Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-04-24

81 Bnlpe ShoetImg.
Mr.. John KFider contributes 10 Ashore
and Aaoat lengthy article On snIpe
shooling, from which We condehse these
paragraphs: b.
Wilson's snipe hss been 50 often des-
eEibed In books, from the tip Of the bill
TO the end ofthe tail feathers. and is so
well known, that We might almost fore.
20 the minute details Of IFS dimensions
and makings.
From the uncertainty attending is
movements on the feeding grounds. the
swiftness and eccentricity Of its Eight,
the exposure and hard humting required
in its pursuit, the rare sport u oflen aE-
lords when found, its game look rs Il
springs from the marshes, and when
brought 70 bag. as well as its delicaey
on the table, il has long been an object
Of especial interest 10 the keenest and
most imaginative Of OVr rspOrtsmeD. We
have no doubt that one thing which
makes snipe shooting Pre-emInently st-
| tractive 10 some sportsman, - the de-
lighlful uncertainty which now more
than ever, attends the pursuit Of this
species ofgame.
Partridge shooting, so long upheld as
the beau ideal ofspOrt SavOrs rather TOO
much Of the preserves TO be exactly 10
the taste Of thorough hunter. Ia
country well stocked with game Of this
kind, whenever there are stubbles, at
the proper time Of the day there you
will find birds: and there is something
in the halt domesticated nature Of this Ia
milIar little member OF the gallinaceous
order, in the loud, "all right" Ofthe male,
the tender and anxious calls Of the scat
tered covey, and the extreme terror
which they display in hiding away from
l.aSesG II. T :. r'-s' after a ieW brace are
|ee stock visions Nns many Sei1~stsea
sportsmzii: With the snipe, on The
contrary, we have no sympathies Of
this sort; be is not one Of Us, but, COM
paratively speaking, sort Of winged
cosmopolile; is often vary and shy, and
as soon as he springs, begins 10 exer-
else ingenuity to escape our aim-now
darting, like fash, in zigzag lines, and
now soaring skyhigh, as iftotoP the range
Of your piece. t
WOokcock shooting in "the cripple"
always reminds us OF a party Of mad
men shouting and banging away at YAM
pire bats. in the eternal twilight Of some
equatorial forest. Rail shooting. 10
practised more than onee or twice in
q season, becomes too tiresome and
molotonous to possess much interest,
except for the sum total boated. Duck
shooting is noble diversion. but what
thrill Of expectation Is equal TO thai
which the sportsman feels, when, alter
q fruItless hunt over acres and acres Of
heavy ground, he beholds In the dis
tance The trusty and indeiatigable COM
panion ofhss toll. standing steadily to bis
point at Iast-or what q more game
sight thaa the gray, PhantOm-like look
OF the wandering snIpe, as uttering its
peculiar cry il fits over 4 wild marsh
on March or November day. 80
Being all open shooting, The shooter,
Of course, has an opportunity Of OBJ
serving all The movements or his dogs,
and also Of the bird allerit has sprung;
and 90 this account alone many shoot
ers declare that they bad rather have
two days OF good sport at sniPe than .
whole season at paFiridges or rail.
Always feeding from choice in open
marshes, they may be found in suliicIent
numbers TO afford excellent sport to-day,
when the weather j. moderately warm,
and light eIouds. borne on brisk breeze
from the southwest, cast their shadows
on bsre bog OF tussock, as they dTilt
overhead. Bus should the wind shin,
and cone on TO blow strong from the
northeast, as Is of1en The case during
the night, the next morning you may
traverse the marshes IN vain, IN the face
Of lowering sky; the birds are Of 70
cover, and Unless you have q particular
fancy 20 be detained three or four days
in snow storm. at o eountry inn. You
had better Be %. too. Tor you win
have no more shooting on that exeuE-
sion. -...-.--. .,...r
Snipe are NOT, moreover, 50 extreme
~ sensitive 70 frost - the books would
lead the unpraetIced shooter 10 sup
pose. Any person who has hunted
these birds for successive seasons viii
tell that he has killed snipe IN consid-
cradle numbers both in the spring and
fall, when the ice was almost thick
enough 10 bear his tread. We, our
selves have done this more Than once
in particular situations at Poems grove
and DinnisVille, New Jersey. "A Sc
we're frost. sufficient, 20 TO speak, 20 zeal
che marshes heFmetTicaIly, or course ne
cessiaaEes them to extend their fight
beyond The sphere Of is influence BY
cutting OF their supplies; strong east
wafdly Winds. whether wet o. dry,
drive them sooseE ID cover; rain makes
them mSestless and isdisposed 70 lie 10 the