The record-union., 1895-10-07
TIE SHOOTING SEASON Is At HAND.
Game Reported Plentiful in All Di-
reCtons.
Good Results of Even Partial Protec-
tIon-Now Is the Time for Bull
head Plover.

Sportsmen are rubbing up their shot
guns, loading cartridges and otherwise
preparing for the shooting season, whlcn
opens on the 18th OF this month, one
week from tomorrow.
Reports from the tule section are to the
effect that ducks are more plentiful shan
tor years past at this early date, ana are
coming in quite freely from the north.
There was plenty of water in the tules
last summer and the birds bred there IN
large numbers The outlook is for eX-
cellent shooting until the heavy rains
cause the game to scatter over the val
leys.
From the foothills reports are TO the
effect that the quails had good breeding
season and are very plentiful. The pro-
hibition of market shooting in Ell Do
rado County the last two years has prob
ably saved from quarter To half mill
lon birds there, and this VIII make excel
lent shooting for all who wish to obtain
birds for their own or friends consump-
ton and at the same time have some
rare sport.
This is the season for "bullhead'
plover, and no doubt the Y olo plains are
now covered with these very toothsome
bird. While they do not afford the best
Of sport for he hunter they are certainly
worth the trouble of shooting them, for
their flesh is very delicate and of excel
lent flavor.
The best way 10 hunt them ia TO have a
steady horse and shoot from buggy or
cart. The safer way is to have someone
along TO drive while you shoot. The
birds can occasionally be approached on
foot, but after being hunted for few
days they become quite shy and then a
horse and vehicle is necessary TO enable
one TO get near them.
on Saturday Portuguese halted his
mountain wagon in front Of h-street
htore, raised a cloth that covered its con-
tents and pulled out the carcass OF doe,
which he laid upon the sidewalk.
a member of the fire department
looked al the doe and then called the
man aside and talked earnestly with him
for a few moments, whereupon the latter
gathered up his doe, threw 1t into the
wagon, covered il up and drove away.
This fellow is no doubt 'agin" the
State game laws, though their existence
do not seem TO trouble him much.
In this connection it may be stated that
q market in this city recently had veni-
son on sale for week. 1t was fine op-
portunity for "the poor man" so often
heard of to feast on venison steaks, but as
beef and mutton could be had for less
Than one-half the price of the deer meat,
the poor men did not buy it, OF course.
They never do, in fact. 1t is only rich
people that buy venison. Before deer
were protected as they are now they were
so scarce that not more than half-dozen
carcasses ever found their way to market
in this city, and the meat was never sold
at figure that poor people could afford TO
pay.
Now, however, the poor man has just
an equal show with everyone. He can
go our in the hills and kill deer without
much trouble. for they are plentiful
everywhere. Formerly only the rich
could spare the time and money neces-
sary to indulge in deer-hunting. for the
few deer there were had 10 be sought in
far-away places.
This shows what game protection does
for the Door man. When the shooting
season opens any man who may be able
TO procure gun aud cartridges can 90
out and get good bag of ducks or quaIis
within q reasonable distance OF the city,
whereas. if game had not had better pro-
lection the last few years than formerly
there WOuid now be nothing for the poor
man 10 shoot.
To be sure, there are plenty of sneak
ing game law ylolators, even now, and
these fellows are killing ducks and snar-
ing quail, which they are smuggling into
the cities and selling to hotel and restau-
rant keepers. This class OF market
hunters are the poor meu's enemies, tor
ii their work was not restricted 10 some
extent they would eXterminate the game
IN a very few years But they are not
the only class that slaughters game in the
close season, as the incident published
below demonstrates
If the present game laws were enforced
as they should be, California would soon
have plenty OF game everywhere for the
legitimate use of her people. The pro-
hibition of cold storage and the restric-
ton OF market shooting are features OF
the law that everyone not engaged in
either capacity should uphold.