The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-07-25
FLIGHT or WILD DUCKS.
The Cznvasbaek Said TO Be Good fol
Eighty Miles an Hour.


Eighty Miles an Hour.
While reporter talked 10 proni
nenf member of the Wawaset Gun club
the other day. the conversation turned
on the speed of wild ducks, a subject
In which the gunners of this city seem
particularly interested, and one on
which there is some diversity OF opin-
ion The member said:
Il have held my watch on several
kinds of ducks and geese, but the main
part Of what | am going TO tell you
comes from several old hunters who
have favored me with their expert
ences, and one of these old timers IN a
letter says: 4 can tell you just about
to the sixty third part of a dart how
much space any one of them can gel
over In an hour There Is not rail
road train that can hold a candle 10
one SIDE of the slowest duck that flies
The canvasback can distance the
whole duck family, if II lays itself out
to do IL When this duck Is taking
things easy. enjoying a little run
around the block, as II were, II goes
through the air al the rate OF about
eighty miles an hour Ii If has busi
ness somewhere and has 10 gel there.
ii puts two miles back Of IT every min
ute, and does II easily Ii You don't
believe this, just fire square al the
leader In a string of canvasbacks thai
are out on business cruise some time.
Duck shot travels pretty fast but If
you happen 10 hit one, You SEE If II Is
not the fifth or sixth one back OF the
drake or leader. 4 drake does not al
ways lead, but II generally does If
there Is one in the flock; If there are
more they will seldom take the lead
II you wish 10 bring down the leader
you must aim al a space of al least
eight feet ahead of him, and If he falls
you VIII find him a long distance
probably two or three squares of.
The mallard Is a slow one; ii Is all
he can do 10 make a mile q minute,
but be can do il if he wants to- His
regular rate Is about forty-five miles
per hour.
The black duck is a slow coach
He is about as good as the mallard, and
the fntail wild geon and wood duck
cannot do much better The red head
can go easily and make ninety miles
an hour as long as he likes, all day il
necessary The blue winged teal and
It's beautiful cousin, the green winged
teal, can fly side by side for hundred
miles In an hour and take il easy.
The gadwale, YOU see them here
very seldom. thou Oh well known fur
ther west on the Allegheny river and
al kishammock, though looking like
the ulallard, is a smarter duck and
harder TO shoot Ii can make ninety
miles in an hour and moi try hard
Maybe you think a goose can't e.
Why, il can double the speed Of the
fastest trains on any OF our railroads.
Of course | mean wild goose Well,
II has big corporation, but il can gel
from feeding ground 10 feeding
ground SO suddenly that il fools our
best wing shots
If you see a flock Of honkers NOV
ing along SO high up that they seem
10 be scraping the sky with their
backs, you would not think that they
were making close On a hundred miles
an hour, but they are The wild goose
is not much Oh foot, but ilmeans busi-
ness every time.
The broad bill goose comes next &c
the canvasback duck in speed Put
the two together and In an hour The
broad bill would not be more than ten
miles behind
This information has been derived
from experience and correspondence
with life long gunners, and any gun
ner will tell you that what have sand
hits the mark very close. Whining
ton News.