point of land juttiDg out into
the pond, so as to allow of clear range to
the right and left, as well as in front. A
grayelly or sandy beach is necessary, even
if the hunter has to boat the material to
the spot. Six rods back from the end Of
the point should be built the stand, or
blind. This should be six feet in height,
so as to allow the hunter room for hiding
behind it. The better way to construct a
blind is first to build an entire framework
of boards. These then should be entirely
covered on the surface toward the water
with whatever variety Of evergreen boughs
the woods in the vicinity may furnish.
The structure resembles n natural growth
of bushes along the margin of the lake.
At the bottom of the stand, in front, small
arched openings are left, through which
the lines attached to the decoys are mani
pulated, and also through which the grown
goslings, raised from wild geese that have
been captured in previous years, are easily
called into the interior of the blind by the
simple shaking of measure of corn. A
rod or more to the rear of the blind is the
hut of the hunters, about ten feet square,
and with battened roof, in which the
sportsman may live comfortably through
the flying season, which lasts from about
the beginning Of frost until the lakes are
frozen over.
The deooys are wild geese that have
been wounded and captured in previou:
seasons, and the young raised from them
Although grown to full size, the young arc
not clipped in any way. They rarely leave
the old ones for any length Of time. Strap,
about eighteen inches in length are placed
upon their legs, which hang down when
they are on the wing, thus preventing them
from being shot, should they pass other
stands in their flight, for every sportsman
knows they belong to some hunter.
We are waiting for the wild geese
First, wooden decoys, or dummies, forty
or more, are scattered about in focks oyel
the cove. They look like living fowl at Q
distance, as can be testified to by moro
than one metropolitan marksman, who, af
ter careful padding to wlndward, has emp
tied the contents Of his breech,loader int
their white pine Oarcasses. One Of the ole
wild decoy geese is on the beach at the
waters edge. A hoop like a croque
wicket few feet behind the fowl, through
which line passes from the fetter on it.
leg to the inside of the blind, keeps the
deeoy in place, and should the bird squa
upon the beach, vigorous jerk Of the lin,
enlivens it. \ little distance from thu
goose a duck is anchored, who stands, o
swims, his six hours tour of duty Will
the regularity of sentinel; and they ar,
the best of sentinels for the sportsman, oil
account Of their peculiarly FORMED eyes
which never fail to catch the slightes
movement of leaf, insect, or other objec
long before the goose has craned its nee
at it. To the rear Of the cabin, on tn
shore, in crate or box, is the gandcr, tn
mate Of the goose on the beach, Within
the hut are tho sportsmen, busy at thei
chess, whist, or euchre, with one watcher
at the window. All are warmly clothed
in readiness to creep out into the slee
storm-the best of all weather for thi
kind Of shooting. The sentinel duck ut
tiers cry, the goose cranes its neck ant
slants its head, the watcher at the window
carefully scans the sky with his glass, ant
discovers thread like line far away agains
the clouds Guns are seized hurriedly
the blind window is closed, and the hui
has the appearance Of mound. The
gunners hug the ground closely as they
creep to the stand, and hide themselves /,
await the result Of tho attempt to breal
down the approaching flock. One of the
gunners at the first announcement ha.
taken the basket in which the goslings ar,
kept and hurried back from the hut through
n brush-covered pathway to an emineuce
or where there is none to platform bull
in the boughs of tree, from which he
throws the goslings into the air. The,
start with cries for the centre Of the lake
and are answered by the old goose ON the
beach, while the gander, separated from
her and shut close in the crate at the rear
arrives at the conclusion that something
or other is going wrong, and adds his
hoarse call to the concert. II is wild mu.
sic when they all get at it. The cry OF
the old decoys arrests their young in their
fight and they whirl gracefully toward
the shore, set their wings and pitch down
among the wooden dummies out in the
cove.
Meanwhile the thread seen in the dis
tance has drawn nearer, and clearly de,
fined flock of geese is visible. Their at
tention has been attracted, aud the line
begins to waver, then breaks into knots OF
groups, then pitches, the wings are set
and down they come from their dizzy height
at an angle of Obout thirty seven degrees,
making the water fly as they strike in
among the wooden decoys. The goslincs
are making fer the shore, aud they arc
easily called into the blind through the
apertures at the bottom by the rattline
corn in the grain dish. Now the flock is
in the water, but it is another matter to
bring it within gunshot range. Geese arc
wary birds, and it is not unusual TO work
whole day, with fingers and ears aching
with the gold, only to have the flock al
three gunshots' distance at nightiall. The
swapping Of twig or the careless pokine
Of hat crown above the blind BY some
nervous novice has been taken into con.
sideratlon by the gander-the command.
ing piicer OF the battalion and that flock
IS lost TO the hunter, | have seen two
large hocks, numbering ut least one hun.
dred and fiffy, and aligned with the pre-
cislon of a regiment as they moved up in
platoons TO within two hundred yards OF
the stand, startled by something that at.
fraQfad fka ~tk.-t.~.