Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-05
Quail Promise to Be Plentiful in Near.
by Maryland.
SHOOTING OUT IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Movement to Secure a New
Marsh Bird Law.
p / S Z A RIAL POINTS

In nearby Maryland. whom they know well
enough to visit, will be unusually fortunate
this fall, because reports from Montgomery
frince Georges, Charles and Anne Arundel
counties. as well as some parts of Fret,er-
lex county, are to the gratifying effect that
coNeys OF quail are more numerous than
Tor many seasons past The birds are al
ready approaching full growth. The ma
)orlty OF these birds much smaller,
when matured, than the Virginia quail, or
as it is commonly called in this section,
partridge. and are more rapid in their
flight. The writer has recently seen sew
eral coveys of birds with these Characters
tics in Montgomery county, and like other
sportsmen accustomed to shooting in the
covers between the Metropolitan branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the
Potomac river, he is certain that the birds
are the result OF the breeding of the couples
imported from Kansas
AS Is wen known. very large number of
western quail We're brought to Maryland in
the past two or three years for the uur-
pose OF repienfshing the decimated covers,
and new the indications are that the ex-
pertinent Is proving successful. The Kan
sas quail is a stocky, plump bird, about
two-thirds as large, when full grown as
The matured quail native to this vicinity,
and its flight, when flushed, is slightly
more rapid and higher above the surface
me native quail will charge along say six
or seven feet above the ragweed when
started in the stubble. The Kansas bird
VIII fy twice as high as that.
Good Season for the Birds.
The season during the entire year has
been excellent for the birds. Last winter
was mild and the birds had more protection
than ever before. The great storm of Sep
TENDER -, 1s96. threw down coln.less trees
rh No
along the edges of wood tracts was parti-
cularly great.
These fallen trees afforded excellent COW
er for birds from dogs, during the shooting
season, and from hawks during the rest of
Inc year There has been an abundance
OF food all the year. and altogether the
conditions have been propitious for quail
The reports from North Carolina, especial
ly from the counties IN the eastern part of
Tie state, are also excellent quail being
more numerous than for many years past
From Rocky Mount down along .he Ar
lantlc Coast Line and its branches agents
OF the company have been Instructed to
make impartial inquiries regarding game
prospects, and the results have been highly
favorable throughout, the Scotland Neck
territory being particularly fartunate in
this respect.
Good Dogs Are Scarce.
One thing that will prevent many sports
1850 Niiy's ms ptiitCt sport lnlS year
will be the scarcity of good, reliable dogs.
The diminution of the quail population in
this vicinity for the past five or six years
has had q deterrent action i'm the raj sioy
and training of bird dogs. and now the man
who possesses a good pointer or setter is
enVied as the owner of a prize Som, of
the Sportsmen who were formerly ardent
guam hunters and who always owned re-
lapie dogs are now without animals. and
hs.ra
The quail season in Maryland opens No
Eenber ]! and about all the good hunting
lana in Montgomery, Prince Georges AnnS
Arundel, Frederick and Charles is closely
posted SO 1t VIII be well for prospective
hunters to make acquaintance in those
sections II they do not enjoy them at pres
ent.
Shooting i'm South Dakota
Mr.. James NJ. Green has returned from
a shooting trip to Columbia, S. D.. taken in
company with Mr.. Seymour Cunningham of
Meriden, Conn. They went after prairie
chickens, and had steady and plentiful
sIcrt.
Il never before was satiated with shoot
irg, said Mr.. Green YESTERDAY Il never
imagined that such bird life existed any,
where as We found in South Dakota Ey-
cry conceivable flying thing was abundant
Know you will find it hard to believe me
when l tell you we saw f1ocks of 800 and
The people out there won't take the time
to pick them up if they are killed You
can shoot more Sora-our ortolan-out there
than you can on the Patuxent. and every
species of wild duck, from the blue wing
to the canvas back, there in multi
tudes. The canvas back is not good GU:
there, however, as the flesh is stringy from
gain food.
Prairie chickens were as plentiful as the
other varieties. We hunted of course in
a wagon and could our dogs ranging
half mile away. the prairie is level as
a billiard table and devoid of bushes
When a dog would stand we would drive
to him, get out and shoot. We only killed
enough each day for our own use as the
weather was warm and We couldn't ship
birds home. There is very novel custom
among huntsmen at Columbia. They will
go out and kill 4 large number of chickens
ard ducks. and after taking what they
want themselves will pile the remainder
Of the game I'D in front CT stores and put
a card with take one on it above the
birds. Town people will come along and
make their selections, Tut no greed is ever
shown.
81 was amazed at the number of hawks
we saw said Mr.. Green, in conclusion
''They were black and very large and
seemed absolutely Indifferent to our pres
tnce."
NIr will f,n