The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-03-20
Curious Method Of Catching Quail.

The following passage, from work
called "Sport and Work on the .Nepaul
Frontier" describes the manner of cap
turing quails in the East Indies: Trav-
cling one day along one of the glades I
have mentioned as dividing the strips
of jungle, was surprised to see man
before me in field of long stubble,
with cloth spread over his head and
two sticks projecting in front at an OBJ
tuse angle to his body, forming horn
like projections, on which the ends of
his cloth, twisted spirally, we're tied.
I thought from his curious antics and
movements that he must be mad, but 1
soon discovered that there was method
in his madness. He was catching quail.
The quail are often very numerous in
the stubble fields, and the natives adopt
very ingenious devices for their cap
ture. This was one was now witness
ing. overing themselves with their
cloth as have described, the projecting
ends Of the two sticks representing the
horns, they simulate all the movements
of COW or bull. They pretend to paw
up the earth, toss their ke-believe
horns, turn round and pretend to scratch
themselves, and, in fact, identify them
selves with the animal they are repre-
senting; and it is irresistibly comical TO
watch solitary performer go through
this al .fresco comedy. L have laughed
often at some cunning old herdsman or
shekarry. When they see you watching
them they will redouble their efforts, and
try to represent an old bull going through
all his pranks and practices, and throw
you into commissions of laughter.
Round two sides of the field they have
previously put fine nets, and at the apex
they have large cage with decoy
quail inside, or perhaps pair. The
quail is running bird, disinclined for
flight except at night in the daytime
they prefer running to using their
wings. The idiotic.looking old COW, as
we will call the hunter, has all his wits
about him. He proceeds very slowly
and warily; his keen eye detects the
conveys of quail, which way they are
going, his rnse generally succeeds won
derfully. He is no more like COW than
that respectable animal is like cucum-
Der; but he paws, and tosses, and moves
about, pretends to eat, to nibble here,
and switch his tail there, and 30 on
man euvers as to keep the running quail
away from the unprotected edges of the
field. When they get to the verge pro-
tected by the net, they begin to take
alarm; they are probably not very GER
tain about the peculiar looking old
COW" behind them, and running along
the net, they see the decoy quails evil
! IDENTIFY feeding in great security and
freedom. The V-shaped mouth of the
large basket cage looks invitingly open.
The puzzling nets are barring the way,
and the "old COW is gradually closing
up behind. As the hunter moves along,
should have told you, lie rubs two
pieces of dry hard sticks gently up and
down his thigh with one hand, produc-
ing peculiar crepitation, cracking
sound, not sufficient to startle the birds
into flight, but alarming them enough
to make them get out of the way of the
"old cow" One bolder than the others,
possibly the most timid of the covey,
irritated by the queer cracking sound,
now enters the basket, the others fol.
lowing like flock of sheep; and once in.
the puzzling shape of the entrance pre-.
vents their exit. Not infrequently the
hunter bags twenty or even thirty brace
of quail in one field by this ridiculous
looking but ingenious method.