The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-14
SHOOTING HONKERS.
GREAT SPORT WHICH is FOUND IN
THE NORTHWEST.

misunderstanding Does Not Appear to
Diminish Their Number.
Wild goose hunting on tho plains of
tho northwest is Il sport which ALWAYS
has great charm even for the expert
enced Nlinrod. 1t is II sport repleto
with incident and Il recreation which
must once DO INDUCED in to he thor
Dughly appreciated. The wild goose is
known i'll all parts of North America,
but III no section of the country does
this bird appear in such numbers as in
that territory lying between the Red
river valley and the Missouri river.
There tho geese SWAIN in countless
numbers and become corpulent on tho
grains of No. hard which have been
shaken from the stalk by the reaper and
are lying in the stubblc everywhere.
Large numbers of the birds arc killed
by resident hunters and for eastern
markets, but no apparent diminution is
noticeable iii the slzo and number of
tho fiOcks to be seen when the shootin::
season begins each year.
AN hours lively sport with the hon
kcrs on the wheatfields of North Da-
kota means but one thing to the mex
perienced hunter. and that is something
for his pains, especially if he happens
to get in we'll concealed stand direct
ly i'll the line of flight. Then it is moth
ing uncommon for him to tumble
over wagon load of geese in very
short order. Wild geese arc Il staple
commodity in North Dakota and read
lily bring from $3.50 to SD per dozen
during the shooting season. In tho lit
Ito towns and stations along the North
ern Pacific railway, during the fall and
spring flights, almost everybody turns
out for few hours in the morning and
toward tho close of tho day to shoot at
tho geese, and Il right warm reception
arc the birds treated to. Many will
rldo to the outskirts of the town and
shoot from u buggy or wagon at the
passing Inyriads overhead and OCCASION
ally bring down IL bird Mt long range
Tho hunter who is out for business
and is shooting for market and the
money there is i'll it drives out 10 or
ID miles over tho prairie several hours
before daylight, and after selecting Il
spot where the geese have been seen in
great numbers tho day before digs a
PIT III the ground largo enough to con-
ceal himself and arrangcS the stubblc or
grass about the mouth of it so as TO pre-
sent Il natural appearance. Close by
ho plants his decoys and settles back in
the pit and anXiously awaits tho com
ing of the morning. 1t is still dark,
but from every quarter of the prairie
come sounds of animal lifo which fore
tell the coming of now day. The
mournful cry of tho curlcw is heard
overhead, and Il flock of plovcr demon
strate their closo proximity by tho hur-
ting noise of their wings
For some time he sits in crampcd
position, listening to the booming notes
of prairie chicken, which bird is pour
ing forth Il volume of drumlike sounds.
The sharp yelp of a coyote not far away
is unmistakablo evidence that that
thriving, skulking animal has jumped
up cotton tail and is hustling for an
early breakfast. At the first pecping of
tho gray dawn the hunter suddenly
hears welcome sound-tho faint and
faraway honk-honl of the goose He
examines his gun and notes the direc-
ton of the sound. Nearer and nearer
tho sound comes. and finally he ven
'N'N" ~ thhN AZ ltSli oll vi lllC lDlt slllu
discovers the distant outlines of Il large
flock spread out V shaped in the morn
ing sky. bearing off to one side. APP
parently they have not seen the decovs.
and the hunter thinks it is yet too dark
Suddenly the leader is seen To WAIVER,
and with loud cries the flock turns aud
circles around the dccoys as if suspi-
clons of their genuincness, but drawing
nearer at eacn turn. They have ap-
preached within easy shooting distance,
and just as soon as the flock pitches
down among tho decoys the loud bang!
bang! of IL heavily loaded shotgun is
heard, and two putfs of smoke are seen
coming apparently from the surface OF
the earth a short distance away. Sew
eral geese are lying on the ground, and
ono is skimming away over the prairie
with IL tipped wing.
Some other flocks appear. and the
shooting becomes lively until tho sun
is fully two hours high, when the tiocks
diminish. both i'll sizo and number, and
with the exception of Il few stragglers
tho morning flight is over
Crystal Springs is the name of small
station OH the Northern Pacific, 30 miles
west OF jamestown, n. D.. There are
several small allali lakes in close prox-
unity to the station and Il number of
springs in the hills near by, from which
tho place gained its name. Tho town
proper consists of depot, boarding
house and water tank and Il population
not exceeding 10 souls. One April
morning few years or so since tho
writer, in company with tho telegraph
operator ut the place. sailed forth in
quest of geese, large iocks of which