Evening star., 1897-03-19
Votaries Of the Double Barrel Enjoy
ing and Anticipating Sport.
A Big SPRING FLIGHT OF SNIPE
Interest in the Forthcoming Grand
American Handicap.
CONDITIONS OF THE CONTEST

The open winter and early spring have re-
suited, just as such seasons always do when
following one another. in an unusually nu-
merous flight Of jack snipe. and the marsh
es In the vicinity of Washington are now
thickly populated with this most elusive
and wary Of game birds. He has been
spending the winter in the Carolinas and
further south in Louisiana. Alabama and
Florida. and is now on his way northward
to spend the summer and raise a family
With such responsibilities upon him. he
taxes excellent care of himself and is ex-
ceedingly watchful of his surroundings
Consequently ii needs the best kind Of an
eye, or two of them: a gun that can be
absolutely depended on to make a good
pattern ct seventy yards, and a finger
quick as lightning on the trigger. to secure
the delightful right to have a confidential
interview with him.
Their Season Peculiarftfes
The jack snipe In the spring and the
jack snipe in the fall are two very differ
ent individuals, as far their rules for
self-protection are concerned. At the pres
ent time, for instance, it is almost impos-
sibie to approach Jackie on anything
Ike an open marsh or meadow within sixty
YARDS without his starting up with crazy
4
the jump or he'll be out of range In another
second. In the autumn he will lie in SIM
liar country until he Is gotten Within say
thirty yards of, when up he'll go IN his
eccentric fashion.
Nothing else with wings flies like a snipc
wren he first takes flight. Imagine a duh
gray ball with two-inch spike extending
1rom II shooting upward In a series of
paraboilc curves with indescribable veloc-
ity, ard then you have a faint idea of
what a jackie" looks like when he's
flushed.
Naturally a man must shoot quick.
straisht and true to bring such an object
aoWn-When II rises, as IL does in the
sprlrg, sixty or sixty-five yards away In
the TALL the closer rise above noted allows
sne gunner TO wait for the snipe to get
Strengthened out in his flight and he is
much easier to kill. He is as easy 10
knock down as an ortolan II he is struck
so the only shot proper to load snipe cart
ridges with is No. TO- with enough powder
behind 1t to drive 1t hard
Plentiful on the Patuxent-
There are great many snipe this year
or the marshes of the Eastern branch and
across tie river around Gravelly creek and
hoachs run, but there are too many guns
cut after them in these places to make their
pursuit a matter of enjoyment Ten or
dozen are killed every day up Eastern
branch. and DIR. Bowling has beer getting
brace or two in his trips across the river.
where he has hunted for thirty years but
Ior reai snipe shooting a sportsman must
seek the marshes of the Patuxent
There is one marsh on the Patuxent tha,
Is known to few old Shots which is a
perfect convention place for snipe when
Ihey are northward bound. 1t is an open
Hlarsh, without cover, and about ten acres
IN area AS soon as the nose of the gun
ner skif touches its banks dozen SHINE
VIII Jump up, and every step taken after
disembarkins will start couples and quar-
oil af
shot- The jack snipe Is not a flock bird
but On this marsh the birds will get to-
gether when started and circle arounI
In groups of ten twenty or more
now and then darting down To the
marsh as if to alight and then rising
again III the gunner is In range when
punch darts he can get a flock shot
ana che day last spring old reliable Will
liam Wagner had this good fortune and
shot into dar;ing bunch. getting seven
hne birds. Such luck is unusual. how
ever and the hunter must wait until the
shipe settle In the cover along the con-
ugrous shores of the Patuxent. markine
tnem down as they alight. and then care
iuily picking them up one by one. The
poatHen on the Patuxent who take out
sunhers know the marsh spoken of and
these who desire to take advantage of the
prevailing chances offered there for excel
lent sport would do well TO bear this in
nun d1rna, l. ~ Is perhaps useless to say that a
doS is OF no earthly use in snipe shootine
except Tor retrieving purposes
Warning About WOodcock.
Hunters going after snipe at this season
should bear in mind another very impor-
tant fact. They are liable to nut I'm o
woodcock at any moment 1t is the cruel
est kind of murder to kill one of these
glorious birds at this time of year The
woodcock Is now nesting and is helpless to
save Itself from gunner. When startled
now the bird will nerely rise few feet
IN the air. hover there, fiutterng its wings
ana emitting plaintive note and then fall
Imply to the ground. striking the earth
as If 1t were lifeless No matter how manv
times 1t may be flushed 1t will 20 through
lhe same performance. So. when snipe
shooting. sportsmen. confine yourselves to
snfpe. but sportsnen-real sportsmen-are
gentlemen and the advice to them ia nm
necessary. Several of the well known shots
nave oeen OUT a1ter snipe. but the next day
OF TWO Is expected to see an exodus OF
them to the Patuxent and other favored
haunts OF the birds within easy striking
distance of Washington.
The Grand American Handfcau.
Mr.. James M. Green, Mr.. William wag-
ner, Mr.. Arthur Mattingly, Mr.. John Sid
rey Webb and other gentlemen will prob
ably enjoy themselves in this way. and the
two first named. If they have time to go.
will get good practice for their work in the
approaching grand American handicap to
be shot off at the annual meeting OF the
Interstate Associa ton to be held March 23
"a and 25.
The leading event of the meeting will be
the handicap, which will be shot March "a
1t is the fifth arn nual recurrence of the
event The conditions are 25 live birds
to each man: $25 entrance. Handicaps will
range from 25 to 33 yards. 50 yards bound
ary, with dead line at the 33 yards mark
one thouss nd dollars will be divided So
10 and 20 per cent to the three highest
guns. All money in the purse exceeding
N.ooO will be divided among high guns
other than the three first. the number of
parts into which the surplus money will be
divided to be determined by the number of
entries received. II is expected there will
be 14O entries In this wonderful match In
1895 there were 81 entries and So shooters
The match was shot at Willaid Park, Pat
erson, N. j., and the total purse was 81, $40
OF the 5S shooters three scored q straight
]. A. r. Elliott. shooting from 80 yards;
Frank Class. b. and ]. G. Messner 25 On
the shoot of at 10 birds Messner won.
killing all; Elliott second. with 9. his lost
bird falling dead out Of bounds Glass
scored T. Last year the handicap was de-
cided at Elkwood Park, N. J.. where 1t will
be held again this year. There were lU9
entries. of which 104 faced the traps Not
a man went straight. Eight tied on "a,