The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-10-14
LONG BLAND HUNTING aRoUNDs.

LONG BLAND HUNTINd.GR0UNDs
lspaS g8S sN@ -.-... fA
The Favorfte Resort OF sportsmen
from Brooklyn ana New York City.
Long island has long been noted as
favorite resort during the fall and
spring months for the lovers of sport
with the gun and rod. says The Nes0
York Mail and Express. OF the five
hundred varieties Of birds found upon
the North American continent. four
hundred and fifty frequent the island.
1t is the great halfway house of the
migratory tribes that wing their annual
fight from zone to zone. Noportino
of the state within radius of one hum
bred miles of New York offers such in
ducements to the sportsman as do the
island and its surrounding waters.
The present game laws in Kings,
Queens and Suffolk counties are, with
the exception Of few changes in the
months when it is lawful to kill certain
birds, about the same as they were one
hundred years ago. although they were
not SO rigidly enforced then as now.
The close observance of the laws in
Suffolk county has done much to retain
the popularity of that section for its
superior. cunning and fishing facilities.
Of late years the eastern part of Kings,
as well as the western part of Queens
county, owing to their close proximity
to the city, have been overrun during
the fall shooting season with pot-hunt-
ers and their dogs, who scour the fields
and woods in every direction in search
of game. regardless of the many signs
that are posted on almost every farm,
forbidding trespassing or shooting.
1t frequently happens Cat least it is SO
reported by the farmers) that five or
six of these pot-hunters are seen at
times crossing q field driving up the
birds. When the bird rises they all
shoot together at it, and oftener miss
than kill it. During the notwithstanding
season. so numerous are the gunners
that it is hardly safe for one to walk
through the woods Game constables
and landowners have no terror for
them, and they shoot at anything from
a chicken to a sparrow when it comes
in their way. They are the bane Of the
sportsman as well as the farmer, and
have SO depleted the game birds within
a distance of twenty-five miles of
Brooklyn that the old residents of the
towns of Newton, Flushing, and ia
m aica, who within the past five years
could go out on their own land and raise
bevy of quail. are now obliged when
they wish days shooting to 60 many
miles from home in order to find it.
Five years ago quail and other game
birds were quite plentiful in the above
towns; scarcely one can now be found
within their limits. Ploven were also
quite plentiful on the Hampstead
plains, affording fine shooting during
the season. None are now to be found
in that section. In fact, in almost
every section Of Queen county game of
every kind has during the past four
years been sadly depleted and grows
less in number every year. The season
Of fall shooting is now at hand. Blue
and striped bass fishing will soon be at
its height. .A
The bay snipe shooting season COM
menced on July 10. These birds dur
ing the season are found from Coney
Island point to Montauk. The larger
kinds, dowitches and jacks have been
scarce, as well as marlin. Yellowlegs
have now commenced to fly. The best
snlpe-shooting ground is at Quogue.
This was favorite resort for the late
Gen, John A. Dix. During the latter
years of his life he could during the
snipe-shooting. season be seen almost
every fine day but q short distance
from his residence at the above place.
killing the birds as they flew down to
his decoys The snipe season closes on
Oct l. Woodcock shooting COM
menced on the LIST of August, and con-
tinues until January. So far the sea-
son has been poor one, the birds be-
ing very scarce. Better shooting is
looked for in October, at which time
woodcock are found in the uplands
among the cedars and scrub oaks.
Quail shooting will commence on Oct.
/, and continue until Jan. l. They are
notably scarce this year, which is &C
counted for from the fact that many of
the young birds were killed by the
heavy rains in June and July, the few
that survived. together with the old
birds, have been driven from their ac=
customed feeding-grounds to oth=
er localities in search of food
by the fertilizers and Paris green
used by the farmers on their field
crops. One Of the finest quail pre-
serves in the state is that of the Rob
bins Island Gun club on Robbins is
land, Notable among the other pre-
serves are those of August Belmont, at
Babylon. DR.. Kane has preserve ut
Islip, and the Brooklyn Sportsmen' 3
one at Shutdown. Thelatter's grounds
| are leased from the farmers and stock
ed by the club, and no person Is per-
mitted to shoot upon the grounds ex-
.cept members of the club. cartridges,
like quail, are scarce. The open sea-
son commences on NOV. and ends on
Jan. The country around about
Farmingdale, Deer Park, Huntington,
Northport, Riverhead, in fact, almost
every section of the eastern portion Of
! Queens county, and the whole Of Suf.
folk county, affords fair quail and part