The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-04-18
FLIGHTS OF PIGEONS.
Az the Present Time They Occur Only
British Columbia

AAAAAO Anoy OCCUR univ In
British Columbia.
1t is not so many years since that
flights of wild pigeons occurred during
the autumn over the Eastern and Middle
States The younger generation of
sportsmen, however, has probably never
seen living specimen of that bird, its
acquaintance with it being entirely con-
tined to the plucked specimens on the
stands OF dealers in the market.
Mr.. w. Brewster, who has made a
thorough and exhaustive study of the
causes of the disappearance of the wild
pigeon from its former haunts, has
esta bllshed the fact that its flight in a
vast body is now entirely confined to
the great uninhabited wilds of British
North America. Mr.. Brewster, in the
course OF his investigations, followed
the route of the flight which occurred
IN the southern peninsula of Michigan
in the spring of 1888. The main BODY
OF birds disappeared across the Straits
OF Mackinac, much to the distress of the
netters who were making preparations
for an Old-time harvest. At Cardillac
MIR. Brewster learned from Mr.. s. s.
Stevens, an experienced observer, that
IN 1883, near there, the pigeons appeared
IN a considerable number; but that not
mere than few hundred were seen in
one body. In speaking of the great
nesting of 1867 Mr.. Stevens said that
it began near Potosky and extended to
Crooked Lake, for about twenty-eight
miles, averaging three or four miles
wide. The birds arrived in two separ-
ate bodies, one directly from the south
by land, the other following the east
coast OF Wisconsin and crossing at Man.
itou island. The latter body came in
from the lake at about three o'clock in
the afternoon. 1t was a compact mass
OF pigeons at least five miles long by
one mile wide. In the nesting season
OF 1881 Mr.. Stevens estimates that 500
men were engaged in netting pigeons,
and that they secured on an average
10000 birds each during the season.
What has contributed more than any
thing else to the humiliation of the wild
pigeon is the reckless netting of that
bird. Mr.. John Mortimer Murphy, in
describing the taking of pigeons in nets,
speaks of them as seines which are so
"igged that upon being sprung they fall
upon the birds which at the moment
may be upon the ground. There are
two methods by which the pigeons are
decoyed; the one by batting, whereby
single pigeon, attracted by the food
scattered about, calls great number of
his fellows, upon whom, when collected
n Cnffioinnt %ho e
1t is not an uncommon thing to trap
from two to three hundred pigeons at
every cast, and as the casts are numer-
GUS, the number taken throughout the
lay is very large. Another method con-
sists in trapping the pigeons as they fly
over the net. This requires the use of
tecoy birds, whose eyes are sewn up,
Ind light weight attached to their legs
to prevent them from flying away.
These are thrown into the air when a
flock is passing by to attract it's atten-
ton, while trained decoys-that is,
pigeons trained to act as if alighting-
are worked industriously at the same
time. If these bring down the flight,
the net is sprung and fastened at the
four corners. The captives are taken
out and disposed of according to the
purpose of the METERS. Some are kept
alive in coops, while others are killed
and packed Immediately for market.
From 500 to 1000 men were sometimes
engaged at one time in netting, and each
averaged 1000 birds a day. This &C
count applies to period when fights of
pigeons were large and numerous all
throughout the Middle and Western
States. AS stated above, the last occa-
son when nets were prof tably employed
was at the great nesting in 1867 in the
NOrthWest.-N. Y. Sun.