The San Francisco call., 1897-10-30
RAIL SLAUGHTER
NEAR BELMONT
Game Birds That Are
Rapidly Being Ex-
terminated.
Supervisors of Various Counties
Are Passing Ordinances to
Protect Game.
A Cold Snap in the North Will
Improve Duck Shooting Near
This City.

TIe heavy rain that visited great por-
tion OF the State recently brought with it
large numbers of wild duck and geese.
1t was noticed. however, that the home
birds which were fairly plentiful in the
vicinities of Suisun and Antioch left their
loating grounds for unknown parts. but
they are returning again and good shoot
ing should be enjoyed between now and
the next big storm.
OF course, when the heavy rains come,
then il will be farewell to the birds at
home, as the Southern California wet
lands Offer such tempting inducements
that the whistlers and qua2kers will leave
in tiocks for their winters retreat, where
the market hunter will enjoy full sway.
All that is now required to make duck
shooting pleasure is a cold snap up
north. Then the birds VIII take wing for
the marshes and swanps contiguous to
the big rivers where they Will rece i've
decidedly warm reception from the army
of hunters who are just waiting chance
to see feathers fly.
Quail-shooting has vastly i'm proved.
Some very nice bags were made last Sun
day by local spOrtsmen near Point Reyes.
The great pointer dog Glen beigh did great
credit 10 himself in locating, pointing and
retrieving birds that were grassed by How
ard Vernon and a fr.end last Sunday.
Judge Carroll and some companions en-
joyed a tirst-class duck shoot few days
ago near Los Banos, Fresno County.
The Supervisors of San Mateo County
Will be asked 10 pass a local law limiting
the mum ber of rail to each sportsmen to
twenty birds. The slaughter of rail since
the season opened on the Belmont
marshes mas been shameful.
Speaking on the necessity of protecting
game from slaughter by market hunters,
who shoot Just for destruction and the few
dollars made by bird slaughter, the Oro-
Vile Register says:
From all our northern counties each year
the tisb, ducks, geese and 'er are killed and
shipped 10 san Francisco. o. ct least this has
been the case for many years. If the Super
VlsorS In the various counties would protect
the game OF their county then local sports
men could nave some chance to now and then
get a bird. If we must have pot-hunters or
marke t-hunters in this and other counties
who kill the game for shipment 10 San Fran
cisco, make them pay handsome sum for the
privilege. II the game were protected, and
on ly those who hunte for sport permitted to
Kill such game, then each season there would
be many persons come into our coun ties and
remain several weeks, thus benefting farm
ers, hotel-Keepers and others. Now it is the
markethunter who gets the cream, aud the
local men only get the skim milk oil hunting.
been anx ously expecting a number of
Chinese pheasants from Oregon for stock
ing purposes. Last Tuesday Commissions
er Vogelsang received word from the State
Game Warden of Oregon that owing to
the stringent laws of the State it will be
impossible tor him TO ship any birds this
year.
A party of gentlemen has leased the
yacht Frolic from E. ID. Bartlett for the
dnck season, and are induging in many
pleasant anucipations of rare sport with
the canvas backs naiIards and the rest of
the duck family, which are 10 be found on
the marshes within a few hours ride of
the city. The gentlemen are George D.
Campbell OF the Corinthlan Yacht Club,
Dr. L. L. Hill, NJ. II. Herman, DR.. T. Corn
wall and G. Henderson. The yacht will
be fitted out with supply of provisions
and The hunters will sail her TO the Peta-
luna marshes next Saturday. The great
er number of the gentle men are profess
sional men and will do most of their
huniing on Saturdays and Sundays. re-
turning 10 the city in time to begin the
business OF the week. The sportsmen will
also hunt on the Novato and Suisun
marshes and expect 10 create great havoc
among the ducks.
The Petaluma Argus says that deer are
SO plentiful in some parts OF Mendocino
County as to be a nuisance. At Potter
Valley the deer come in the night and eat
out of vegetable gardens. A friend who
recently passed through that country tells
US that he saw two boys in camp who had
killed twenty-six deer and had ''jerked"
the meat to take home with them.
Owing to the large extent OF country in
Fresno and Tulare counties that has been
recently reclaimed and irrigated, the wild
ducks and geese which were so plentiful
some years ago in Colusa and Tehama
counties now camp" down south. The
Willows Review says: LAS an evidence
that wild geese are thinning out each year
We are told that twenty years ago Hugh