The sun., 1890-12-07
WITH ROD, REEL, AND GUN.
LoOKfN0 ALL orKR LONG ISLAND FOR
LlVE GAME

Roints for sportsMen who Pursus Game
IN spite or Coid-Disoussions - to the
Carrying Power OF Dinerent Charges.
Tho exceptionally good wild fowl shooting
which has been enjoyed on the Atlantic coast
this autumn calls attention TO the various de-
vices which are used by gunners. either as .
means OF concealnent or rs method OF ap-
proach. In killing Wild geese and ducks. On
the coast OF Maine tho soul boat Is mainly ON.
ployed. This Is about Is feet long by 3h beam,
with q keel. and drawing some seven inches Of
wator whom loaded. II made with fatter
bottom. Il may be mado to draw less; but the
sharper boat Is preferable. as It sculls more
truly and easily. Rowing is avaled OF until
within a short distance OF the birds. whom q
curved oar 10 thrust through a notch In the
stern to tho left OF tho stern p0st. and the
gunner, lyiug upon his back. resorts to scullIng
until within killing distance. In tho winter tho
bow Is covered with snow or Ice. and earlier
in tho senson with mud or rushes. Even
better boat than this for shooting In open
holes or amid drifting Ice Is In use on tho bays
Of the south side Of Long Island. While
somewhat similar in shape TO the Maine craft.
II is unproyided with Keel. lnd Is lroador
and moro oval in form. Tho bow slopes. so
that with vigorous Impulse the boat may be
driven almost It's entire length out upon an
advancing cake or upon tho solid Ice. For
merly, before this craft was employed,
shnrpoys. or fat-bottomed skifs were in use.
These wore always dangerous In frozen waters.
and far moro difficult to drag out upon the
lee For tho nnrross for which 1t is intended
the boat described above has attained pertec.
tion. Single and double batteries. which are
used in ShinnecocE and tho Great South
Bays OF Long Island. on the Chesapeake.
and in tho North Carolina sounds. arc cumber-
some and unwieldy machines which require
tho use Of large sailooat to transport and
tho services Of two or thros more mon to set
them and retrieve the birds. OF all the de-
vices employed In wild fowl shooting. however.
the battery ia that ono In which the gunner So.
cures the greater amount OF satisfaction. 1t
demands flne skill or judgment In calculate
ing distances In killing wild fowl. In some To-
calIties the great bulk OF the decoys is set to
the lett OF the bnttory. and this is tho prefer
able plan. inasmuch MS 1t gives the gun
ner wider sweep and tho birds present them-
selves In better form for killing two or more
ns they draw together. In the North Carolina
sounds blinds built in tho open water are ex-
tensively avned OF by the natives ouly; their
use was prohibited TO non-residents.
Col. Hawkes. makes some suggestions in re-
lation to the construction OF blinds In open
water. particularly whero they are liable to be
waves, one OF tho conditions incidental to the
North Carolina sounds. His plan Is to drive
strong poles. from nine to twelve feet long, In
tho mud. AZ about the interval usual for hedge
stakes. till they stand no moro than two or
three feet In height; then make a hedge to en-
close as much space as one may wish his gun
to sweep. Fill In the fence with faeots we'll
lashed on; then cover them with mud. sea-
weed, and light gravel. taking care to leave q
play we'll upon. and without having any pro-
tuberance thur vii! protect tho iirds from tho
ss&s @ ns Pn aTs
stakes level with the sHpersirucsure al and tHa q
A correspondent who is the owner OF quite
as decoys, gives Information in relation to ono
peearea and HE decoys "honked"" and the Wild
eli w in tho wind and spread their wings pre-
when within a certain distance they, would
throw themselves m wildly upward and fly rap-
to acaouns for this strange smnsa nroceedns ~ On
Ihs part Of overy flock which approached, his
live desoys As a.,sl he shot for tie mAske
aisc2ver the cause: % He was unable to dissin-
which could be considersi one Of warnins
bFinPpy he Esca%S o9nyneed thss some
s tes eaeh o hsn Ts
c e 9 I aes9yf results hsr "ls
On 'i aecason f viii brds ese
Nthin eunsbot with no nc ma t ao Of fae iear
The gunner & Tas nov ,T cSSnynesd that the old
sses had voice @ "i sueent s1 sre to cone cone
Vey nboTo the notes OF welcome and security
o4s OF warning. which never Jailed TO meet
which again uttered tho note OF danger with
whsn he made one Of the flock ids Of dsooys SsaS'0ns
The tendency OF the Nouen or domestic NAL
in to @ state Thsa hen
realed tho former under such conditions. A
auentej BY surIace. .fosding ducks: almost every
with ihe southwari viii The ide@ @ that h:fposs pos.
: Iii SGe * Tho o hs
Stale ior sevSrul setlnss q iioaen :, egHS: .'c
when be reared the iow from those sec OF so his own n
Thero Is no doubt that tho Kouen or, domestic
Whch may aceonn er The iH aisy w1!f In s%lt
able snyironment. with which 1t lapses Into
sG aek sn ssm to haze
ducks. but it is doubtful II there Is an instance
on record: even where generations OF those
fowl foxl h;.yo boon reared in donsstioity, that they
Will not promptly resume their wild nature
wien brought in contact with migratory sorts
In the nature OF things wild fowl shooting in
moro northern waters has almost como TO q
close. Reports from Long Island state that Ice
has appea cd In the msIler bays: SO far only
for y period Of feW hours. The nrst snow
ccspt about tho inlet at Fire leland, whore, In
tho open holes. there Is always to be found
during tho eniro winter some very good sport.
on Montozuma marsh. which fringes tho bapks
porthward from the northern ,ond Of yayuga
Lake, wild fowl shooting has closed. The sea-
soI r ns bos not % S;sn very successful one birds
Jersey coast the shooting has been fair but
Weathsr On Tie Susruehanss 1E' ats e' soodIy soIf
euumRer Of % %eapvgsba,k and redhsad ducks
special 6 report from ISrrySills. Md: At GhinSo,
sastsrn ,shor. q ,ytrElnia the weather
Potomac the duck shooting has been greatly
Washington and Alex an dria In steam Launches,
particularly on on Sunday. These are not only
And the birds are not allowed to remain UPON
Hhnlr enAd To-