The morning call., 1895-01-20
BEAR FIGHT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

cluded that the jig is up with them for the
season-that is, so far as duck-shooting is con-
cerned.
Water water everywhere is the cry, and
swer echoes: 'Wait till the clouds roll by"
Yes, the condition in which the country is
at the present time will not, by any MEANS i'm
prove the sport, as all kinds OF water fowls are
scattered, and as n result duck-shooting will
be out of the question for several weeks TO
come. SportSmen can rest satisfied on one
point. and that is whatever birds they may
succeed in bringing to bag viii not be worth
carrying home to the cook. Ducks are raw
enous eaters, and now that golden opportu-
nifty is offered them to trim the young grass
and sprouting grain it is only reasonable to
presume that upon their return from the in
land pasture they viii require a rest of several
weeks on the mud flats, during which time
they will falten up on the crustaceans OF the
seashore.
The eanvasback is really the only member of
the aquatic biped family that will be worth
bagging from now until the arrival OF the blue
BILL which latter bird is invariably the last to
arrive from the north and the last TO depart
from the coast. The bluebill is splendid
table-bird when it first puts in an appearance,
but after it has month or so of digging in the
sloughs for shellfish and crabs, its flesh takes
on fishy taste which is not by any means
palatable or pleasant.
The only bird duck shooters can count upon
now for sport is the festive spoonful, which
have become reduced in flesh during the past
month to such an extent that when one of the
"spoonies" is shot on the wing it is carried
by the wind several yards through the air and
finally falls long distance from the shooter
as softly as wad OF paper from shotgun.
The prospects for a return OF anything like
good sport this season is indeed poor, and
the sportsman who prefers the rubber boot TO
the trampers shoe may just as well conclude
that the game is as good as dead for this wear at
least.
The lover of quail,;shooting may, however,
count upon some good sport during the closing
months of the year The birds are now in
bevies, but just as soon as the black cobwebs
disappear for good and the sun has had
chance of warming things up in general, the
little quails will scatter on the open land, and
then the lovers OF the sport can safely count
upon singles and doubles.
So far as the snipe-shooter is concerned, he
must take pot luck and lose no time in getting
to any place where birds are reported to be
about. A snipe is full of freaks and notions.
Where they may be in hundreds to-day, on the
following day they may be prospecting in
very different locality and several miles away
from the spot they had been located
Local sportsmen received rather an unpleas-
ant surprise last Tuesday on learning of the
death of NJ. W. Stackpole, who had been for
years prominent member OF the Sportsmen's
Protective Association Of this city. Mr.. Stack.
pole had host of friends among the lovers of
the chase, who will miss him from among the
happy gatherings who have tramped the hills
in the vicinity of Washington Corners in quest
of California's champion game bird-the valley
quail.
The deceased sportsman was So years OF age,
and up to the time when he was stricken down
with paralysis, about a year ago, he seldom
missed Sundays shoot during the open sea-
son. Among the many friends and fond COM
panions who will miss a true sportsman will be
two beautiful hunting dogs which slept at the
bedside of their master up to the time of the re-
moval of his remains for burial.
George Croker will arrive here in the latter
u ~ aft ,oIc nsNfr airna
months. Upon his arrival he will leave for the
Country Club demesne for weeks shoot with
his companion, Edgar Preston. Mr.. Croker
will have with him several fine sporting dogs,
and among them will be the highly priced bull
dog which, as THE CALL has already stated, is
thoroughly trained to field work. Mr.. Preston
recently received a 16-month old setter from
North Carolina, which is named Roy The
dog did excellent work on his first appearance
in California field and on California's cham
pion game bird.
The Pierce brothers of Petaluma have con-
verted their estate on the south side of Tomales
Bay into game preserve. The estate consists
Clubs property, and will in future be shot over
by the members of the Petaluma Sportsmen's
Club. The owners of the property will con-
struct a fence sufficiently high around the
property to keep the large game such as deer
and possibly bear from trespassing on the
Country Clubs lands.
sportsman who has been "doing" New
castle, England, for pleasure, writes concern
ing English sporting matters as follows:
Several American readers of reports on
shooting, who have glanced over the low scores
made by English shots on inanimate targets,
have no doubt put them down as very poor
shots. visited club ground here a few days
ago, and, although the scores made were not
large eight out of ten being hlgh), thought
the shooting was excellent, everything consid-
cred. The rules under which inanimate tar
gets are shot here are entirely different from
the fact that the English trap shots care very
little for big scores so make all their shooting
as difficult as possible. Five traps are set
yards yards apart, screwed up to throw e target
low, some just skimming the ground The
shooter stands at Ii yards. and never knows