The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-10-22
ON THE PASSES.
Duck Hunters Out in Force These
Late October Days.
All Kinds of Luck Reported the Past
Week by Local Sportsmen.


commenced this fall there has been
unusually good shooting all over the
Northwest, and the vicinity OF Man
kato has been no exception. The
high water has filled many sloughs
and dried up bays Of lakes that nave
not had enough moisture to float
leaf for several years. The ducks have
bred well in these and now every
place where celery or wild rice grows
has its flocks of wild ducks feeding.
At this particular timeof the month
the shooting is not as good as it has
been or as it will be. The ducks that
have bred here have taken fright at
the first one or two cold spells and
have gone further south. These are
mostly small ducks, such as teal,
Wegion. wood duck, etc. The next
cold wave will furnish transportation
for the big ducks that breed in the
swampS of the far north, way lin the
Canadian Northwest, where the
honkers pass half the year. Canvass
back, mallard and spoOn-bill will then
be down in large numbers. There are
those who predict that they have de-
layed their coming so long that their
stay will be brief, and that the flight
will last but three or four days. How
ever true this may be, plenty Of
hunters are hieing themselves to IA
vorite duck grounds to be prepared
for the fight.
Swan lake is one of the most noted
duck shooting lakes in this vicinity,
and parties from several Southern
Minnesota cities are camped there
now in tents, waiting for the expected
light. Several thousand ducks are
feeding there now, having sitted
through from the north, but the
shooting is not good, A. A. Brooks
and John Lulsdorf two Of the most
successful of the local sportsmen, only
bagged four between them as a result
Of days shooting this week. On the
other hand, G. A. Lewis and A. u.
Matter, VINO are not now often seen
at the lake, brought in an even dozen
the same day, shooting on another
part Of the lake. A good deal depends
upon location at Swan lake, and
equally as much depends upon the ma
ture of the weather.
c.. L. Benedict, who divides his
time between tOrts and ducks, is now
Camped on Curriers' point and an
nounced his determination on leaving
last Saturday Of remaining until the
northern flight comes down. He is an
understandable hunter, and his large
tent, heated by stove, will hold
several Mankato parties before he
breaks up.
Prof. Z. 0. Cox and G. P. Cooper
camped out at the lake for two or
three days recently, but had no bet
ter success than the rest OF the
hunters. The former expects to go
out again soon. Mr.. Cooper brought
down three ducks with one shot.
Chief Yates and Geo. M. Phillips
have been camping on Swan Lake.
A. D. Beach brought back
eighteen ducks as the reward of a
days limiting at Middle lake. When
ne does not get ducks it is because
there are none. He reports Middle
lake as full of hunters and shooters.
These are two distinct classes, and
where the latter plant themselves
the former have very poor sport. Mr..
Beach tells of two Of these chaps who
fired nearly two hundred cartri dyes at
anything that came within sight and
did not get as much as one duck.
When he demonstrated with them,
they said they had come there to
shoot. He replied that it was very
evident that they had come there to
shoot instead Of hunt.
This practice Of some parties OF
shooting at duck, no matter how far
It may be, is what lessons the success
Of the real hunters. The ducks are
made so wild that they will climb up
over every cover that they pass.
But. talking about duck hunting, a
party of five came in from the western
part Of Minnesota yesterday after
noon, who had the game to show. The
party consisted of w. r. B. Smyth, G.
e. Wise and Joseph Reurup, of this
city, A. A. Smell, of Owatonna, and
VIM. Gile, of Lake Benton. Where
they went, no one knows but them
selves, and they won't tell, for they
say that they are going back there
some time and want few ducks
left. They got 327 ducks in four days
shooting last week, and brought back
With them as the second consignment
Isl. OF these latter, over so were
canvass backs, and the remainder
we're red heads, save possibly dozen
mallards and smaller ducks. They
were a fine sight as they lay in long
rows in Mr.. Smyth's storage room.
These ducks will fatten some of the
nabobs of the twin cities.