Middletown transcript., 1881-03-18
DUCKS AND DUCK SHOOTING.

-Er.
DUCKS AND DUCK SHOOTING.
The following articles on EDucks
and Duck Shooting was contribute
to little paper published, some tim
ago, by the Port Penn Debating So
ciety. A valued correspondent ha
kindly copied the article for our col
umns.
Among the ducks to be seen in on
marshes are the Black ducks, Mallards
Sprig-tails, Teal, Bald-pate, Black
heads, Grey duck, Spoon-bill, and man,
others. The three first named are tn,
only ones that need interest us, as they
are by far the most numerous and val
liable. Black ducks and Mallards re
semble one another very closely in size
general appearance and habits, and are
usually found together. The counter.
parts of both these varieties may be
seen in our tame or puddle ducks but
more especially the Mallard, as the
same varieties Of shade and color are
constantly repeated in this family, and
there is no doubt in the authors mind
that our tame duck is the Mallard do.
mesticated, and the only difference be-
tween them, viz: the grosSness of the
former, is due to its habits. The
Black duck, as its name implies, is black,
but not entirely so, for the male has
buff-colored feathers about the head
and breast, and blue patches on the
wings. The female is of a steel grey
tint ; both have drab cOlored feathers
under their wings. Their feet are red.
These ducks look black at short dis
tance. Neither of these two varieties
can be termed migratory, as they Win
ter upon the wild marshes and swaInps
that border our bay. The shooting sea-
son is from September to April. During
this time the ducks feed in the river
during the day and come in on the
marshes at night, thus giving an oppor-
tunity for night shooting. When it is
very windy the river becomes too rough
for the ducks to seek their food and
they are consequently driven in upon
the marshes for food and shelter. The
Sprig-tail is a migratory bird, breeding
during the summer season on the rocky
shores Of British America, and hiber-
mating in the broad, shallow bays and
sounds along our coasts. A few winter
i'll our bay, but our principal shooting
is obtained in February, when the
ducks are passing north to their breed
ing place, at the approach Of spring.
Frequently when the weather is stormy
the ducks use our bay as way-station,
and then the shooting is excellent.
Sprigs are much more numerous than
Black ducks or Mallards. You seldom
see dozen of the latter in one flock,
while it is no uncommon thing to see a
hundred OF more Of the former. The
Sprig is beautiful bird, lead-color on
the back, variegated with lines of black.
The wings are the same, shading off to
black at the tips, with bars Of buff,
green and gold bronzes, and white be-
tween the first and second joint. The
breast is white, so also is the front of
the neck and throat. The back of the
neck is lead-color, while the side of the
neck and head are Of a very rich bronze
brown. The popularity Of the plumage
of this bird is the distinctness with
which all these colors are marked.
They do not shade or blende into one
another, but are divided by abrupt
edges. The wings are long and mar
row, and the tail is terminated by two
long, black feathers, whence it derives
its name of Sprig-tail. The females are
smaller than the males and much less
numerous their plumage is Of plain
drab or dove color.
Duck shooting may be divided into
two classes. The first, Prowling and
Night Shooting, which require no
"fixings > the second, River and Stool
Shooting, which involves the use Of ap-
paratus. Prowling is the simplest form
of duck shooting, and requires no
knowledge Of the nature and habits of
the game. A man simply takes his
gun and goes on the marsh trusting to
luck or chance to get shot. If he
should happen to see a flock of ducks
light on pond where there is plenty of
cover he may, perhaps, creep upon them
and get a successful shot, but such
cases do not often occur here, where
the ducks are wary from having been
shot at SO continually, prowlers gener-
ally have their trouble for their pains.
might Shooting is based upon
knowledge Of the habits of the birds.
A sportsman wishing to enjoy this kind
of shooting selects pond which the
ducks are in the habit of frequenting,
and an evening before storm, 50 that
they will be in early. Putting on clothes
as near the color of the marsh as possi-
BILE, he manages to be in position about
sundOwn. The ducks come in between
daylight and dark, and fly very low and
slowly. The gunner by initiating the
''quack' of the duck may call them to
him. This shooting is very exciting,
and requires a cool head and steady
nerves, but like most good things, is Of
short durations seldom over an hour
still, even in this time, I have known
ten ducks to be killed by one man.