The San Francisco call., 1897-10-09
QUAIL AND DUCK
ARE YRT SCARCE.

that has journeyed over the San Fran
cisco and North Pacific Coast Railroad in
one day during the hunting season re-
turned last Sunday from the quail and
duck shooting grounds that lie between
Ignacio and Sonoma.
The sportsmen who had donned rubber
boots did not meet with much success,
but then they felt no great disappoint-
ment, as the first real flight of birds from
the north is not expected until after the
arrival of cold weather and heavy storms.
The devotees OF the sport killed time in
stead OF game in arranging their "shacks"
warming the ducks will receive when
they put in an appearance, fresh and
green fIo Ii the northern lakes and rivers.
Very lew teal have been seen this season
along the Day shores, but then it is yet
early for the little greenland blue winged
beauties to return to their favorite winter
| haunts.
The sprig is about the first of the north
| ern variety of wild duck 10 arrive in any
great mum bers, and old hunters opine
that this will be great sprig winter Oh
| the marshes.
The canvasback, redhead and widgeon
are about the last OF the cold-counIry birds
| mate of California
Owing to the large extent of prairie
| lands in the southern counties which have
been flooded by means of irrigating
bitches within the past five years, the
| widgeon have almost entirely forssken the
coast counties for their new "wh histling
| grounds in Kern, Fresno and Tulare
counties.
Quail-shooting is hard work at present.
| The hills are too slippery for safe tramp
| ing, and the birds positively refuse to be
driven out of the deep gulches, where
they find good shelter and water. After
| the first heavy rain the Quall-hunter will
have his inning. At present quail
! ing is hard work instead of a pleasure.
The successful hunters who tramped the
hills last Saturday and Sunday were
james g. Nealon and son, Frank Dolliver,
| Howard Vernon. Billy Kettle, Charles
| Precht, II. Golcher, Louis Rondeau, Fred
| Butter, al Hoffman, Phil Wand and Tom
| Iasey.
S. +. SinkwitZ and ]. Peltier of the EN-
| pire Gun CLUB report that they had first
class duck-shooting last Sunday near Los
| Banos, and returned home with $50 birds.
| Game Warden ]. L. Donovan OF Ala
| media County writes 10 the sporting ed
itor that the Supervisors OF Alame meda
| County have made no change in the gen.
eral game law regarding rail-shooting,
| and as ID consequence the birds can now
] be lawfully killed in Alameda County.
The Baden Gun Club, which is fifty
| StIOHR. Ddc IedSeO from lDS LdDU anu I'M
| proveme mt Company the privilege of shoot
ing upon 5000 acres OF marsh and hill land
| iii the vicinity of Baden. At recent
meeting of the club q resolution was
passed prohibiting the issuing of passes or
| permits TO shoot upon the preserve to any
one excepting members of the club. The
| ponds in the vicinity of Baden will be
Daited in the hope of enticng wild game.
Victor Caglieri, a well-known member
of the Tamalpals Gun Club. and &. r.
Bundschu succeeded in bagging sixty
quail last Saturday at Rhine farm, So
noma.
The Supervisors of Marin County, ct a
meeting held last Thursday in San Ra-
fael, rescinded the order appointing Peter
| Crane game warden of the county. The
| Supervisors had heard complaints con-
corning Cranes ways of doing business
and dismissed him. 1t is hoped that they
| will appoint some good man TO fill The
place left vacant, as poaching in Marin
| County In carried on to a great ex-
tent. Last Sunday hundreds of quail that
| were trapped not very far from tie city
of San Rafael were shipped TO this city.
Trapping OF quail is very common about
Fairfax. Between Camp Taylor and Toca-
| Iona trapping is carried ON daily. Last
| Sunday sportsman smashed hve traps
| that he met with in his travels along the
| gulch which runs close by the schoolhouse
| between Camp Taylor and Tocaloma. A
| game warden can very easily bag 'large
| game" in that section of the country.
| Among the passengers on the last trip
| of the Walls Walla from Seattle was
Harold Jodhunter. vino graduated last
June from the high school, and who re-
| sides with his parents at San Carlos, San
Mateo County. He has been spending
three months hunting and fishing in
Washington, and concluded his trip by
shooting the largest black bear that has
| been killed in that State for years. The
! Seattle ePost-Intelligencer speaks of the
feat as particularly pucky one. It
seems that the lad, who was cam ping
with DR.. Stanley's party near Circle Lake,
! was about 10 cross the lake to get some
! pheasants when in the distance he saw a
bear about to land from the lake on the
opposite side. Grasping his rife, he
rowed across with might and main to
overtake Bruin. The first shot pierced
| the bears skull behind the ear and killed
him. The skin-a very fine one-was
brought down on the steamer and has
been shipped TO Redwood City Tannery
| TO be dressed.
al Wilson, Deputy Fish Com mis-
sioner. who is at present eni Dying vaca-
| ton with his friend Mcfarland or the
| San Joaquin River, writes that be is hav-
| ing fairly good duck-shootIng. McFar-
land is prospecting for striped bass with