The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-11-23


twos to try the shooting will not, unless
fortunate enough to claim acquaintance
with the owner Of one of these places,
get so good accommodations, but one of
the charms of the sport consists in
''roughing it," and no place is better
adapted to pleasant camping out than
me Lake Superior shore. There are
scores and scores Of sheltered hooks
along the coast (Which is rocky, sandy
and well wooded in turns where handy
Indian guide will rig up a tent or hut
and make party comfortable in true
backwoods style.
There is no trouble in securing a pair
of these guides, for they prefer to work
in pairs, in or near the city, and their
charges are not unreasonable, though
they vary considerably with the nature
of the expedition. For few days or
week of duck shooting they will make
quite elaborate preparations, and will
take the party to some one of the coves
mentioned, where sportsman may
find all the fun he wants.
The camp is hidden tolerably well in
the first place, for the duck, even in the
wilderness, is wary and shy, and will
pass your tent at distance if he sees it.
But it may readily be placed among the
trees or behind some friendly rock not
far from the cove where the ducks will
settle at nightfall.
To get your birds you must go through
the same discomforts that duck shooters
alwayshave to face, excepting here there
are no game laws that forbid you to
shoot after nightfall. At least, If there
are any such, there is no one here to tell
you about them. Your Indian guide will
profess the densest ignorance on the SUBJ
ject if you have the curiosity to question
him, and naturally enough you are not
over anxious to press the query.
So, if you choose-and you will choose
go to the blind at the waters edge
in the afternoon, when the raw air
does not nip 90 cruelty as before dawn
in the morning. There are shooters
here who use the sinkbox, but the
conformation of the shore makes the
blind equally effective when it is well
placed, and it is vastly to be preferred
for comfort.
Your decoys are out, and your guide,
close by, but hidden, as well as yourself,
will call the birds with an imitation of
their notes SO exact as to startle you.
They come in swarms. It is true
'sfiight,'" and you need hardly look for
pairs or single birds, though these come
too.
Wheeling in toward your decoys they
come, twenty, fifty in bunch. 1t will
test your mettle. !. If you prize your sport
in proportion to the slaughter, you will
have no trouble in bagging half dozen
or dozen at shot. There are gunners
even here who will shoot at flock on
the water and follow the shot with an
other before the birds have risen. The
single birdshot, however, may do as well
here as anywhere else on earth and keep
his conscience clear.
From early dusk to dark you may
have an hour of good shooting. tits
enough to whet your longing for more,
and when at an unrighteous hour next
morning your guide arouses you it is
with no laggard steps that you follow
him to the waters edge. Your coffee, Or
it may be taste of something little
stronger, has warmed you up, and for a
whole forenoon you are tingling with
the delight of good, wholesome, manly
sport &c. A. DAVIS.