Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1889-02-22
MYRlADS OF WILD GEESE.
GREAT SHOOTING ALONG THE
ROANOKE RIVER.
Steering the FIocks Toward the
Guns of the Ambushed Hunters

Steering the FIocks Toward the
Guns of the Ambushed Hunters
The Floating Island Method.
Wild geese congregate on the Roanoke
River in North Carolina in vast numbers
to feed on the berries, nuts and wild
weeds, which grow in great abundance
along either bank. In the early morn
ing, which is regarded as the best time
to shoot them, they swarm into the la
goons and shadows that indent the
shore, and the noise they make can be
heard at a considerable distance. The
wild goose of this country, SAYS a
Roanoke letter in the New York World,
is a magnificent bird, with a plumage
of mixed black and gray, and is exceed
lngly fat and plump. There are few
natives who do not rest upon the downiest
OF beds made from his feathers.
There is very little pot hunting carried
on, except in few isolated case where
1T occurs in the unfrequented sections of
the stream, and even then the offender,
II caught, is severely punished by the
natives. They prize the feathers of the
birds too highly to permit the great flock
to become demOrali ed by any illegt-
innate means, and woe be to the nettcr,
or the "demon of the pine knot" as the
pot hunter is known in native parlance,
if he is caught at an unreasonable hour
along shore with a suspicious-looking
bundle of pine splinters and box of
matches about his person.
There are two methods employed in
shooting the wild goose which are
recognized as legitimate, and which, in
deed afford rare sport to him who is an
expert with the gun. One is the ''steer-
ing" and the other the ''hoating island. 1"
In the former the hunter, with his guns
land he usually has two double barreled
ones, takes up a position in ambush
among the thick bushes close to the
shore. The ''steerer," who knows the
habits of the bird, and is acquainted
with every inch of the river, with his
light canoe goes about a quarter of a
mile up stream. Taking his seat in one
end, he sits like statue, guiding the
canoe by long, thin bladed paddle,
which he dexterously twists with his
hand, and 80 quickly and easily is the
movement made that not even a ripple
is created upon the surface of the water.
Down the stream the canoe floats with
the current, its occupant as rigid and
silent as death itself Coming near
flock, the loud tapping of wings sounds
like the rushing wind, and the familiar
honk, honk, indicates that they are pre-
pairing to move before the approaching
object. The "steerer' does not at
tempt 10 pierce the centre of the flock,
but directs them by flank movements.
The whole flock slowly moves off, the
"steerer" regulating the speed of his
canoe by simple turn of his wrist.
Having previously stationed his "sen-
tinel," as he calls the ambushed sports
man, he brings the whole flock to
within about thirty or forty yards of the
shore, when suddenly he snatches his
gun from the bottom of his canoe and
discharges it into the water.
This Is the signal for operations to be-
gin from on land, and the bang, bang,
has for en- instant thrown the flock into
confusion, but quickly recovering, it
rises V shape, and sails gracefully away :;
not, however, before the bang, bang of
the second gun has carried death to
some of them, who rapidly descend with
a whirl and flutter into the water. No
decoys are required. The whole flock
will move off at the approach of any
quiet OBJ ect on the water and singular
to relate, can be ''steered" in almost any
direction. The Floating island" method
is simplya counterfeit of the well,known
Susquehanna sink-box, although the ma
five makes his contrivanre out nf n roft
of light lumber, and having numerous
holes in the boards constructs a dense
ambush of bushes and twigs, and floats
at will right into the midst of the un-
suspecting flock. 'String shooting,"
that is shooting at long range when the
birds are in a single column, and moving
swiftly away after they have been fright
ened, finds favor with some, although it
requires a skilled marksman to make
even fair exhibit of his spols.
There are quaint looking log cabins,
with the inevitable mud chimney at short
intervals along the river, where the
hunter can pass the night if desired, so
as to be prepared for an early morning
hunt. Here he can enjoy the genial
warmth of an lakewood fire that sparkles
and sputters in the open fireplace, he
can slumber calmly and peacefully in the
most luxurious bed of goose down,
while the watcher" smokes his veteran
pipe of clay or dozes in the chimney
corner and rise refreshed and invigor-
ated in the morning to partake of an
appetizing breakfast of excellent coffee,
hot pone bread and baked goose.