Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-11
Notes on the Game Season.

just week since the opening of the Game
Season Of 1888, and thus far the birds
brought to bag have been few and far be.
tween. Not for ten years, in the opinion of
the old-time gunners of this section, has the
season opened under such unfavorable cir
cumstances.
September LIST is always reckoned as a red
letter day by the many knights of the game"
In Augusta and vicinity, and for weeks pre-
parations are being made by them for the
first onslaught upon the birds-noisly and
openly by the noyices-strictly on the quiet
by the "old-timers." The former are only
| too eager to discuss the merits and advantages
of their choice covers. The latter-well,
one might as well interview an oyster Their
birds always come from ''just out back a
piece" or lover there"
Hundreds of shooting outfits we're carefully
laid out the night before the first, ready fol
an early start betimes in the morning. The
ancient single-barrel muzzle-loader Qiable to
kill at either end, with powder horn and shot
pouch, here; the premier Scott Hammerless
with canvas coat and bag of weIl-hlled
shells, there. The nimrod who iatters him.
self he knows just where he can find the
black ducks feeding at daylight, brings oul
his pride-his "long- waisted" Daily, or his
10 Id. Colt; while the brush shooter,
whose greatest delight is in working his old
| tried and true setter through the wookcock
cover, drawn from its long resting (and often
| times rusting) place, his &c inch. ID. Parker.
All were read, this fall as in seasons past,
but one and all awoke only to realize that i,
was raining great guns, and that the opening
Of the game season must necessarily be post
poned.
Saturday IL and always has been a favorite
lay with our gunners, and although one or
Two fair days occurred during the middle of
he week, but few took advantage of them.
prefering TO wait until Saturday again, when
10, history repeated itself with vengeance,
for ii rained harder than ever, and thus the
first week of the long looked for 'Open time"
Of game birds killed by our resident sports
men for years, viz. grouse IL, woodcock 2,
black ducks 5, wood ducks 1, blue winged
zeal T. green winged teal l. widgeon /, large
marsh birds, including yellow legs, millets
md brown backs, So; small marsh birds,
peeps, king necks, etc, not counted.
Not only has the weather been unfavorable
for shooting but there is an unusual scarcity
# game birds. The woodcock and ducks
ire not here, or at least cannot be found.
rhe cold and wet weather which prevailed
Ill through the summer has without doubt
greatly reduced the number of young grouse
and woodcock, and such of the former as
have survived are as yet scarcely more than
half grown, and still under the constant care
of the old birds.
One of our more humane sportsmen while
working q young dog Wednesday, near the
city, found brood of young grouse chicks.
rhe old bird resented his intrusion upon her
Domestic affairs most fiercely, and rushed at
him repeatedly in defense of her young.
such devotion was too much for him, and
calling off his dog he left her in peaceful
some other day.
The scarcity of wood cock may be ac-
"ounted for by possible late moulting. If
this proves to be the case with their return
flight of bires from the north, we may yet
have few days sport with the long bills.
ruffled grouse and the several varieties of
lucks which inhabit and breed in the many
ponds hereabouts are our stand bys," so to
speak, aud it is in pursuit of these that four
fifths of all our local sport is obtained.
Though gradually growing scarcer each
year, and more shy as civilization encroaches
upon their haunts and breeding grounds, still
If our game laws could be rigidly enforced,
and their destruction in the mating season,
and during incubation prevented, they would
not only sufficiently survive both their many
enemies and the guns of the legiti-
mate sportsman during the three months
open time in the fall, but would steadily in
our State since their indiscriminate slaughter
has been stopped. More stringent laws
-hould be enacted and enforced to prevent
shooting in close time and the time ought to
be uniform on all game birds.
Particularly should spring shooting of
lucks be stopped before they are eItermi-
mated. Many of these breed with us and the
shooting of them after they have paired, in
March and April, cannot be too severely
lie Iounced, although now permitted by law.
Consider for moment that one pair of
black ducks, teal or widgeon. killed in the
-pring means from s TO fifteen less ducks in
the fall Fellow sportsman, the loss to the
rank and file of Us is too great and we should
make an effort during the coming winter to
greater protection to all our fresh water
ducks. Marsh birds, such as English snipe,
curlen. yellow legs, brown backs, grass
birds, etc are now found only in occasional
lunches or focks, their favorite feeding
grounds during the autumnal migrations
being TO the eastward and near the coast !;
hence but few of the "stayat home" gun
ners have an opportunity of enjoying the
rare pleasure of a days shoot over the de-
coys, when the birds are flying. SO many
land must confess am one of the number1,
it is considered sport nd to none when
excitement and comfort are both considered. y
Tor SNAP"
Base ball players all wear as badge of
the fraternity a little watch charm REPRESENT