Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-10-01

cans, which formerly followed down
Mississippi, Missouri. Platte, Kansas.
Arkansas and Rio Grande rivers TO the
south. are nowifound in larger numbers
sl<irting the mountain ranges The
great irrigation canals and reservoirs
afford then more water along the
mountain route than formerly. As
there Ia not so much timber 20 shelter
the sportsman In the western plains
and mountains. the wAd goose Is more
of . game bird there than in the water
courses further east The far western
sportsman succeeds better by digging
. pit near their feeding ground Even
then this keen. shrewc bird Il liable to
change his feeding ground without due
notice In the grain belt regions the
Wild geese feed often in the fields, but
In the far west near the mountains they
are more often found on the sand bars,
for the almost treeless streams give
them an advantage In guarding against
the hunter. The sportsman gets
even with the Wild goose, however.
when the first snow falls. be-
fore the streams are frozen With
. white rubber coat. or sometimes
with white sheet and cap. around
him the hunter Is concealed in the
snow. and returns with . goodly num-
Der Of wild geese Laws have been
passed in some parts OF the west
against trapping ducks and geese. BY
batting the waters with grain the wild
fowls were iured near the edge. where
large net trap would be sprung over
them At one lake I'm Colorado as
many as eight hundred and forty ducks
were thus captured Al one time. at an
other forty-eight Canadian geese, and
the haul was always large. The fowl
trappers would then pull on the heads
of the ducks and geese ~ these birds
thrust their necks through the net
ting The slaughter thus became so
great that law was passed prohibit
ing IL.
The greatest time for hunting the
small game In the west was Just At the
close OF the civil war. The Missouri
Kansas border had been made desoIate
By war Many fsrrnhouses had been
burnt the fences were down. fruit
ripencd and rotted In the orchards.
and sometimes the few fields planted
were not reaped. Many hogs had
become wild in the woods. Wild tur-
keys had enticed the tame ones from
the farms and plantations n live again
In their wild state. Deer and antelope
were occasionally found in the thick
cts Rabbits. geese. ducks. brants.
cranes. peliesns. prairie chickens.
quail. turkeys and al kinds of bird
life thrivcd. almost "a they did before
the settlements had been made.
Cranes were so plentiful tha, they
were often killed In large numbers and
fed - The hogs The ~ild hoars which
had formerly been domestic animals
we're often dangerous With the fences
down they had escaped 20 the woods.
and again returned 20 the wild state.
The Wild hog hunt was then . great
spcrt have yet distinct and vivid
recollection ~ climbing trees ina the Bsx
creek bottoms. about 6fty miles south
east Of Kansas City. 90 escape from
Mid boar. IL may seem amusing now
90 think Of Wild hogs once ranging
that now thickly settled country. but
II vas no laughing matter for boy Co
Be- chased By Wild boar The tasks
then seemed 20 ne. - ! looked down
from ,ree. e. large as some Of the IL
gsntir teeth hare since seen Ia ne
Smithsonian .insfitate.
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