The morning call., 1894-02-04
THE GUN.
Three Varieties of Duck That Remain
to Be Shot.

to BE Shot.
This will be the last month that sports
men will have of enjoying their favorite
pastlme. The past few weeks of fine
weather has vastly improved Quail-s shoot
ing, and as the ground is tOlerably dry al
present those who will tramp the hills to-
day should enjoy some good sport-that is
provided birds are found on fairly open
country.
The mud trampers will not fare as well
as their upland cousins for the very good
reason that the winged 'webfOoterS" have
taken their departure for the ponds, grain
fields ard lakes far in the interior, where
they will remain until their leaders will
sound the signal for northern flight to
the happy breeding grounds.
Although widgeOn, Sprig, teal AID NAL
lard shooting on the marshes is done for
this year there are still remaining two or
three excellent birds which should afford
duck hunters all the sport they Will need
for the remainder of the season. The
ducks referred to are canvas back, spoon
bill and bluebill, all of which species of
the duck family will remain on this coast
until the latter part of April.
the bluebil is a splendid Ia BILE bird, and
a the present time IN partcul is this a
fact, as it has not been on the coast long
enough 10 despoil its flavor by imparting
TO il fshy taste. The bluebill is a great
diver and will be found plentiful on the
marshes and along the bay shore where il
feeds on small crabs and sheifSh of all
kinds.
Speaking of the characteristics of the
bluebill, Richard c. Long, in an article
recently published in the American Field,
says: The bluebilIs, or scauDs, which are
the gamest of sea ducks are likely to handi-
cap a shooter by the phenomenal rapidly
OF their fight, which is probably greater
than that OF any other of the genus. Can
Vasbacks are proveTbal!y feet, but must
yield the palm to the blackheads. Nothing
of the sWeTvlng, daring squirt incident to
the teal or w0Odduck, or the sail
ing reconnoitering of the mallard
and the pintail are part of the marila's
gait Dead ahead, in rush, with
rapid wing beat on a level with the whz-
ing precision of Dahlgren shell, they
cleave the air, even up the wind at a rae
lncOmPaTably greater than other wild
fowl. \ beated drake coming down the
wind intent upon getting somewhere. with
other engagements concealed. Will dis
tance any winged creature we have ever
seen fly"
Forester writing of fowI-shooting on
Long Island. says: ITO kill wild fowl
cross-shOts, at long distances. going before
the wind, you should either keep the gun
moving IN The direction of the BIRDS flight
after the trigger is drawn, if you aim
directly at your bird. or you must fire
according 10 its distance and rate of loco
motion"
Two to five feet will not answer the pur-
pose with scaupS. Estimates of how far
ahead of cross.iying object to shoot are
hard to make. 1t is questionable. indeed
II calculation, 10 the exact sense of the
word, takes place at all. The art of sue
cesstully doing the business seems rather
TO be an Intuition, and TO spring spontane-
ously from that precise sense OF the true
relation of things which makes shooting
genius, like that of poets, an Unborn gift.
Double such distances as Forester sug-
gests, however. are certainly often neces-
saTy TO hit Scaups.
UpOn one occasion several observers,
who we're so stationed as to discern the
smoke puffs of two guns one and a quarter
miles apart, on the same straight line of
flight, took note of the firing at one stand
and timed the birds down the lead until
receiving the fire of the other gun. The
results Of four observations were: Thirty
two seconds. thirty seconds, thrty-six sec
onds and tbirty-One seconds, respectively,
or. approximately, 49, 159. 125 and 145
miles per hour. There was little or no
wind at the time.
The phenomenon OF flight we believe,
is now regarded as simply an effect of in
terrupted gravitation. Roadway being
escaping force in the direction of the least
resistance; that on given plane no bird
to go slower IL must ascend, to increase its
speed 1t must descend, the rate of speed
attained by flying body on a given plane
being determined by the relation its gravity
bears to the opposing surface offered by
the atmosphere in the direction of pro
erosion.
Ia the light of this theory the unparal-
ieled speed of the scaups may be accounted
for, since their compact little bodies are
unusually heavy In proportion to their
bulk, while their short, concave wings,
fiat shallow forms and hard, close-lving
feathers present a minimum of opposing
surface In front.
When boy, learning to shoot under the
tutelage of trusted old colored servant
who has long ago joined his "Ole Massa''
mid the shadows-l was impressiveIy en-
Joined to always shoot de hlnemus one in
de bunch. kase he's dat fat he can't hardly
keep up" II sounded sensbly, and l un-
hesItatlngly accepted IL as true, as | did all
the wonderful lore of that wise old man.
Obstinate differences Of opinion obtain
among the local sportsmen of Tallahassee
as to the proper gun and pellet to be used
at scaups. Ten gauges, four drains and
even more of black powder, and No. shot
seem most generally in vogue: but there
are strong advocates for lighter guns and
smaller pellets. That the ducks some
times ny hlgh, that In strong wind pressure
much powder and a heavy pellet are
needed 10 reach them is true; yet seven
pound, II gauge gun, of good maker
with good powder and weIl-loaded shells
make an ounce of 8's effective. The drag.
net pattern made by 5G0 No. shot is much
more cobwebby than the open mesh work
of No. As.
At distance of ten rods a No. 8 chilled
snot VILE Dreak wing, leg or neck bone of a
scaup. or VIII go through him from breast
to back. What more can be wanted? GET
several pellets into him and there will
most likely, be less water gymnastics when
he's down.
The Winnipeg Free Press publishes fine
following item from Fort Macleod, WHARF
the game season closes on january: The
close season is on and the prairie chickens
which were so wild 6ne could scarcely gel
within range, are now walking about the
doors of local sportsmen, and apparently
enjoying the thorough confidence they
possess in the nations laws. A good story
10 told of a gentleman. the owner of {