The Saint Paul globe., 1898-05-16
HE DoPED WILD GEESE.
North Dakota Farmer Used Alcohol
With Abundant Returns.

From the Des MOines Leader.
A farmer on the Fort Rice reserva-
ton, about ten miles below Bismarck
N. D., on the Missouri river, has
liberal supply Of wild geese, both dead
and alive, as a result Of an experiment
upon which he has been ponder1ng Tor
some time, and which worked to his en-
tire satisfaction and greatly to the d.s-
advantage of the geese. The season Tor
the flight of the great Canada geese
from the South to their summer haunts
in the North has begun, and thousands
of the honkers stop al different places
along the river en- route. The sand
bars in the morning are black with
the great f1ocks Of geese, and they
make short pilgrimages from the bars
to the fields of the farmers adjacent
to the river for feed. They remain
several days in the locality, and fur
nish abundant amusement for sports
men.
At the farm of the man In question
there is huge sand bar projecting into
the river, but so far from shore that
no hunter can steal upon the geese
which congregate there near enough
to get a shot. Aware of their immun-
ity, large f1ocks Of the birds settle there
every morning and sun themselves for
several hours, and then migrate to the
interior for food.
the geese for several days. the farmer
resolved to accomplish by strategy
what he could not accomplish by
stealth, and every morning before the
arrival of the birds he distributed about
a peck of corn about the bar. Upon
the return of the geese this would be
speedily devoured, and the process was
repeated every morning for several
days, greatly to the satisfaction Of the
geese.
Last Saturday night the farmer came
to the city, and secured a quart of the
best alcohol, which he said would be
sufficient to saturate peck Of corn
quite thoroughly. He placed the corn
in the alcohol over night, so that it
was thoroughly soaked and in the
morning at the usual time he spread it
over the bar and concealed himself in
the brush along the shore of the river
and awaited the coming of the geese.
They came as usual, and also as usual
ate up the corn. Soon after there was
great disturbance manifest among
the feathered denizens of the bar. The
alcohol had swift effect, and soon
the bar was covered with sprawling
waddling, maudlin geese in all stages
of intoXication. Those that had eaten
more freely Of the doctored corn were
speedily affected, and in various ways.
Some Of them were Immediately over
powered ana lay helpless IN tne SanQ
in sort of drunken stupor. Others
attempted to fly, and were unable to
do so their wings refusing to perform
their usual functions, and the olSy
result of their efforts being an aimless
Topping about the bar Others stag
gered off like tipsy men, and finally
succumbed to the influence of the
liquor, and lay down in the sun in a
drunken sleep. A few were able to
fly, and scared off for few moments,
but the alcohol was too much for them,
and they were forced to circle back
to the bar and settle again on the
sand.
After waiting for the liquor to have
effect, the farmer emerged from his
hiding place and approached the drunk
en- birds. They seemed to have lost
their usual fear, and many of them
were inspired with remarkable pug
nacity, flying at him and endeavoring
to beat him with their wings. 1t was
a laughable sight, and none of the
geese realized their danger but were
inspired with all the drunken courage
of men in the same situation. The
farmer knocked over number Of them
with club, and captured as many as
were totally stupefled with the liquor,
alive, as decoys.