The San Francisco call., 1897-01-30
GUN AND DOG.

Brant Shooting in Tom ales Bay Is
Now Very Good-Game Laws.
The season for shooting duck and quail
will end on February Is, and in case bill
which is now before the Legislature passes
the Senate the man who shoots game for
market purposes will have the same lati-
tude next season as the sportsman who
shoots for pleasure solely.
The market shooter has as much right
to shoot game as the man who is a mem
Der OF a preserve club and kills birds be.
cause of the sport of killing. The so-called
sportsman delights in being the possessor
of big bag of birds On his return home,
and it is a weli-known fact that frequently
he will sit as still as a cat in blind
when shooting ducks and wait until an
opportunity is offered Tor a pot shot and
then blaze away.
A market hunter will have to gather in
the game he mains and kills, but the
sportsman has his attendant near at hand
who retrieves the dead and wounded.
With the exception that the market
shooter frequently uses a gun of larger
bore tran the law allows there is not a
very wide line of difference to draw
between the two, that is, so far as the
greed for game is concerned.
1t IS TO De noped tnat some OF the sports
men who are interested in duck and snipe
shooting will frame bill, the objects of
which will be to include the English snipe
IN the game law among other game birds
and the extension of the duck-shooting
season one month longer than it is at
present.
The English snipe is the gamest of
game birds, and it is q shame that be-
cause the law does not protect them dur
~ 20 n l. H.
slaughtered by pot-hunters In the sum-
mer months while they are caring for
their young. Why the duck season
should be extended is because of the
late arrival OF the canvasback, blue bill
and other varieties of aquatic game
which do not leave this coast for their
breeding-grounds before April or May.
The following letter from William J.
Ahern, the president of the Sportsman's 5
Protective Association, is self-expisna-
tory:
Sporting Editor Call: A meeting OF the
Sportsmans Protective Association Will be
held on next Tuesday evening il the K of R.
b. Hail. corner of Mason and o. Farrell streets,
and all sportsmen Interested in the welfare
and protection of game are invited matters
concerning the ASSOCIATION before the Legsla-
ture will be discussed at length. Yours truly
w. j. AHERN
Sea brant are now very plentiful in
birds sportsmen 10 not care very much to
hunt them. Two hunters from this City
bagged nineteen brant last Wednesday.
They used To- bore guns and their cartridge
were loaded with No. 3 shot.
]. G. Bliss has forwarded the following
COMMUNICATION to THE CALL, watch will
doubtless interest sportsmen and scien-
lists:
4 rare and fine specimen of Albino robin
(Turdus migratoriusl was shot by J. G. Bliss
recently on the outskirts of Alameda. 1t is
male bird i'll white plumage. except just
suspicion OF pink seemingly inclined to man
tie TO the surface of the breast The bird was
first observed by Mr.. Bliss's boy, Jack, while
out hunting, who lost no time in reporting to
his father when measures were Immediately
instituted tor the capture of the rara avis.
This was effected by the use OF but three and
half grains of smokeless powder, propelling
just a pinch of No. 10 shot through 80
auxiliary" barrel. 1t therefore goes without
saying that the plumsge was not disturbed in
the least but remained intact and without
bemish The specimen is now in the hands
OF MI. Emerson, scientist, for preservation.