Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-20
WHERE WHO GEESE ARE SILLY
On tho Roanoke River They Permit WINS
ties TO BegniIe Them
New York SUM-

ties to Beguiio Iheuh
(New York SUM-
"rbey have a queer way OF hunting
wild-geese on the Roanoke river. espe-
cially that part OF the Roanoke river
which is In Warren county. N. c." said
a man who claims to know. THE river
as II passes through Warren county Is
formed into q succession or 1aiis anu
rapids by the bed OF peculiar rocks. ose,
which the stream flows Tor seVerA
miles. That portion OF the river Is aoso-
lutely unnavigable. except by the oiu-
time fat-bottom canoes or skiffs. or what
ever kind OF boat they may De caiieu,
which the natives have used ever since
there were any natives In North Saro
lima. IL requires an expert hanoier VI
these boats and a person wei posted l"
the character OF the river to get up
stream. and you have to watch out WIN
both eyes wide open when you go gov"
stream. -,
mile wide in Warren county, anu lne
rocks that project everywhere above the
surface. from shore to shore. are scoopeo
ou, I'm the hollows like butter-Do"i'
Tho shores oil the river are thickly Dor
dered for miles with oak and beech trees,
and many kinds OF berry bushes' anu an,
the MANY Islands are thickly grown Win
these trees and bushes. In their season
acorns nuts. berries. and mast drop INTO
tho river in enormous quantities, ana Az
they are carried down stream they Iouse
by the hundreds Of bushels In the nor
lows OF these rocks. This lodgmeht Oh
food. OF which they are particularly ionu,
attracts myriads OF wild geese anu
other wild fowl to that part Oh lhe
river, but II is the geese that the Sports
man. both native and visiting, especially
cares 10 60 after. Not because ne
doesn't have a longing for ducks and the
like hut ducks and the like haven't yet
fallen into the way of letting themselves
no bagged after the method by when the
wild geese are bagged. and as that ID the
only way wild fowl in the Roanoke part
Of Warren county can be naBseu' ''o
snortsman doesn't waste his tihe oh
ducks and the ike. Like their kind every
where. wild geese on the Roanoke river
are very shy. and 1t would take a man
with a good long-range rifle, proViueu ne
Is a good shot, to get satisfactory pd5
IN the courae of day so the native way
OF hunting them Is the only one IL PSi-
son wants to enjoy himself.
A BLIND.
ITO hunt wild geese In Warren county
after the method OF the local sportsmeh.
a blind is made in the river AZ one Oh
the smallest Of The rocks that Will give tne
hunter foothod. and one that Is wen
below a favorite feeding place loi s 49,.
The nature OF the rocks and the hoiioWs
scatter the flocks as they 'pastur,' as the
natives call IL, and. although there may
no hundred or more of the fowls III
sight there will rarely be more than TWO
or three together. After hunter mas
taken his Mace in q blind below the iced
ing geese. another hunter puts out IN
his boat from a point long distance
above them. He lets his boat drift with
the current, simply holding 1t back WIN
the oars If 1t goes too fast, AS the poat
draws near q group OF feeding geese the
hunter in II begins TO whistle some tune,
or. II he doesn't know any tune, just
whistle. This attracts the attention OF
the geese. It does not frighten them'
but stirs them up. The little groups
gradually gather together into one nocK.
The geese direct all their attention TO
the shrill sound coming from the boat
and drift down stream away from II az
the boat losses along careIessly on the
rapids. The man in the boat is known
as the driver. and If he Is skilful he will
so manipulate his boat and his whistle
that he will have a hundred or more
geese drifting ahead of him and gazing
wonderingly at him. or In wonder listen
ing to the sound he Is making until by
the time they draw near the blind they
will be in a thick bunch. and offer great
possibilities to the hidden hunter. 1t Is
usual for the man in the blind to let
the geese come within thirty or forty
yards of the blind before he cuts loose.
The geese rise in great confusion after
the first shot, and before they get out
Of range two or three more effective
shots may be had at them. and the
driver is pretty sure to drop few be-
fore the flock has passed over him on its
way back up the river. The frightened
geese fly a mile or two and then APP
parently forget all about the trouble they
had got into. for they. drop into the
river again. float down in their feeding.
and In the course OF an hour or so per-
NIT themselves to be driven once more
into the same ambuscade."