The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
WILDFOwLING PROSPECTS.
PROMISE or coon sPoRT ABOUT NEW
YORK THIS SEASON.

Birds enufu Even About New York Bay
mt This Time-Good Shooting Looked For
When Cold Weather Sets In-Hint for
sportsmen-ChRnEee In Gun Fashions
Reports received from all nearby wildfowl-
ing resorts point TO an exceedingly good sea-
son for sportsmen around New York. This 10
the more to he desired as last season was the
poorest in many years and there were not
more than half q dozen days ut long intervals
on which even moderate bags we're made. For
the last three weeks the crews Of the oyster
sloops In the lower bay and Its hnrbors. such
az the Great Kills. have been calling and rop-
ping at tho snipe and also the ducks. which
have been startled from the wide salt marshes
between there and New Dorp. During the last
week In September eight ducks were seen on
Crooks Point we'll within shot and shore birds
have been seen by thousands. II this Is tho
case In a neighborhood where little shooting
OF any account is ever done. what must the
| flocks be further away from the city2
There are a dozen or moro well-known
towlers in the city who receive weekly reports
concerning the prospects from Barnegat.
Great South Bay, up the Sound points and else
whore and are ready to start at n few hours
notice for wherever the Indications Hre best.
They all say that never before were the pros"
poets SO good. The late spring. the very hot
weather of the summer and the warm weather
of the last few weeks have all tended to keep
the fowls reart d.nearby In good trim and well
satisfied. and the expectations are that when
the cold snaps force the more northern fowls
toward the south and bring them into the
waters hereabouts for the beginning OF the
season. there will be splendid sport. One OF
the best places for good news this season is
Good Ground. l.. l.. where Capt. Lane used to
hold out In wears gone by. Many a city fowler
laughs at the mention Of his name. recalling
the old sloop with its creaky mast. sails patched
until it WIS difficult to distinguish the original
material and seams which leaked like n sieve
every time she was set on a wind. not to men,
ton the old gun tied up with Irvine and wire to
keep stock and barrel together. Yet that was
, the old boat which brought back the big
strings of game in those days. and that was the
old gun which wiped many II good shots eye"
by dropping the snipe or duck after half a
score Of city fellows had wasted their shot
around 1t. Many more were they who dropped
their heads at each discharge, expecting il to
burst, which il never did. At Good Ground
was the contest haunt on the lower island in
those days: but things have changed. The
luck OF the station passed when the old mans
flock Of tame wild geese Matched ON the creek
in front OF his house took wing in the blizzard
year and flew away. wild as hawks. leaving
him without n goose decoy. Strange TO say.
NiC kC'HV lilV NCuSGu W NOnlS " lHtIl uIu
haunts. They missed the upper bays and
creeks and strucB directly for the Great South
Bay, lower down. There are still numbers OF
snipe. mainly small ones. palaropes. yellow
legs and waders. but the ducks are few and far
between until the cold. hard weather strikes in.
There has been mighty good sport around
Montauk in other years all along the neck of
land leading to Napcague Harbor from Fort
Pond Bay and on toward Amagansett. the Fire.
place and Hog Point, but the soldiers have
probably frightened the nesting birds. and the
sportsmen who sent q steam launch down to
Sag Harbor over night and then used to run
around to these places xill have to seek new
fields this year. All through the great Breslin
estate. back past Indian Parson Cnffee's grave,
there are still plenty of rabbits and foxes, with
woodcock and feathered gam In plenty. but
one needs a good dog and still more a native in
a very good humor and contented frame of
mind to get the best possible sport. Last year
two parties went through the woods with two
brothers for guides. One party paid their man
SO much a day and bagged twelve head all told.
The other paid the same rate By the day and
in add ltion five cents a head for all the game
bagged. and the total was seventy-fye
Along the Sound colder weather will he need
ed before much good sport can be had. the
birds being very wild as yet. and this applies
aIS fn to i The Great s1r south 1rb Bay IA Although some
the ground have explored creeks and streams
at the right hours and with the right wind.
would stand little chance. The old charges Of
81 II day for boat and 81 for man are still main
tanned but a tip is advisable if good sport is
over on the Connecticut side fowl shooting
began on Sent. ]. and although the same re-
port of wildness is sent in some fair bags have
! been made. especially in the neighhorhood OF
tho Connecticut and Essex rivers. where many
breeders are reported to have done well. Fully
two weeks ahead Of time the blue wings and
black ducks have apPeared. and when dis;
they have, gone up the rivers. and some few
early, mallards were seen last. week-a few
sharp frost. Most good shots prefer to begin
with the first flush OF the blue wings because
shhIipp.'N ReaDhine as they do a t mnresdaas
, speei when in full flight and rising very rap
10y across the gun as a rule. 1t Is necessary
five feet ahead of the bird. and. II it is going
away. at least six INCHES under 1t, or all he will
circle around like other ducks. but drop sharp
chance for aim after the bril- is first seen CONF
ing; The. birds once settled. there is very
WIFI VIII s RsS IN Rlm H@s2'i any at sh sae% %hiiRH Fl fs stri fseth t6s
ft6sy rise-poof!3they are gone like the. wind IN
delicious delicacy. when fresh from the celery
and wild oats Of the Connecticut River.
should be remembered that these birds are
very fond Of ground nuts. chestnuts and acorns
f 1"% nrs a" "u consi 5Rls b6Red dis Ss e from 70 ne M a9aed
For, the next two weeks 1t will pay the New
York fowler best To take n run over to Connec-
ticut and let the Long Island points watt, He
selects his weather, with enough sport to nay
him for his trip. The great bulk Of the ducks
will be black ducks. with a good sprinkling OF
blue wings. Advlces from BarneRat say that
there are many small birds round the islands.
but that they are as wild as hawks. Many
ducks have been heard calling at night, but,
strange to say, they appear to have been pass-
ing northward, possibly owing TO the warm
spell. At Anglesea twenty-six were seen well
needed before any sport with wildfowl can
be had.
Opinions arechanging as TO the best gun. The
much to do with this. To-day the man who
loads himself with n heavier weapon than an
eiRht-pound, ten-gauRe gun for wildfowling lis
smiled at. and many are taking a heavy twelve
in preference. and using in IL malleable brass
cartridges, which. II the gun Is properly cham