Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-09-02
REED AND Rail BIRDS.

They May TO shot To-day without Incur-
ring Fines-oood Cunning Ground.
With the dawninR OF yesterday the air
resounded with vibrations CAUSED by
gunners who were in search OF tho rail
and reed birds. Along the shores oil
the Delaware River and in the marshes
were to he seen gunners and guns I'M
Vulnerable and OF all shapes, sizes and
descriptions from the old time flint
lock to the latest pattern OF hammerless
guns. The small boy was also out with
his No. % or 80 Flobert rifle aud car.
ries with him small brass shells loaded
with powder and shot and often times
secured good number Of the tooth
some birds. The best cunning grounds
are on the Jersey shore, not that the
feeding grounds in that locality are any
better than they are on the Delaware
shores, hut the birds are not so wild,
because thu gunDers UT would be gun
ners of the State Of New Jersey hold
up the law in better sbape than the
gunners do In this State. Reedy Island
is a choice spot for the game with its
network Of small rivulets and creeks.
Owing to the continuous rains the
reeds do not appear to be as heavy this
season as in former years and the seed
has not had the chance to ripon as 1t
should, but in day or two the reeds
will be in the mink OF condition. The
birds will remain wild until after the
seed has fully ripensd, when the little
feathered gluttons will settle down to
feed which will require all their atten-
ton and allow the gunner to got
within fair range of them, and after
| hi h,, 10 frat, thu
discharge OF tho gun those which have
not been killed or badly wounded will
fly but short distance away and be-
gin to gorge themselves again.
IL the seed in the resds in unripe
they will not settle 10 quickly after
they are shot at but will sometimes fly
distance of several hundred yards be.
fore alighting again. The birds that
were shot yesterday are what might be
termed cuttings about 10 days hence as
they nave been feeding en- the milky
reeds and these do not contain the
nutrimsnt necessary to produce fat.
| To have an outfit suitable for the
killing of those birds, experience has
nroven that a No II gun loaded with
81 drains Of good powder to one ounce
| 90 No. | | shot is about the proper thing.
practical gunner uses No. II or M. II.
The reason Of this il that the finer shot
| does not tear the bird. Tho proper
way to find out bow the gun shoots lie
to take piece Of paper about 10 inches
10 diameter aud stepping off 40, 80 or
co PAGES try the gun aud then note how
/ the shot has markell the paper, the
spaces which will be open will show
| how the chances are for bird or birds
| in a bunch 10 escape. This is one
necessary thing for gunner to know,
| how bis gun shoots.
To make the shot shoot closer the
gunner may place an extra thin wad
over the snot, or place again an extra
wad over the powder, nut II the gun is
all right aud the gunner knows how 10
! handle it then there ia no necessity OF
| more than one wad on the powder and
oUe on the shot
There are q number ~ rood and rail
bird farms throughout this State this
year Many sportsmen have rented
small patches OF ground anu had the
farmer or tlller OF the soil SOW millet
and Hungarian grass In among tine
patches are placed brancss Of trees bare
Of leaves, and when the bird leaves the
fesding grounds and nlight upon the
branches they ara moved oft and az
they arise to ty again another shot
daughters many that are left This
was one of the games practiced in New
Jersey for several years until the game
laws compelled the gunuers TO sell
their birds in the State and stopped all
shipments out of the State. The law
in this State is similar and thus the
farmer rents his grounds to sportemen,
at stated sum pnr man per day
The time for shooting the birds or
the marshes and river fronts arc bost
about highwater, when with skill und
good man ~ push il through tht
reeds thu sportsman may have his de
sire graiitied ny bagging number oil
birds. Although this method is rather
expensive, yet it 10 preferable to wad
ing through water waist high. iel
there are man who much rather prefel
the latter method.
Here ia one way of preparing reef
birds for the table: Take any number
|, of good fat birds and after picking
them carefully, cut off their legs; tax,
/ the skin from the head and PICK out
the eyes Thsn cut them open and re,
move the entrails and after washing
wipe dry and place in a pan which hal
been heated and in which butter il
, sizzling. Cover each bird with thin
slice Of pork and roast them IN heated
, oven for 10 minutes, Have prepared
, six slices OF toasted bread for one doznt
of birds. Place the birds on tho toas
! and garnish each bird with sprig o
celery and servv.