The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-07-11
Now is the Time for Woodoook.

The woodcock is, al presant, the
sole inspiring object of the true sports
mans thought. From the brakes and
marshes of the South the woodcock
comes North to breed, arriving by
night in the latter part of March or
early in April, and instinctively repair
ing to the very spot where it first
squeaked its appreciation of the first
dewy spring morning. The early part
of July was formerly anticipated by
sportsmen as the season of rare sport
with the long-billed birds, as, with the
advent of the anniversary of indepen-
dence, the laws governing the shooting
of woodcock were off in most of the
States. But the laws have changed,
men and times have changed, and
things are not what they used TO be.
There was woodcock shooting then,
but where one gentleman followed the
pastime those days fifty follow it now,
consequently the birds have been thin
ned out to an alarming extent Then,
too, the sportsman of five and twenty
years ago was decidedly different in
dividual from the sportsman of this
era. The former with his $50 muzzle-
loader, was proud when four or five
couples of the delicious game, carefully
buttoned up in his game bag, rewarded
his mornings's toll. The latter, pictur-
esquely attired from head to foot in
the latest most approved pattern of
sporting apparel, with his three-hun-
dred and-fifty-dollar treble wedge-pat-
ent-fore. .end-instantaneous annihilator,
loaded down with patent appurtenan-
ces, necessitating the aid of a page and
guide at S5 day, kills all at random, so
that none is left to replensh the haunts
the next season. No wonder that strin-
gent laws have been enacted by sever
al States, some of which forbid the pill
laying of Their game preserves by nom
residents under heavy penalties
Notwithstanding all this, however,
those who have day or two of leisure
at this time may find good shooting in
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland
and Virginia. 1t has long been a moot
ed point as to the proper time to shoot
a woodcock. Some sportsmen hold
that from the fifteenth of September on
to the time of the first sharp
frosts is about the right season, as the
birds are not fully matured by the
fourth of July. Others argue that, if
this rule be adopted, the birds cannot
be found in their old haunts at the
time specified, that they take to the
high timber lands and their where
abouts are very uncertain. Whatever
truth there may be in this, one thing
is certain, that birds seldom quit their
place until they are matured. Another
point which would seem to favor the
postponement of the season until lit
tie later is the fact that where the first
broods have been hatched early and
destroyed by the heavy April floods
which is very often the case-the par
ent birds rear second which are not
fully grown by the early part of July,
| and for this one reason some states
have forbidden the shooting until Aug.
l. Another great objection to summer
woodcock shooting is the terrible fa-
tigue consequent to man and dog with
the thermometer at 80 degrees.
A light gun of about seven or sew
en- and half pounds weight, with
three drachms of powders and an
ounce of No. 8 shot, will do effective
work in the hands of moderately fair
shooter. The little cocker spaniels
should be employed in woodcock shoot
ing They are very faithful and ODE
dent hunters, capable of performing
twice the work of the pointer or setter,
and with one-half of the exertion. The
laws on woodcock shooting for the
neighboring States are as follows
Open season in New York State, Aug
to JAN l. except in Oneida and Her
kimer counties, where the season is not
open till Sept. /; New Jersey, July
to Aug. |, and from Sept. to Dec. l
making August close month. Penn
sylvania, July A to Jan. l Maryland,
June IA to Feb. Virginia, July to
Feb. (; aud Connecticut, from Oct.
l to Jan. l. To shoot in the State of
Delaware it is necessary to become
member of the Delaware Game Pro
tective Association.