The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-01-25
SHOOTING HoNKERs.
GREAT SPORT WHICH IS FOUND m
THE NORTHWEST.

Coantless swarms which congregate BE.
tween the Red River Valley and the Mis-.
sissippi-shooting Does Not Appear tc
Diminish Their Number.
Wild goose hunting on the plains OF
the northwest is sport which always
has great charm even for the expert.
enced Nimrod. 1t is a sport replete
with incident and recreation which
must once be INDUCED in to be thor.
oughly appreciated. The wild goose Is
known in all parts of North America,
but in 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 the geese swarm in countless
numbers and become corpulent on the
grains Of No. hard which have been
shaken from the stalk by the reaper and
are lying in the stubble everywhere.
Large numbers Of the birds are killed
by resident hunters and for eastern
markets, but no apparent diminution Ii
noticeable in the slze and number OF
the focks to be seen when the shooting
season begins each year.
An hours lively sport with the hon.
kers 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 a 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 are staple
commodity in North Dakota aud read.
lily bring from $3.50 to $8 per dozen
during the shooting season. In the lit.
tic 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 the close Of the day to shoot al
the geese, and a right warm reception
are the birds treated to. Many will
ride to the outskirts Of the town and
shoot from buggy or wagon at the
passing myriads overhead and occasion
ally bring down bird at long range.
The hunter who is out for business
and Is shooting for market and the
money there is in it drives out 10 OF
Is miles over the prairie several hours
before daylight, and after selecting o
spot where the geese have been seen in
great numbers the day before digs q
pit in the ground large enough to con-
ceal himself and arranges the stubble OF
grass about the mouth Of it so as to pre-
sent a natural appearance. Close by
he plants his decoys and settles back in
the pit and anxiously awaits the COM
ing Of the morning. 1t is still dark,
but from every quarter of the prairie
come sounds of animal life which fore
tell the coming of a new day. The
mournful cry of the curlew is heard
overhead, and flock of plover demon
strate their close proximity by the hur-
Ting noise of their wings.
For some time he sits in cramped
position, listening to the booming notes
of prairie chicken, which bird is pour.
ing forth a volume of drumlike sounds.
The sharp yelp Of a coyole not far away
is unmistakable evidence that that
thriving, skulking animal has jumped
up a cotton tail and. is hustling for an
early breakfast. at the first peeping OF
the gray dawn the hunter suddenly
hears a welcome sound-the faint and
PARKWAY honk-honk Of the goose. He
examines his gun and notes the direc.
ton of the sound. Nearer and nearer
the sound comes, and finally he ven
lures to take peep out Of the pit and
discovers the distant outlines of large
flock spread out V shaped in the morn.
ing sky, bearing off to one side. APP
parently they have not seen the decoys,
and the hunter thinks it is yet too dark.
Suddenly the leader is seen to waver,
and with loud cries the flock turns and
circles around the decoys as if suspi.
cious of their genuineness, but drawing
nearer at each turn. They have ap-
preached within easy shooting distance.
and Just as soon as the flock pitches
down among the decoys the loud bang
bangl of a heavily loaded shotgun is
heard, and two puffs of smoke are seer
coming apparently from the surface OF
the earth short distance away. Sew.
eral geese are lying on the ground, and
one is swimming away over the prairie
with tipped wing. - ~ ~. ~ E
Some other focks appear, and the
shooting becomes lively until the sun
is fully two hours high, when the aocks
diminish, both in size and number, and
with the exception Of few stragglers
the morning fight is over.
Crystal Springs is the nameof q small
station on the Northern Pacific, 30 miles
west Of jamestown, N. D. There are
several small alkai lakes in close prox-
unity to the station :. id q number of
spricgs In the hills near by, from which
the place gained its name. The town
proper consists of q depot, boarding
house and water tank and population
not exceeding 10 souls. One April
morning q few years or so since the
writer, in company with the telegraph
operator at the place, sailed forth in
quest Of geese, large focks of which
were seen circling around and alight-
ing on small lake, fringed with bushes
ooSs
station. After q full hour spent in
craving over the ground and keeping
out OF sight as much as possible the
hunters crept through the grass to the
bushes and looked cautiously out.
Upward of /, 200 geese were sporting
on the water, diving, squawking and
carrying on at great rate. When the
edge of the flock had come within 80
yards the hunters raised their guns and
gave them a barrel, following it up with
the remaining barrel as they rose heay-
lily from the water. Twenty eight geese
were gathered up as the rssult of the
shot, "a of them the white or brant
geese. The remaining four were fine
specimens of that wariest of all birds
Of its species-the blackhead or Cana
dian goose. The mornings work was
highly satisfactory. Il Cleveland Leader.
Photographs Report Better Than Eyes.