Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-06-29
Millions Of Wild Pigeons.
A RoosT OF IMMENSE EXTENT IN THE IN
DIAN TERRITORY

1
DIAN TERRITORY.
There arrived on Saturday night, at a
place near Jersey City, Il car containing
$500 wild pigeons that had been shipped
from Atoka, Indian Territory. They are
the first installment of 10000, which w. p.
Thomas of Phillipsburg, N j., contracted
to supply to the New York state sports
mems association. The pigeons were plac-
ed in pens. from which they will be taken
AS wanted. These pens arc simply low,
close sheds. An inclined plane OF Slated
framework in each pen furnishes the pig
ons with a roost. They are very shy A
slight noise on the outside of a pen pro-
duces a loud whir on the inside.
Mr.. Thomas makes business of trap
ping pigeons for field sport. He will get
four more car loads from the Indian terri
tory, making total of 900 pigeons.
THE business will not be profitable
one this year." he said, "because we have
had to go so far to get them. Heretofore
the pigeons have roasted in Pennsylvania
or Michigan. But this year. owing TO the
late, cold spring, they did not come as far
north rs usual, and the made a roost in the
pott.s rr.st, o.,>ie reser-,tiv.. Of the Imuiau
Territory. ITO miles away from the nearest
railroad station. had to transport all my
lumber aud supplies from Atoka, and the
pigeons had to be hauled there for ship
ment. At one time | hid fifteen wagons
on the road. There are several streams to
be forded, and the Arbuckle Mountains
have to be crossed, but most of the way the
road is pretty level. 1t took wagon about
three days to make the trip from the roost
to Atoka.
"The roost is the largest have ever
seen. The country there is thickly grown
over with what they cali post oak timber,
from the fact, | suppose, that the trunks
are just about post size, The acorns are
so abundant that it is a splendid feeding
ground for them. | went into the roost
for about ten miles without finding any
signs of an end. Every tree was thick
with pigeons, the branches bending down
with their weight, When the birds have
been coming home from the feeding
grounds in the evening have seen a
stream about mile broad flow through
the air for two hours thick enough to hide
the sun, and making noise like thunder.
Should judge the roosL to be about twenty
miles long and fifteen broad.
There has been little or no shooting,
and that has been good thing for US, as
shooting makes the birds scarry and hard.
er to trap. There is plenty Of deer and
turkeys on the reservation and the Potta-
wattomies do not care for pigeons, so they
do not hunt in the roost. The Indians
were very friendly, and some of them are
working for St. Louis firm that are catch
ing squads and shipping them to market.
Men go about with poles punching the
squads out of their nests. They are pack
ed in barrels with ice, and sent to all the
large cities as far north as Boston. My
business was altogether with the live pig
cons, which we caught in nets"
Mr.. Thomas explained the methods of
the trappers. The nets used will cover a
space of 40 feet by 80. One end of the net
is fastened to rope, which is drawn taut,
so that when let 90 the net is thrown out
like an arrow, falling upon the pigeons
that have gathered in front of it. The
pigeons are generally caught on their
feeding ground or their water beds. When
Il good feeding ground is located the nets
are set, and the trapper puts himself in Il
hut of boughs at one end of the net line.
Pigeons are saved from one season to an
other for use rs decoys. When flock OF
pigeons is soon coming pigeon is thrown
up in the air to attract the attention OF the
flock, the bird being pulled down again
with string This bird is called the flyer
Another decoy bird called the stool pigeon
is made use of the same time. He is tied
to u perch on the free end of Il stripof iron
band about four feet long. AS the flock
approaches "a string is pulled which makes
the spring bounce hum up and down. and
he flaps his wings to keep his balance. He
presents the appearance to the approach
ing ground, and they settle down around
him.
"How many pigeons have you caught at
one timeP" the reporter asked.
al once saw sixty-seven dozen caught at
one cast of the net," said MIR, Thomas,
"but thirty or forty dozen is an average
big catch. Sometimes there will be only
dozen or so. have seen the net lifted
up on the wings of the pigeons until it
belled out like a balloon. number of
pigeons toward the edge are apt to get out
but the men are quick, and work around
the edges, slowing the birds in crates as
fast rs they get them out, and rolling the
net up as they work in, until they have got
all the pigeons, when the net is set again
for another cast"
The pigeons are caught on water beds
as well us on feeding grounds A water
bed is made by filling an excavation with
water The pigeons on their way home
from feeding will stop to drink. and are
caught under the nets. Sometimes salt is
Il G.fHl ~ AJ,.
1.-THE acorns were so plentiful that the birds
did not have to search for feeding grounds
and did not decoy we'll. The water beds
did not draw WE'LL either, as they had the
Canada river, the water of which is aka
line, so that salt also hal no attractions for
them. We caught the most on gravel beds
along the river as they would settle down
for stones to put in their crops to grind up
the acorns." Ma
Pigeons are metfodical in their habits
in these great roosts. Early in the morn
ing the Tom flight occurs This is COM
posed of the male birds on their way tG the
feeding grounds. When they have fed and
drunk, they return to the nests, and the
female birds 90 to feed. The hen flight
takes place between and o'clock. In
the afternoon there is another Tom flight
and toward evening another hen flight
The birds stop for gravel or water on their
way home from feeding.
The crates in which the birds are ut
when caught are simply large fiat coops
The METERS are spread over an area o
twelve or fourteen miles. Every evening
the teams make a round and collect all the
crates. 1t is now necessary to get the bird:
ION their feed" or else they will die. They
are put in pens and given corn to eat, will
plenty of water to drink. For several days
after they are captured they will hardly
eat at all, and it is only after they have
become accustomed to the change thai
they can be again Grated and shipped
Two men travel in the car, and the pigeons
are regularly fed and watered. The Cal
load which arrived on Saturday night was
shipped on Thursday morning, and the
birds were fed and watered four times
while en- route.
Pigeons nest four times II season, having
one egg to IA nest, Zone result of the in
accessible nature of the locality of this
years roost," said Mr.. Thomas, sis that
the increase is larger than ever known
r 1 n