The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-06-17
ALCOHOLIZED GEESE.
A North Dakota Farmers strategy
Brings Him Abundant Returns.

Brings Him Abundant Returns.
A farmer on the Fort Rice reserva-
ton, about ten miles below Bismarck,
N. D., on the Missouri River, has a
liberal supply of wild geese, both dead
and alive, as the result of an expert
ment upon which he has been ponder
ing for some time, and which worked
to his entire satisfaction and greatly
| to the disadvantage of the geese. The
season for the flight of the great Can
ada geese has begun, and thousands Of
! the honkers stop at different places
along the river en- route. The sand
bars in the morning are black with the
great flocks 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 furnish album
dant amusement for sportsmen.
At the farm of the man in question
there is huge sand bar projecting in
| to the river, but so far from the shore
| that no hunter can steal upon the
| geese which congregate there near
enough to get shot. Aware of their
immunity, large fiocks of the birds set
tie there every morning and sun them
! selves for several hours, and then
migrate to the interior for food.
Having observed the movements of
/ resolved to accomplish by strategy
what he could not accomplish by
stealth, and every morning before the
arrival of the BIRDS he distributed
about peck of corn about the bar.
/ Upon the return of the geese this would
be speedily devoured, and the process
was repeated svery morning for several
days, greatly to the satisfaction of the
geese.
Last Saturday night the farmer came
to the city and secured quart of the
best alcohol which he said would be
sufficient to saturate a 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 await
ed 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 most freely Of the doctored
corn were speedily affected, and in var
ious ways. Some of them were imme-
diately overpowered and lay helpless
in the sand in sort of drunken stupor
Others attempted to fly and were I'm.
able to do so, their wings refusing te
perform their usual functions, and the
only result Of their efforts being ar
aimless Hopping about the bar. Other!
staggered off like tipsy men and finally
succumbed to the influence of tn,
liquor and lay down in the sun in {
drunken sleep. A few were able t.
fly and scared off for few moments
but the alcohol was too much for then
and they were forced to circle back tt
the bar and settle again on the sand
After waiting for the liquor to hav,
effect the farmer emerged from hi
hiding place and approached tn
drunken birds. They seemed to hav,
: lost their usual fear and many of then
were inspired with a remarkable pug
nacity, flying at him and endeavorin,
to beat him with their wings. 1t wa
a laughable sight and none of tn
geese realized their danger, but wer
inspired with all the drunken courag
Of men in the same situation. Tn
farmer knocked over number of then
with club and captured as many a
, were totally stupefied with the liquor
, alive, for decoys.