The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-28
KLONDKE FOR THE SPORTSMAN.
Ducks and Geese Said to swarm by
the Million in Alaska.

AOAA NliN 81 AAOuAS IAtDQUllCs
According to DR.. W. V. Kiugsbury.
Alaska is a veritable IIlondike for the
sportsman. Ducks and geese swarm
there by the millions. The rivers and
lakes are black with them in the spring
and fall Dr. Kingsbury spent several
years In Alaska with the United States
surveying commission which fixed the
boundary of the territory. During that
time he experienced some remarkable en-
counters with ducks and geese
Yes, sir; Alaska is the greatest coun-
try for ducks and geese in the world"
said DR.. Kingshury. Every person who
goes to Alaska should be provided with
good ten-bore shotgun. Enough ducks can
be Killed in the spring to last until the
fall. In the fan another supply can be
laid in to tide over the winter months.
why. | have seen ducks so thick over
head that the sun would be obscured for
thirty minutes. During the second year
we were in Alaska the ducks made so
much noise along the Yukon that we could
not sleep. We could not brighten them
away from near our camp on The bank of
the river, and concluded to lay in a big
supply of duck meat for the coming win
ter. Besides, our meat supply had grown
very scare. and we We're in actual need of
flesh food
There were ten of us, with good shot
guns and plenty of ammunition. Well the
way we slaughtered the ducks and geese
was a caution. We had duck for break
fast goose for dinner and duck for sup
per. The next day we ate goose for break
fast duck for dinner and goose for sup
per Talk about eating thirty quals in
thirty days! That feat isn't IN 1t with
the feat of eating duck and goose, three
times n naW for sly he 81 xub
comes to eating, don't say duck to me.
have had enough duck and goose to last
me a lifetime. I have eaten all varieties
and species of the bird. Duck hash, duck
soup, duck sailed, duck i'm every conceiv-
able way. duck at all ages, duck till you
couldn't rest was our lot that winter. And
the most disagreeablo part of ii was that
the birds were all iishy"
"How many did you kip" asked the re-
porter.
DR., Kingsbury turned to a diary which
he kept during the trip. Presently he lock-
ed up, and in the most matter-of- fact man
ner said:
Two thousand FIVE hundred and forty
nine ducks; four hundred and eighty-sey-
en- geese.
"Wait; don't rush off like that" said Dr.
Kingsbury. TITS true. Every word of it
is Gospel truth. There Is l.. Edwards,
I say about the numbers and the facility
with which they are killed" Mr.. Ed
wards confirmed the story as far as the
great quantities of games Is concerned,
but, not having been on the expedition,
was unable to testify further.
why, that Is nothing" continued
Kingsbury; I'VE had only hunted a short
while. If we had gone into 1t In dead
earnest we could have bagged as many
more. But what was the use of wasting
ammunition? We killed too many as d
was, and got very sick of the sailed meat
before we were through with H.
Take the Indians, for instance. They
lay in big supply of duck and goose
meat every fall. They generally prefer
the geese, because they are larger and
can be preserved better. They hunt geese
with clubs and manage to kiln hundreds in
one night. This is the way they go about
1t: The geese generally land on sandbars
at night. Two Indians will watch a GER
tain sand bar until 1t is pretty well COW
cred with game. Then they pull out from
the bank in their canoes. One lands at
the head of the island and the other at
the foot. When each has time to effect a
landing and tie his boat. the man at the
head of the island gives a signal and
both start in beating the geese with their
clubs. The geese are usually sleepy
weary, and when they are disturbed sud
denly lose their heads. Before they can
clear the island hundreds have fallen vic
tins to the clubs At dawn the island ap-
pears to be full of dead geese. On one
occasion over 500 geese were bagged by
two Indians on an island In one night
There is little use for a rifle in Alaska,
but "a good gun will come in very handy"