The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1884-11-29

PHEAsANTs.-As pleasant hunt No. turned
out such small number of pieces, our party
reorganlzed for a second trial on the first OF
the past week. and located our camp, this
time, at Long Point. In due time we reached t
our destination, unhitched and fed our horses, |
made coffee and ate our breakfast. and then |
our Nimrods gotready ITO slaughter all the game
that might be found in the expansive area OF
Prairie Hayes. Every hunter had his blood |
ed pointer, yet they were all young dogs ex,
cept one, and not well trained to "set" the
wary pheasant. Edmond D. took the centre
with Daisy and Keno Eugene L. with Plu-
to, and Ned D. with -- on the right wing
Rev. Father Eby with Dash, and Paul r.
with Mig aud Flora on the left wing. Every
hunter and his dog were keen for finding the
quarry and really it was picturesque scene
to see men and horses with guns glitteridg in
the sunlight, and the dogs bounding here
and there, through the long grass searching
for this rara auis of the epicure, and the IA
vorite bird for trying keen -scentipg pointers
and, alike, the skilled and accurate eye OF the
huntsman
But pheasants are becoming very scarce and
| wild in our praries Again the weather was
| too warm for the birds to stand we'll After
several hours close beating of the large prai-
| rie two or three small coveys were started and
| the most of them bagged. The dogs hunted
we'll and did good work fer young animals, but
| the game was not there to be found IN aeun-
| dance. The country along the roads; skirting
|
| pie are raising large number OF swine, which
| are supposed to eat the eggs and the young
/ chicks of the pheasant. The minks and skunks
| also destroy great many OF them, Whlch
with the numbers annually killed by hunters,
| will in the course of q few years more. totally
annihilate this favorite game.
/ Fortunately we had other kinds OF game
| near our camp, and by common consent It
| was decided for this reporter to hunt SOUR.
rels on the first day. In his meandeEing through
fef. d. ~ HnIsa nlyS ha wa
fortunate enough to bag twenty squirrels and
one duck, but no wood-rabbits were TO be
found. AT night our bachelor triend-Ned
D. made delicious guubo of the duck and
q rabbit killed the day before. Let our
/ young ladies make q note of this because he
ought not to remain a bachelor.
/ At night we passed a delightful tine re.
i counting our experiences OF the day, advert
iug to former pheasant hunts, and IN dla'
cussing the merits OF orr respective dogs.
AS a matter Of course, every man thought
his dog the best, yet all Of them were conceded
to be promising hunters.
The second day our party struck out again
and just as we began TO find birds aud Gag
| them, the rain began to fall. The chase, now
ever, was continued until the falling torrents
drove us back to camp, when we found bedding
aud rations thoroughly saturated with water
f Yet having keen appetites we ate hearty
meal of tho dryest food, and hitched' ou'
teams for the homeward journey AS tht
r DuCChman SAID. tnt weather Boh nv uctiel
fast and the rain continued to pour down
The roads were heavy. we were wet, and th'
horses tired, and so when We reached Point'
Noire, the good and kind Father Ely woult
have the entire party by Church Point ane ilr
: share his hospitable root for the night W.
reached there just at nightfall aud soon iouut
pleasant and comfortable quarters for mel
; and horses. The good Father treated his guest
in !. royal manner and with such Il sponta
neous hospitality that ali CT US pronounce
H. ~ . In fTTfn I'M
We will remark right here, that Father Eb
was one of the best Nitnrods on the hunt am
brought down rs mahy pheasants as any Q
D the party. The pheasants were scarce, an
+ bad weather shortened our hunt, but havin;
! pleasant and soeiabe crowd We got grea
Q deal of enjoyment from short period OF time
: and brought the editors of the COURIER som
j. pheasants besides.