The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-06
THE GUN.
Latest News of interest From Marsh
and EieId-Scattered Shot.

Latest News OF interest From MARSH
and FieId-SCattered Shot.
Sportsmen renOw in a auandary as to where
they can 60 for good duck and quail shooting.
The rainstorm has flooded all parts OF the
country ana as a result aquatic game is scat.
te red broadcast. Reports from the southern
part OF the State are very tlattering. Several
letters that have reached this Office
during the past week from Southern
towns states that duck shooting was mucl
better and that local sp0rtsmen have been en-
joying great inning.
At Los BanOS aud along the MERGED River
reports state he residents have never seen a:
many birds as are now congre gated in the
ponds and slouehs that margin the grain fields
Market hunters are foeking 10 the featherro
fields OF the south. and he + suit of heavy can
nOnading during the past TWO weeks does not
appear 10 diminish in The least The number OF
ducks. which incl udes mallard, sprig. wldgeon,
teal and some canv sbacks.
On the mars hes within easy access OF this
city the shooting has been very mediocre since
the arrival of the storm, and be only birds tAat
sportsmen can count upon shooting are sDOOn-
bills, which, by the way, are as poor or flesh as
a all, and this is owing atOgeIie r TO their
attacks upOn the sprCutipg grass. Mallards
are also in poor condition. In fact the only
waterfowl that are 1t the present time worthy
Of a place IN the SpOrtSman'S bag are GanV
back ducks. which Is d rather scarce bird yet
as their arrival from the north Is generally
late.
There should be some good quail-shooting
when the present Storm IS replaced by fine
sunny weather, as the BIRDS Will thee scatter on
the hillsides in low cover and afford SpOTtsmen
grand shooting over well-tTalned dogs.
Lovers OF English snipe shooting are like
shin without rudder. They are drifting
everywhere in the hope Of finding landing
where birds are numerous Taxing everything
into consideration the PROSPECTS for any kind OF
shooting during the present conditions are in
deed very problematical, and there can be no
such thing counting upon your birds until
they are safely consigned 10 the hun ing Goa.
Some writer's OF papers published in the in.
tereSt of sportSmeD have been very much per-
picked because THE CALL has not approved of
the actions OF the Teal Club Ia regard 10 tres
passers. This department Is not conducted for
the purpose of attacking spOrtsmen OF any
class, but when a club like the Teal fails 10
conform with the law the sportSmen whom they
attempt 10 persecu are certainly entitled TO
recognition.
THE CALL has defended the men who have
lreSpassed upon the Teal Clubs preserve
because they had. according to the testimony Of
one of the Teal CLUBS keepers, right TO shoot
thereon.
The Teal Clubs preserve on the Suisun
marshes is not iaclOsed by legal fence, aud
therefore the hunt RS VINO have been arrested
for trespass were acquitted IN every instance
where jury trial was demanded. Seeing that
trials by jury were failures, the Teal Club
placed an injunction on members of the NJ al
lard and Volunteer clubs restraining them
from further entry uDon the premises. An an
sWer to the Injunction has been I'll d, and the
case will be heard in the Superior Court of So
lanO County In a few weeks.
II the Teal Club had its grounds properly
fenced this paper would certainly have been
the first 10 have condemned any acts OF hunters
who had trespassed thereon. During the war
that has been pending since the shooting sea-
son opened between the Teal Club ana the
spOrIsmen who had antagoniZed it, mention
was not made against the Tule Belle or Ibis
clubs, which have cOnformed with the law in
every plriicular, and rs result the sportsmen
OF SOlan0 County respected their rights. So far
as the market hunter.is concerned THE CALL
has repeatedly suggested ways Of debarring
him from a pursuit which is assuredly de-
structVe to the game interests Of this State.
viii some of The Journalists who have &C.
cused this paper OF taking the part Of the
market hunters point out one single instance
as a verication of the truth of their slate
meDts. IL should certainly not he construed
because The Teal Club has been brought over
the Goals that this department at all favored
market hunting This would decidedly be
very wrong conception Of our intention in The
premises. We do, however, believe that any
club hal owns or leases Understanding grounds
should observe the law and fence In its prop
erJy so as that no loophole will remain for out
siders "a. crawl through when charged with
misdemeanor.
The ROD and Gun Club will hold It's monthly
banquet at Good Fellows GrOtto on Tuesday
evening, and as nominations for election of
officers Will lake place a full attendance is
expected.
Henry Venker, well-known sportsman, re-
turned last Sunday from Sutsun with three i'm.
mense hopkeT geese which he said he bad shot
from The deck of the spIendidly equipped hunt
ers' ark The Sammi. Nil VenkePs statement
might have possibly remained without question
had IL not been for brief notice of the shoot
which appeared a few days ago IN a Suisun
paper as follows: "The proudest man who de-
pared from this town was II. Venker of duck
shooting fame. He purchased, at high figure,
some hOnker geese which were shot by one OF
the lads of be town, and as he boarded the
train for Frisco he said 10 one OF the boys: i
may not be able 10 hit flock Of sanGhill cranes
under certain conditions, but you can bet that
j will surprise The city boys when | loom up
with the hOnkerS.'"
w. Schulz, S. L. Vanness and A. N Davis of
Los BanOs have written 10 The CALL that at
least twenty hunters are now engaged in shoot
ing duck with NO. gauge guns within -FOUR
miles OF Los BanOs. 1t has been frequently
stated IN this paper that law should be passed
prohibiting the sale OF ducks in this city, rs this
Is The only means OF cutting off the occupation
OF the market hunters, who are yearly becom-
Ing more numerous If market hunting las
put stop TO there would be no necessity for
duck-shootlng preserves. he amount OF game
that Is destroyed annually by market hunters
Is something enormous, and unless a remedy
VIII soon be forthcoming it is only reasonable
to expect a shortage of wild fowl in the near
future.
The following letter is self-explanatory
Editor Call: Your paper being the only journal
in this city that has published an impartial view of
The troubles on tie SuiSun marshes this year. L
take THIS opportunity OF relating TO you in
cident which occurred asst Saturday on the Central
Pacific Railroad ], with three members of the
Mallard Club in company, was bound for Espinosa
station the Suisun marshes. On the run TO
Port Costa one OF my friends overheard con-
versation between some members of the Cordelia
Club aud the conductor The latter was requested
not to stop EsDinosa. as some poachers from
San FRANCISCO the train and were
destined for Espinosa, At any rate the conductor
acQuiesced to their wishes, and when he arrived
in the car where we were seated 1 politely asked
him If he would stop at Espinosa. and, conductor
ike he curtly replied that ne would do M such
thing that tho station OF Espnose was
obIIterated from the New Years bill or
railroad fare, and consequently he could not sop
,heTe / then informed MIN that representatives