The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-03-23
HUNTING WILD GEESE.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THE
BIRDS IN CALF

Oftue san Joaquin t0iIey-dfeut sport
for the Hunters-The Birds Are VERY
Wary and Cannot Be Fooled Like Ducks
A Los Angeles (Cal.) correspon-
dent of the Philadelphia Times says:
Hunting wild geese on the plains and
along che Missouri and Mississippi
River bottom lands is great sport, but
there are scores 'of hunters in South
ern California, and especially in the
San Joaquin Valley, who say that no.
where else in the United States ara
there better opportunities to hunt geese
and ducks than in this region. In tho
months of October and November there
are scores of armies ,of wild geese,
numbering two thousand and three
thousand each, that pass over this sec
tion in their migration from British
America to the Mexican and Central
American lagoons. On some days
there are to be seen in the little coves
and marshy bays that indent the coast
of Southern California thousands OF
wild geese squawking, diving and
''honk -honking" ON the surface of the
water. They feed upon the wheat and
barley left on the ground by the care
less thrashers In the great grain fields
lof this region. Hundreds of men and
boys who can shoot turn out annually
at this season to have day or two of
sport in shooting wild geese. There
have been days when a. many rs
thousand wild geese have been
"tumbled over" in q single locality,
and it is estimated that there have
been many days when several thou
sands of the birds have been slain by
hunters here and there in Southern
California. Still there is no diminu-
tion in the number of geese. And each
year the focks are just as frequent
and as large.
At about tho middle of October each
year the professional goose hunter of
lCalifornia fixes q station among the
rank grasses and tules about the'shores
of the marshy bays, and especially the
muddy alkali lakes, in preparation for
the coming of the migrating birds from
the North. AS surely as November
rolls around the birds begin to come,
and the hunter begins his cam
paign Of shooting. There is no
game quite SO wary rs the
Pacific Coast geese, and it requires
rare patience, much exposure and unu.
sual knowledge of the habits of the
birds to be able to get them in great
quantities to supply the markets.
When the hunter considers that he is
much bigger than the goose, and that
the range of vision of this tireless navi-
gator of the air is greatly enhanced
from his exalted position among the
clouds, and that the game he seeks is
always on the alert for danger, he will
then appreciate the necessity of lying
very low when he seeks to get within
gunshot of wild geese. They cannot
be fooled like ducks. They are en-
tirely devoid of curiosity, and take
many things for granted without stop
ping to investigate, especially il the
things look like men. When migra-
ting the goose seldom alights in the
water in the daytime, although it keeps
close to it, and generally follows
watercourse during most of its flight. |
When it settles for a nights rest it |
generally seeks open water, but is up
at dawn and away. The best locality |
in Southern California to bag seventy
five to q hundred wild geese day by
a man who makes business of hunt
ing is about the alkali lake and the
immense reservoirs of mud in Kern
County, where over ten thousand acres
OF wheat fields lie adjacent. When
the day is misty and the clouds come
low down toward the earth is consid-
cred by experienced hunters to be the
best time to get shots that tell, for the
geese will'not attempt to make long
flights unless the lookout can see the
surroundings perfectly. and thus they
are compslled to fly low or stop until
the clouds rise or roll by. When fol.
lowing the river in stormy weather
they will often alight upon gravel and
saudbars, where no willows or vegeta-
tion Of any kind grow. Sometimes
they drop down in the centre of big
grain field and put in their waiting
moments in filling up.