The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
GOOSE HUNTERS LOOK OUT,
SIGNS THAT THEIR FAToRITE spoRr
rs AMOUR TO BEGIN,

-
Large Flocks OF wild Geese Seen On Lnnr
Island and the jersey C~oRst-Acute Heor.
ing of the Geeao-Hyde County'k WAY nj,
HuntinG-Cold Sport in Queer boat.
Reports from many directions poiu; T.,
harder weather 10 the geese afford Trustworthy
evidence said one OF the the. wool
wild-fowlers OF this city last week. Fisher.
men from Barnegat report geese and dncks
worry wild. but Enthusiastically making At night.
fall for SedRe Islands and tho Oyster and Mind
channels. and although the season is still earlv
wild-fowlers should overhaul their kits and
keep their eyes open"
Most OF the regulars ut the sport either be.
long to clubs or are notified by the owners O,
resorts OF hunters Just as soon as the birI,
show up In numbers; but there has been n sus.
plcion OF late years that the professionals. who
are regular, all-the-yenr-round customers n,
the w~ild-fowling resorts. have formed a trust
and have induced the proprietors OF these place,
to keep back the news OF the coming Of thu
birds at least a week. so as to give the profcs.
SIGNALS a chance before the city visitors arriye.
Be this rs IL may. there has never been a sea.
son when the seasoned goose hunter was 30
anxious to get trustworthy news. The Goose
hunter differs from the average wild fowler,
While the latter will shoot ducks or whatever
comes his way. the goose hunter cares very
little about any other fowl, and has been
known to let ducks 60 past without a
shot. rather than bag some and run the risk Of
soaring Off geese which may be moving. Iii s
well known that certain noises or sounds to
which man Is practically deaf are perceived
easily by feathered creation. Thus the sunset
gun at Governors Island may not be heard hy
men at certain places; but at the time of the
discharge birds drowsily sitting on tree limbs
or buildings at the same places are seen to
start. perk up and twist themselves around,
disturbed by something unperceived by tho
observer. This is especially the case with
geese. The late DR.. Rowe once said that
he knew OF a case whore bean geese flying
over toward a blind at a height and distance
OF fully 200 yards were scared of by the faint,
stertorous breathing OF a man struggling TO
suppress n sneeZe.
Five focks were reported as passing over
Orient and Montauk last week. the familiar
w" lines numbering 1872 birds. like winged
dots against the sky. These birds came from
the north, following the seaboard closely until
they reached the great shoulder New England
thrusts out into the Atlantic. Then the great
focks struck straight across the Nutmeg State.
flying at from 100 to $50 miles an hour and
crossing the State in from twenty-five to forty
minutes. 1t is a remarkable fact that these
focks stop every year at the same pools for
water and food. and SO well de fined is their road
that they almost cross n fence between tho same
two posts. Flocks of more than 200 geese in n SIN
gle company have been reported in good years
in the noiGh borhood of North Sterling. Conn.
s Smf year ana = i siaysd h9 fSsr reI %btiI t Hor wi m II r"s
struck south. never having gone further north.
Most Of the, goose shooting done along the
Burdick OF Rhode Island i,I q '3f held held the he'i palm ha'i for
shooting geese throqGh the head at any dis.
use n heavy ten-bore, gun. and fire at. long
range into the ,fiocks, desiring not to kill hut to
mestic strain in the tarmyard; In most of the
h& " these cross-brcd birds are 10 lH,
Fi es on tbeir BY 6a eRe o G%ri the fTTiatE11cH5iIoaSSSr mfoSW&
above the beak. These wild bi'iN have to he
S @ihE. or S 9n tes t T6sm8 8yoke eT f piei flTst G !9Ist s TT SmS
and the cal! of wild hosts flying northwarI il
the spring is heard. the bird will answer back,
and. rising. pass away forever.
In many parts OF the South wild geese breed
ing is, carried on fol, the benefit OF, sportsmen:
Hyde county. n. C.. where years ago some ono
wounded a goose, bred from IL and spread its
the inmates know. like dogs, that they are GO
be the first to be taken out and placed in the
coop or bag in which they are carried to the
cut and staked out In four or Ave inches OF Wa
ter. and a goose is %tethered 70 each stake and al
I low sb to stand stand on the o sod; Thu PLACED o the goose
tires to his blind to watch, not the SKY line. but
f foilo f%th snit, q s @ufje SSu snnnd ys 9 'ms st,Tps r. a on Q t and
then away off will be seen a streak Of moving
gray dots which quickly develop into a flock.
rear. Tho birds drop well out Of shot. to see il
the quaIity Of the geese on the s9sds PERMITS
Needless OF social forms. gayly start forward
to gossip with the decoys. but the parents head
iatlons and much emphasis Of tone. gabbling
wise saws and modern Instance nnumerahle.
world, began. until gradually the gander him.
self Yields TO the, clamorous gable of the
ing ground, He slowly drifts down, with
much imn0rtanee; his females behind. the
that patch OF reeds. and even a mans eye at an
ppeninR no bigger than a dollar, a bright coat
mono. or the lock of u gun, even the awkward
flop OF a tethered goose from of its sod. is SUI
and good day. good day to them. On one occa.
sion a gaggle of geese settled one carly morn
good stalking cover. and the hunter went Tor
them, dragging himself on his chest a matter
Il T5S gov Va y2FdI aW TO get bs %i nasra rdsn Esi w When as sDnt
tutt OF grass and saw the gray patch. with the
sentinel on guard as usual; and; thank The
the .feathered world. Suddenly the sentinel
Strengthened up. and with many a devious wad-
until within thirty good yards Of the hunter;
then after a long look. he turned around and
course. for his piInmaeo showed his age. and
another thirty Yards gained by the hunter
WI tiidh oIt stray ROOSb WU6n IIHY
rose; But. alas for human calculations. the
sentinel walked straight. into the gagGle. and
with one hoarse. "honk!" up they got AS one
bird and away they went with never a barrel
emptied after them to wish them good speed.
A curious feature Of these live decoy goose
Is that they must not be shot over. The hunter
is warned that. no matter what happens. lie
must wait until the strangers paddle toone
that. he must let his chance go by. for If once he
fires directly, over the tethered birds they get
nervous. and at the approach OF stranger
tiocks remember what happened, and. showing
fear. disturb, and unsettle the strangers.
Firing to the side they do not appear 10 mind.
and the older birds who have been ont one or
two seasons. when they see the gun go up.
- down charge" like a veteran setter or point
er. on their pieces Of sod. chattcring like par;
rots after the wild birds are dropped. Tanned
geese have been used on Long Island and
other places. but not so generally. as in Hyde
On the Great South Bay the geese are shot
from quaint boats which are so designed TINT
they will float on water or may be pushed along
on ice by the occupant. having steel runners
underneath. When the geese are around. the
hunter in q white oversuit pushes of from
the shore and paddles over TO the foe. his i'm
petus carrying him on to IL. Then with tho