The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-05-12
THE PRAIRIE CHICKEN.
Some Points Not Mentioned in Current
20 ~ Natural Histories.

Some Points Not Mentioned in Current
% ~ Natural Histories.
The prairie chicken is the leading
game bird inhabiting this region. II
is somewhat smaller than the, ordi-
nary domestic hen found scratching
in the garden and flies faster when you
are shooting al, it. 1t seems to have
acquired the fly habit early in youth
and it hangs on. After hunter has
shot five dollars worth of ammunition
into the limitless void from whence the
prairie chicken recently few he isrsel-
dom adverse to stating, for publication
if necessary, that in his opinion its fly
education has been far from neglected.
During the spring season of the year
the prairie chicken is engaged in look
ing the ground over and chanting its
low, captivating melody before break
fast. As soon as the weather will per-
nit. the hen will withdraw from the
wllirl of social life and lay seventeen
ashes-of-gum-shoe-colored eggs in =
nest in the grass Seldom waiting to
be asked she then takes her seat and
for the space of three almanac weeks
seems to be lost in meditation aaa fla
Probably one of the most pleasing
sights in nature is a prairie hen thus
buried in thought and specializing us to
how she will probably feel after waiting
three weeks for breakfast '4 -
| At the, end of the time seventeen
| young prairie chickens came out Of the
shells and commence to fly while the
hen gives up her sedentary life and
swallows q young an d inexperienced
graSshOpper. n .ttbis,s t Is. na. aEs Isl
/ August Is the local paper announces
I in its first editorial that "prairie chick
ems are now ripe" This means that
the minions Of the law will not talk
J. about arresting you if you shoot one ON
or after that date. The prairie chicken
is now much wilder than before AS
soon as the sixty-dollar bird dog sits
down violently on the short and STUNT
led rose bush the chicken flies up. The
experienced hunter at this point shoots
and brings down the bird. The one who
isn't quite SO heavily charged with ex-
perience blazes away and Kills the dog.
Also he frequently arranges to have his
: gun explode and blow off three OF his
! fingers. a ea, ).
. Prairie chicken properly cooked is
! much sought after by the epicure. Also
. by the man who is pretty laundering
hungry, As a humble representative Of
the latter class we have frequently over
powered large and satisfactory quaint
) ties of cooked prairie hen with the bes'
:. Of results. pig ~ @'% -
y The thoughtful student of curren
$ events has probably noticed that this II
o . far from perfect life. There are draw
k backs even to prairie chicken mastlca
) tion. There is the bird-shot which
y brings upon the table concealed about it
l. person. When coming down upon /,
X piece of prairie chicken spare-rib wit
d both feet, figuratively speaking. it
d very uncomfortable TO have ashot SHOW
. = tooth into your jaw bone about ;,
a inch and half. After protracted 81
e. pagement with roast prairie chlcke
a, seasoned with No. 6 shot we have NJ i
OF our teeth become 80 overloaded WY
y, lead that our under jaw has hung GOV
W like an old boot sole ripped OF cle
back 70 the heall.=!Ests11'ss 81: ~ -