The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-02-01
SHOOTING HONKERS.
GREAT SPORT WHICH IS FOUND IN
THE NORTHWEST.


sissippi--shoot,ng Docs Not Appear to
Diminish Thoir Number.
Wild sooso hunting on tho plains Of
the northwest Is sport which always
has great charm even for tho export
enced Nimrod. 1t is sport replete
with incident and recreation which
must once be indulged in to DO thor
oughly appreciated. The wild goose Ia
known In all parts Of North America,
but In no section Of tho country does
this bird appear in such numbers as in
that territory lying between tho Red
river valley and tho Missouri river.
There the geese swarm in countless
numbers and become corpulent on tho
grains Of No. I hard which havo been
shaken from the stalk by thereaper and
arc lying In tho stubble everywhere.
Largo numbers Of the birds arc killed
ny resident hunters and for eastern
markets, but no apparent diminution Ia
noticeable In the size and number Of
tho flocks to be seen when the shooting
season begins each year.
An hours lively sport with the hon
kers Oh tho wheatfields Of North Da-
porienccd hunter, and that is something
for his pains, especially if no happens
to get In we'll concealed stand direct
ly in 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 staple
commodity in North Dakota and road
lily bring from $3.50 to So per dozen
during the shooting season. In tho lit
tlo towns and stations along tho North
ern Pacific railway, during the fall and
spring flights, almost everybody turns
out for few hours in tho morning and
toward tho close of tho day to shoot ut
tho geese, and q right warm reception
are tho birds treated to. Many will
ride to tho outskirts Of tho town and
shoot from buggy or wagon at the
passing myriads overhead and OCCASION
ally bring down bird ut long range.
Tho hunter who is out for business
and is shooting for market and the
money thore is in it drives out 10 OF
15 miles over tho prairie several hours
before daylight, and after selecting q
spot where the geese have been seen in
| great numbers tho day before digs a
pit in tho ground large enough to con-
ceal himself and arranges the stubble or
grass about the mouth Of it so as to pro-
sent Il natural appearance. Close by
no plants his decoys and settles back in
tho pit and anxiously awaits tho COM
ing Of the morning. It is still dark,
but from every quarter of the prairie
come sounds Of animal life which fore
tell the coming of q new day. The
mournful cry of the curlew Is hoard
overhead, and flock of plover demon
Btrate their closo proximity by the hur-
tling noiso Of their wings.
For some timo he sits in cramped
position, listening to the booming notes
Of a prairie chicken, which bird is pour
ing forth volume Of drumlike sounds.
The sharp yelp Of coyote not far away
is unmistakable evidence that that
thriving, skulking animal has jumped
| up cotton tail and is hustling for an
carly breakfast. At the first pecping Of
tho gray dawn tho hunter suddenly
hears a welcome sound-the faint and
faraway honk-honk Of the goose. Ho
examines his gun and notes the dircc-
tion of tho sound. Nearer and nearer
the sound comes, and finally he ven
discovers the distant outlines of a large
flock spread out V shaped in tho morn
ing sky, bearing off to one side. Ap-
parently they have not seen tho decoys.
and the huntcr thinks 1t is yet too dark.
Suddenly the leader Is seen to waver,
and with loud cries the flock turns and
circles around tho decoys as If suspi-
cious Of their genuineness, but drawing
nearer ut each turn. They have ap-
preached within easy shooting distance,
| and just us soon rs the flock pitches
down among the decoys the loud bangl
bangl of heavily loaded shotgun is
heard, and two puffs of smoke are seen
coming apparently from the surface Of
the earth short distance away. Sew
eral geese are lying ON the ground, and
ono Is skimming away over the prairie
with tipped wing.
Somo other hoclss appear, and the
shooting becomes lively until the sun
is fully two hours high, when the flocks
diminish, both in size and number, and
with the exception Of n few stragglera
tho morning flight is over.
Crystal Springs is tho name Of a small
station on tho Northern Pacific, 30 miles
west of Jamestown, N. D. There arc
several small alkali lakes in close prox
unity to tho station and q number OF
springs in tho hills near by, from which
tho place gained it's name. The towr
proper consists Of depot, boarding
house and water tank and population
not exceeding 10 souls. Ono April
morning a few years or SO since the
writer, in company with the telegraph
. operator at tho place, sailed forth in
quest Of geese, largo focks of which
woro seen circling around and alight-
ing on small lake, fringcd with bushes
and tall gtass, not over milo from the
station. After full hour spent in
crawling over tho ground and keeping
out OF sight as much as possible tho
hunters crept through tho grass to the
bushes and looked cautiously out.
Upward Of 1000 geese woro sporting
on tho water, diving, squawking and
carrying on at great rate. Whom the
edge Of the flock had come within 80
yards the hunters raised their guns and
| gave them bnrrol. folIoxvfnu ~ nm with