Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-04
NOW FOR THE DUCKS
The Season Has Opened and the Game is
Plentiful
Fine Sport IL ON the Potomac, Though
the Birds Don't Come Up as
Far as Formerly.

The ducking season opened in earnest last
Friday, tho closed season according to
the law of Maryland having ended. Shoot
ing on the famous Havre de Grace flats
began It was a model day and number
of hunters participated in the sport. A
large number Of ducks were killed, and the
predictions of the old hunters are that the
season will be good one. There was an
increased number of canvas backs noticed,
and red heads were quite abundant.
From down the Potomac reports are en-
couraging. The creeks are full of nallari.
So the hunters need not worry themselves
about lack of sport. The bird hunters. how
ever, will have a poor season, for there are
few quail anywhere around these parts. The
cold weather of last winter killed hundreds
of the little favorites. But cold weather
though the supply had been increased to
make up for the birds. With the first blast
Of cold weather the ducks begin to arrive.
First of all come the rock, juicy little
fellows, and one of the best table ducks.
In color they are dark brown, with a bronze
tinge, and usually as fat as butter. In fact,
they are such good feeders that they are
sometimes called butter balls" In the
early part of the season they are quite tame
and allow a boat to come within gun shot
But the steam launches are after them be-
fore long, and they get wary. Many stories
are told of this duck which go long way
toward establishing his reputation as a duck
of intelligence. 1t is said that later in the
season, when the canvas back and red head
come about, he develops into a marauder
and lives entirely upon what the others
gather.
Lives by HIS Wits.
Now The rock is very partial to wild
celery. But he is handicapped in the mat
ter of satisfying his longing for this favor
lite food by his short neck, small body and
diminutive lungs. Wild celery grows on an
average in five feet of water. The canvas
back and red head find no trouble in diving
for it, but the rock, try it may, can
not go the distance. Then II is his wonder
full intelligence is brought into play. 1t is
well known that both the canvas back and
red head are particular in what they eat
They are scrupulously clean, and each
piece of celery Is carefully washed before
devoured. And right here the rock gets in
it's fine work.
When the big ducks rise to the surface
with celery, after a long dive, the rock,
ever on the lookout, takes to wing, and
making a great fuss, goes at the big duck,
and before the latter has chance to shake
the water out of its eyes the rock has the
celery and is off. So it is no wonder the
rock is good duck for the table. 1t has
been stated that a section of its breast
cannot be distinguished from a canvas
back.
Just a word about hunting them. The
best way is to creep on them. That is, to
lie at full length in skih and with creep
ing paddles sneak on them. Some hunters
aver that they cannot be decoyed. This is
mistake. due, no doubt, to the fact that
the duck is so little thought of that no one
takes the trouble to set out stool of prop
erly painted decoys. All ducks will dart
to the right kind of decoys. Take away the
rock and the amateur will experience less
difficulty in killing the black head or shut
fer than any other. But their meat is
coarse and oftentimes fishy, and it is not
regarded as a good duck" He comes
under the head of trash ducks, a class that
includes all Of the winter species, save the
canvas back, the red head and the NAL
lard. The canvas back and red head are
usually shot from blind, although a sink