The sun., 1895-05-26
CATCHING wIAD GEESE IN INDIA.
Tactics That Must He Surprising to the
Coveted Fowls.
From nc Philadelphia Times.


From he philadelphia Times.
In India ducks, teal, and geese abound in all
the numerous ihecls, as do also coots, or water
fowl. These jhecls are large water storagcs for
irrigating purposes, and are kept filled by the
heavy fall in the rainy seasons. They afford
most excellent sport
Sometimes for company's sake several form
party and go out for the day. but thorough,
keen sportsman meaning business generally pre-
fers going out alone. OF course, with a Jolly
party, it is more ENJOYABLE in one way. but the
difficulty is that each intcrferes with the other
sport, more especially when careful stalking is
necessary. no matter how well or carefully or
ganizcd the plan Is. and for this reason gcncr-
Ally preferred going out alone. The jheel 10 be
first visitcd having been determined upon, one 8
sycc and coolies are sent on by daybreak. After
one among tho haunts of the fcathered tribe.
This kind of shoot ing Is all the more enjoyable
at the ducks and teal. and then quiet hunt
after snpe around the marshy p4rts of the
jhcel. Then, If n village is near. which is gen
orally the case. sport in the shape of black par;
fridge, quail and peafowl. and an occasional
shot AZ deer can be had before rcmountng and
sport is obtained, and II thoroughly good mixed
bag is the result; As these jheels are mostly
rOvcrless and well in the open every prerautiOn
has to be taken to enable a near approach tu tho
ducks, not forgetting the direction of tho wind.
lopcs and any care!essness in detail would
soon see the black and living mass on the wing
and away well out of range; Often have had
To creep flat on the ground for very long dis
tances. placing my gun several feet in advance
of me and wrixglinS up to it., and 50 on. This is
n slow means of progression but it is sure when
against the wind. 4 further prccaution is to
take Off your helmet md place a veil the color
OF the ground over your face; for nothing shows
out palmer or so scarcs birds or animals II
white face.
Once the edge of the water is reached. per-
i'll which case there is nothing for It but to
continue crawling, in spite the siush and
OF the water admits of more comfortable at
ttude, enabling one to wad lie. still lowering
ones self keeping the gun above water. Now
the greatest care has to he taken for fear Of
Slipping out of ones depth. The plan al
ways adopted was to advance the left foot,
shuttle along to the front with it, and bring up
til" right foot, and So on until had approached
sufficiently near 70 insure successful shot.
Well do remember one nost excellent days
when, with right and left, actually hagscd
fifty ducks and teal. After which, being in
to abound,I ,deternned to try. my hand AT them;
and, with the aid of my coolie beatcrs, secured
thirty in ono hour, all In fine condition. and
mixed bag Of duck, teal. geese, rartridges,
quail. and pcafowl which ] was enabled TO
days day. pr"ceednss @ i ' was sS greatly apprerSed by
always hailed with delight BY the men, who
knew never forgot them.
Geese are also 10 be found In very large fiocks,
b:t only in tho larger ihcels, and they gcncr-
deep water during the day, coming into the
shallow parts to feed late In the afternoon.
sometime; went out after them in = canoe
when such could be got if not, manufactured
q raft made out of bamboo which made my
coolies cut from tho adjacent jungles. with
saireI Suoyoy With Saeh an - Fran
and with bushes and grass fixed round tho
sides, have often padded ,h out az ana @ had the
nearer than eighty or ninety yards, which, even
Of a mur,erous fire such as one is able TO get
among tho ducks and teal. The most even
bagsed in a doublc shot vas Ave They are in IN,
fshy flavor generally 30 prevalent with them:
Sometimes jheels are connected by means OF
bitches, which enable the gunner 70 continue
l will now explain how the natives catch
tho ducks and geese, and n most Ingenious way
Il is. Deep shelter trenches are cut M the differ.
ent points. OF attack from tho mainland well
pcrs moving backward and forward noise
lessly and unebsorvEh BY The birds Large
placed over tho heads of the trapper5, who
have netS secured hround r1 their wa, waists ti N
selected wade in along the shelter trench, sud.
denly bobhing up In and among the ilockS or
Gssss only OF the ctto '' s by by the ti sa
drifting on the surface Of tho water, no notice
is TAKEN and they go on feeding contentcdiy
until one by one they are seized by the legs and
dragged down and placed ip the nets. Their
comrades take no heed to this strange perform
ance, imagining that their friends have merely
gone down for Divers reasons, 1t never occur
ring to them that they did not rso aga In for sun
dry purposes By this ingenuity vast quantity
OF geese, duck, and teal are secured and brought
into tho market, or sold among tho men OF tho
different regiments in garrison.
The prevalent iden that II sportsman's life
in India, the land of snakes and reptiles, Is in
variably one of danger, Is a mistaken and exag-
gerated idea When accidents or fatalities Oc-
cur 1t is almost Invariably through either care
lossnoss or foolhardiness on the part of the
sufferer, for during the years that ! had the
pleasure of residing in India ! never suffered
The slightest Inconvenience either from snakes
or scorpions, neither did a single case ever come
under my notice. My idea is that il you leave a
snake alone aud Keep out of his way he will
tire than modest you, but very naturally, il you
attack him. he will, II possible, be revengeful
With ordinary precautions there arc no more
dangers from snakes or scorpions In India than
In Florida.