The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-08
GOINGLIKE THE BUFFALO
Prairie Chickens Are GROWING
Scarcer Every Season
,rbay Have Been Indiscrimfnateiy sInueh'
tered by Hunters-How the
Fowls Protect Them


The exhilarating sport Of hunting the
nrairie chicken on the plains OF the
west will soon be as extinct as that OF
shooting buffalo, says an Abilene cor
respondent to the New York Advertiser.
The quick whir-r-r of the bird IS heard
less and less frequently, and the hunt-
crs encounter d far greater WarlnesS
than Of old. Only few years ago ana
the sportsman was in clover when ne
-nacbed the prairies Of Kansas. Spe-
,,iaI ears with hunters aboard, stopped
in the midst of the level plains ana
when the men came back 1t was with
shoulders heavily laden with the tooth
some and attractive game.
But the heartless and indiscrimlnate
slaughter, in season and out OF season,
towhich the different varieties of grouse
and quail have been subjected during
the past decade has almost ruined the
sport on the plains Of Kansas, Ne
hras}la. Iowa and other sections OF the
west. To be sure there is yet game,
but it has 80 decreased in quantity that
the nresent season sees not One-tenth
the amount that existed few years
since.
There is little sport more enticing
than the shooting of prairie chickens
or minated grouse. Nothing can be
compared to it except the hunting of
the wild turkey. While turkey is
sorlfrht in the timber of the bottom
lands the prairie chicken lives boldly
ont on the plain, and trusts to his keen
ness of vision and rapid flight to pro-
tect himself. To creep upon flock OF
the fowls at home is q sight to be re-
mcmbered The rich, plump bodies OF
the hens, shading from dark gray1sh
brown on the breast and wings to
light gray neck and dark head, and the
larger build of the males, with the dis
tinguishing long black feathers on the
neck. reaching down like the ends OF a
woke. make a delicious contrast for the
lover of a rifle with the green OF the
prairie sod.
They are large enough to make a
good, legitimate prey; they are excel
lent eating, tender, rich, gamey. But
their outpOsts hear you and quick,
clucking warning is given. In an in
slant every head drops, the bodies
crouch close to the ground and ap-
parcntly disappear Unless you are
practical hunter you will declare that
half n second has sufficed for Some OF
the birds to sink into the earth. But
they are all there. This one behind a
little grass clump, that in a tiny hollow
made by some pony's foot, another
sDrcadino it; wings as it squats at the
base ola weed stalk. To the amateur
eve it is remarkable if without cOnsid
cradle search more than two or three
can be detected, closely do the colors
of the birds blend with the shadow
and tintS of the sod.
The professional knows that they arr
all there and the bunch is speedily
flushed. In an instant they rise abou
you as if suddenly created from dust
One was less than a yard from YOU
feet. vet you did not see it. Then
FLIGHT is a peculiar one. Rising to {
height of from twenty to fifty feet
they take a horizontal course, churnlnt
the air rapidly with the stumpy wing
until momentum is acquired, then sail
ING with outstretched pinions for many
rods. \ prairie chicken is never awk
ward or ridi .uluus except when in tn
air. On taking flight the birds do not
like quail, 90 as a flock, but radiate il
every direction. 50 that he is a goo
{cUaner indeed who makes both barrel
count.
The prairie chicken is nOn-mlgratOry
md like quail, turkey and rabbits
lI:Eht be preserved for ali time if al
corded . reasonable amount of prOte(
ton. Grouse and quail can stand
.anparativelv close settlement Of tn
.~1ntty. ut least one as close as mos
parts Of the west will admit of, an
with the proper enforcement of rigidl
drafted ra1lt Laws. as well as a mani
fDrbcarance on the part Of the Sports
men thrmGvlvcs. would preserve tn
I,.H L. equal IA TO between the increas
and slaughter. AS it is now there
practically no protection, and frol
june to December the markets of Yves
err cities Snow forbidden game. 1t
not alone grouse. but quail, wild tn
KEYS and other varieties suffer. POacl
ct. - with dogs out of season and brin
IL Lads of the pretty game, and it fine
il, way mystyriOuSly into the stalls
H." cities.
Kansas and Nebraska have laws pr
hibitinG the killing or Offering for sa
Of l-rds except from September 1
January /. Yet so tlagrantly has tt
law been violated that it has becou
necessary for spOrtsmen's clubs to off
purses for information regarding VOL
tlon IN order TO prevent ent1re extern
nation. 1t viii take but a short time
put an end to the sport at the prese
rate Of decrease.
The famous civilian scout Burgess
who Is attached to the government Pc
in Yellowstone park, gives some int
c&ting facts regarding the increase
game since severe measures have be-
taken with the poaching trapper. T
elk. he says, are now in such abundan
that they promise to give game to t
hunter in season for many years
como, while the buffalo are increasil
10 such an extent that the park W
soon be well stocked. The same kind
vigorous measures will be necessary
the western prairics are not to
stripped of the smaller as they ha
been of the larger game.
CITY PARKS.
Chicago Well Provided with Free Recl
alton Grounds.
An American gentleman writing