Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-26

fection in which one could go for any dis
lance without striking a covey, and only
two years ago a flock of some fifteen or
twenty spent the summer in the grounds of
the Geological Park and adjoining fields.
There is not a sportsman in the city who
has not enjoyed quail shooting in the i'm
mediate vicinity.
Not for many years at least Gust how
many none can say will the CHEEKY bob
white be echoed and re-echoed from field
to forest. and from one tangled briar patch
to the next
1t seems but yesterday that the writer
tramped the woods back of Falls Church
and found birds as numerous as one could
desire. That was a favorite locality for
them. and a days hunt there was invaria-
lily successful. even when other regions ap-
peared barren. but a recent tour of the
surrounding country, to ascertain the real
cCrdition of things, failed to find so much
as a feather even in this favored spot, and
but ELECTED from the farmer and country
sportsman the same sad story of death and
destruction.
One informed me how often the first two
days o. the blizzard the birds flocked
around the stacks IN the barn yard, regard
less of the presence of himself and men, by
whom they were fed, and how upon missing
them the following morning search re-
vealed the entire flock huddled together and
frozen solid in a drift at the foot of
stack of straw.
Another told me of finding the birds dead
in the spaces between the sticks of wood
in the wood piles through the forest. while
entire covey in his hands in a brush pile
that were too benumbed and too weak to
fly or run. These were taken home and fed
and warmed, but all efforts to save single
enc were fruitless.
Tie above are but few of many such
tales that were told. and even at distance
of sixty miles further south the same con-
0ition of affairs existed.
A New Supply.
1t is apparent, therefore, that the man
who would shoot quail this fall must go
to more southern shooting grounds, where
the birds are st.1; abundant. and where
good sport may be had.
Before proceeding further, just word
for the rer edy for the condition of things
existing here at home. The open season.
as regulated by law, varies much with To-
cality. Lying, as We do, between two states
the laws of both must be observed. Neither
agrees with the other, and in Maryland
date of beginning and ending of the closed
and open seasons In general, though, the
open season for Maryland and the District
of Columbia begins on October "a and ends
January I. In Virginia the laws are still
more consci vative. the shooting season ex-
tending frrm November to the day before
Thanksgiving, thus doing away with the
"day of general slaughter" Now, the
writer would suggest that the various clubs
take the matter in he nd petition the legis-
latures of both states to pass a law prohib
iting the killing of quail for five years in
all counties affected by the freeze.
Then, by pooling funds n sufficient num-
bsr of birds, say five hundred or a thou
sand pair could be brought from the south
and liberated at different points through
oct the country. Quail are rapid breeders
rearing from twelve to fifteen and even
eighteen young to the brood, and despite
the few killed by the providing pot hunter,
very gccd sprinkling of birds would be
found at the end of the period. This meth
Cd has been successfully tried in many To-
Calities similarly situated. and there is no
reason why, with ell united in a common
cause, it should fall short of success here
Away frcm Washington one can find the
birds extremely abundant at various places
within few hours ride. Particularly is
this true of High Point, North Carolina,
where the Very best of sport is to be had,
while from various neighboring regions
comes word of the great number of birds
to be found there.
In fact. throughout nearly all of the more
southern states quail fairly swarm, and
one can scarcely go amss in the choice of
shooting ground They are more abun-
dant In Florida than any place known to
the writer, but much smaller in size than
our northern bird. They are also much
tamcr, AID are frequently seen around the
clearings end even the 6oorsteps Of the
Crackers" North Of us there are no birds
to mention, for the sauna reason that there
are nont here. and west of us the distance
Is too great before birds are found In sufll-
cient abundance to pay for the trip A
scCthern trip is. therefore, the only choce
this year.
The King Of Sports.
Quail shooting Is. %ith few exceptions.