New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
BIRDS FOR TRAP-SHOOTERS
RAISING PIGEONS NOW A CONSIDER
ABLE INDUSTRY
THE WILD ONES WERE USED UNTIL THEY WE'RE
NEARLY ALL KILLED OFF-A TREMENDOUS
ANNUAL sLAUGHrER-A SPORT WHICH
COSTS A PRETTY PENNY.


An industry which has developed to remark
able extent in this country in the last few years
u raising pigeons for market The business was
formerly carried on IN a desultory way by FARMERS
boys and the Youngsters who lived In towns and
Villages and even on the outskirts OF large cities
OF course there some demand ior squaos
but even that limited. Wild fowl were iar
moro numerous then than now. and they appeared
20 the taste Of tie good liver more than young
pigeons
There was little incentive for men TO engage IN
raising pigeons, unless 1t was the fancy KINDS lot
show purposes Then. too. the Wild pigeons were
stiu numerous. The roosts OF the wild pigeons eA-
listed in almost every State, and countless thousands
OF them could be relied TO visit these places
.vsrv wear The wild pigeon IL a migratory bird,
living chiefly on mast, and wherever Forests OF 'he
OAK beech and chestnut were the pirds coua De
found in the season In countless numbers
RUTHLESS SLAUGHTER.
There are men Of middle age who remember "heh
n roost Of wild pigeons existed In MASSACHUSETTS
and other Eastern States. and they were common
enough In the Western and Southern States until
n few years ago. The birds fairly swarmed IN the
AIMING and fall over Pennsylvania. OHIO. Iowa,
Indiana Michigan and Wisconsin. The pirds were
siauRhtered Unfortunately and NOBODY ihteriereu'
While the wild pigeon is truly game o'ru' '.~'o
Legislatures would enact laws for It's protectio'
Indeed. the wild pigeon was looked upon by some
3
States to break up their "roosts.
When the focks of pigeons began 10 ga'her d.
me rooss In the fall Of the they fairly oarKeheo
the sky. While they lived chiefly on acorns they
we're not averse to grain, and often descended on
tho fields Of the farmers and harvested the crops
for them.
Wisconsin was a great State for wild pigeons
and the Chippewa Indians about La Crosse maze
n living by gathering them for market Iney ~ouid
send boys up the trees 10 knock the young pigeons
n "a N re-
was to set nets few feet from the GROUND ana
scatter grain beneath them. The pigeons wouio
70 under the nets after the grain and the hunters
would then pull the strings and the nets would lai'
on the foolish birds Thousands OF pigeons nave
been caught in one fall OF net
ONLY ONE ROOST LEFT.
put Tho wild pigeon Of America Is almost
Thing Of the pLst, from commercial point OF view
There are small focks 10 be found In the wooded
states but only one great "roost," It is said on
rood authority now exists This Is in the south
west corner Of tho Indian Territory. But even TINS
roost Is probably doomed. 1t is now so inacces-
able that 1t has paid hunters TO kill the BIRDS
In the fall the Indians gather at the roost and
feast for days on tire fat, juicy pigeons.
The disappearance Of the wild pigeon has also
seriousiy affected the crack wing shots OF the
countryside trap-shooters. There are hundreos OF
these men In the cities, towns and villages ana
their clubs are organized everywhere Almost every
there regular practice days and matches TOT the
members In days gone by the matches which were
by foremost wing shots OF the and were
at wild pigeons For years. especially IN the west
these wild pigeon matches were extremely popu-
lar among the trap-shooters. and large sums OF
money would be wagered on the men who took part
IN them Dexter Park. then on the outskirts OF
Chicago was u famous resort for the trap-shooters
and thousands OF wild pigeons were shot there.
Champion Jake Brewer. Captain Bogardus, Dr.
Carver and such men as Messrs Fulford ana
Elliott shot in these matches.
OLD-FAsHIONED TRAPS.
The traps of those days were not as good as
those used now They were cumbersome affairs
When the shooter gave the word and the trap was
sprung the bewildered pigeon in 1t was thrown
about four feet In the air. Sometimes he was on
like q shot, but often futtered about In dazed
sort of way for time. The second or two whch
the bird lost generally sealed his doom, ana ne
fell an easy victim to the marksman
For q long time the commission men OF ST. Louis
and other Western cities did large business sup
plying wild PIGEONS to the trapshooters but fnaly
the supply became exhausted and no more plrds
were to be had. Then 1t was that the trap-shooers
began to look about them for substitute ana
finally adopted the tame pigeon. While somewhat
larger than the wild bird the tame pigeon is equally
a. fleet Of wing and just about as difficult to shoot
In fact being stronger. 1t is harder to XIII within
the boundary lines.
various other things were tried to test the powers
Of the wing shots In the seventies Captain Bogar-
dus introduced the glass balls. These were some
what smaller than baseball and were thrown IN
the air from traps They were TOO easy 10 preaK'
however and the inanimate clay targets OF the
rr~eent day were invented These disk shape tar
gets are known to all trapshooters They are ABOUT
the size of a tea saucer and when thrown from
an unfamiliar trap at unknown ahg'es' 'heS @ie eN
ceeding,y difficult to break.
fhOuSq
used every year, but they have not proved salts
factory substitute for the wild pigeon IN the minds
OF the wing shots. The champions have much prac-
tice and fun with the inanimate targets out IN all
big matches and club shoots they Insist on having
live birds.
LARGE TOTAL SLAIN ANNUALLY
The demand for pigeons by the gun clubs has un-
Aouh,.dlv done more than anything else to develop
the raising industry. Probably over quar-
Ter of q million pigeons are killed In matches ana
club shoots in this country annually Ihese hgures
are only approximate, OF course but II Is mpossipie
to get exact ones. They are estimated by the num-
Der of birds used in season by certain chps.
Among the gun clubs in this neighborhood that use
thousands of pigeons every year are the west
minister Kennel Club. the Carteret Gun Club west
mont nMse Club the Philadelphia Gun Club. the River.
ton Gun Club and number OF others. Ihen again
h have Weekly or monthly shooting days There is
shooting at some OF these parks almost every Gay
IN nine or ten months OF the year
THOUSANDS IN DAY
Twenty thousand pigeons more are killed an
nually At one park Long Island. and D.VN birds
were killed at Baychester last year There were
over 5000 pigeons provided for one shoot at Long
Branch in March. and yet the number proved In
euficient and several of the matches had to be de-
clared of for want OF birds When 1t is considered
that there are hundreds of clubs in this country
4 Will be realty seen that the estimate OF pigeons
Killed by them as given here is probably well within
bounds. =, ,oo,s avn. from,
and how they are gathered for the gun clubs Is OF
Interest II can be said that pigeons are now raised
for market In all parts of the country. and those
engaged In the business are making money az IL