The herald., 1894-11-19
DUCK SHOOTING AS A SPORT.
Places Where the TOOthsOme
Bird Is Found.
The Gun Clubs Appropriate the Best
Duck Fields.
And You Have to Be q Member to Got
All the Duck Hunting Priv
iiegss-NOtss OF the
Sport.
The duck season has been open nearly


here. During the last few weeks, how
ever, ducks have become more plentiful
and not few sportsmen are telling
tales OF how they brought down the
mallard and teal along the shores OF
Niger slough or among the tules OF
the lakes. In shooting ducks ones
game is measured by whether you see
'em or whether you don't see 'em," and
there are days and days when duck
cannot be seen in their hsunts in the
sloughs and lakes OF this end OF the
state.
The duck hunting grounds are usually
picked by the nimrods who were sue
cessful in the came place the previous
year, The Los Angeles hunters after
the toothsome aquatic bird usually
wade the muds of the sloughs around
Ballona or follow down the San Gabriel
river to where it empties into the ocean
between Long Beach and Terminal
island. The river is usually q good
place to find du cks, though many of
the little lakes are the most frequented
by the birds and their slayers. San
Jacnto and Elsinors lakes are the beat
places to hunt ducks, but as rule the
field ia overcrowded.
WHEN THE DUCK FEVER Is INCuRABLE.
Locally, the man who lacks the open
sesame of shooting club membership is
likely to find duck fever an incurable
disease. The marshes which in time
gone by furnished magnificent sport to
the sportsman and profitable bags to the
pothunter are now 80 carefully preserved
that chicken shooting in neighbours
back yard ia a safer occupation than
duck hunting on private grounds. The
shooting clubs have reduced these lands
and marshes to possession which is both
constructive and actual, for they not
only own the fee in the lands but force
of gamekespers and watchmen see that
the title is thoroughly respected. No
poaching is allowed and members OF the
clubs even refrain from shooting during
two days in each week. permit no hunt
ing before daylight or after dark. and
insist upon close season longer than
that allowed by the state law. As a re-
suit, the ducks are again finding undis-
turbed breeding places at Niger slough
and in the marthes back OF Redondo
and Long Beach. A STRAY pair of NAL
lard or teal occasionally nest along the
river among the willows above Ivanhoe,
but to each misguided duck there are
commonly a man with Greener ham
merless and eleven or nine boys armed
with weapons ranging from a rubber
slingshot to fintlock musket sawed off
to make it portable. The man who is
duck-hungry must do his hunting in
olt,h har
courteous enough to give him o days
freedom of the gun clubs shooting
grounds.
Owing to the warm weather which for
sometime past has been prevalent in
this vicinity. duck shooting has been
comparatively tame. The ducks are
sluggish in their movements and con-
ceal themselves among the tall reeds
and tules which surround the ponds
they frequent
Notwithstanding some good bunches
have been brought in. The mallard are
beginning to arrive in considerable
numbers, mingled with few spoonbill
and widgeon. while the ever present
mudhen keeps nobly to the fore and fills
the breast OF many break OF day
sportsman with disgust when he finds
his anticipated haul OF fat mallard turn
out in the rays of the rising sun to the
members of that species.
All indications point to good shoots
ing season and the advent of cold
weather farther north will shortly stock
our local marshes with sufficient guam
titles OF feathered game to content the
heart OF the most eanguine sportsman.
DUCKS AND DUCKS.
Although the csnvasbsck is the king
of ducks, the large mallards are not to
be despised. their flavor being equally
az fine and they afford much more sport
in shooting than does the canvasbsck.
They iced on the wild rice that abounds
in the shallow lakes. The mallard is
very swift of wing and one has to dis
play great care to bring him down. Aim
must be taken far in advance OF the
bird or it will soar on, leaving the die
appointed sportsman TO see that his aim
fell short by several feet.
The plumage of the mallard is verv
gorgeous, being of delicate shades OF
blue, green, brown and white. In the
autumn months they come south and
make their haunts in the sloughs and
marshes. Unlike the mallard, which
feeds on wild rice aud seeds, the canvas
back feeds on wild celery, which grows
the lakes. They dive and stay under
water for several mnutes. They show
great military discipline at all times,
whether on the wing or resting Even
when feeding they have sentinels sta
toned to warn them of impending dan
ger. Duck shooting is not go easy or
sure as it might seem. Their thick
coating OF feathers offers a great pros
lection to the otherwise defenseless vic.
Tins. Even at a moderate distance the
shot have been known to rattle against
| their sides and with quack of sur
prise and disgust the bird would soar
| away.
In some instances they have been
seen to turn completely over from the
force of the shot and yet sail off un-
harmed.
When wounded they dive deep into
the water, clinging to root until their
enemies are gone, then under cover OF
night they will seek the shelter of some
friendly rushes, sometimes to recuper-
ats- oftener to die.
One instance is related OF a canvas
back being shot at considerable height,
and falling with such force as to bury
itself deep in the soft mud, only it's long
tail feathers being visible. OF course
the hunter thought him decidedly q
when Q few minutes later he stood.
| empty gun in hand, to see the duck
carefully extricate itself and sail grace