The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-15

FINE GAME BIRDS
UNFIT
FOR TABLE USE
= y + ~ = = 4 y \ + +

The warm weather of the past week
has prevented many sportsmen from en-
joying the pleasures of the chase.
According to the local game-dealers
large quantities of wild duck and quail
which were shipped to the markets since
the commencement of the warm snap had
to be cast aside as unfit for table use
Quail are very scarce this year, and
command the high price of So per dozen
in the markets. Canvasback duck are 81
per dozen, and the little English snipe
command So 80 per dozen.
Market hunters report that the north
ern birds are arriving in goodly num-
bers, and, with the advent of the next
storm, duck-shooting should be at us
best.
Among several letters which have been
received during the week from local
hunters, one communication says that
during the opening days of the shooting
season birds were very scarce on the So
noma marshes, and particularly in the
vicinity of Tubbs Island which is
favorite feeding ground of canvasback-
The writer terminates his letter by stat
ing that owing to the continuous report
Of shotguns in the vicinity of the Ala
media Club preserve during the light or
the moon on the night prior to the open
ing day the ducks received such scare
that they gave the marshes VIDE perrin
on Saturday and Sunday, OCTOBER ana =
Members of the Black Jack Gun CUB
who shot on Sherman Island last SUNDAY
returned with forty-1ive birds, Whlcn m
Guided black jacks, canvasbacks, sprig,
WldgeOn and teal.
A few good bags of birds were made by
the spOrtsmen Of the Ibis Gun Club last
Sunday, but as a rule the sport was Tar
below the average. Shooting on the SUI
sun preserves should be very good from
now until the heavy rains VIII water inc
dry and parched ponds south of MERGED.
the attention OF the supervisors OF
that the rail, once so plentiful IN the
marshes on the east side of the bay, are
fast becoming extinct, and unless an or
dinance preventing their slaughter is
passed in the near future the rail Will be
a bird of the past, to be remembered
only by those who assisted in their ex-
tinction. The following letter on the SUBJ
ject from local sportsman IS seIt-eX-
planatory:
SAN FRANCISCO. October r. 1898,
Editor of The Call-Dear Sir: 1 desire to
bring before the sportsrnen who frequent the
marsh well the field the fact that rail,
Alameda and Marin County marshes. now
fast becoming extinct I would suggest that
in the near future a law should be made pro-
tecting these birds say for three years, and
shall be killed when a high tide prevails.
Such law every true sportsman should stand
by w. S. T.
The division superintendent of the mar
row gauge railroad running to San Jose
stated last Friday to Call representa-
tive that the first hunters train of the
season would positively leave the pier on
the east side of the bay on last Saturday
night at the usual hour TO connect with
the 40 p. m. boat from the Market
street ferry. 1t appears. however. that
the new schedule did not go into effect
until sixteen minutes subsequent to the
time mentioned for the departure of the
hunters train. and as a result many
sportsmen on finding that a train convey
ing sportsmen to the Alviso and Alva-
RADIO marshes would not leave, owing to a
delay in the making up of the schedule.
until this evening. The boat connecting
with the hunters train will therefore
leave foot of Market street tonight at
11:45 o'clock. The railroad managers did
til next month. but at the suggestion of
The Call they decided to give the sports
men who are compelled to work late q
chance to enjoy an early morning shoot
from favorite sloughs and blinds.
A Monterey sportsman writes the sport
ing editor that the Supervisors of his
county, some of whom are devotees of
quail shooting, did not hesitate to use
their best efforts for the protection of
the quail. and as a result only four days
of an open season, which commenced on
October 1 and ended on October ), were
allowed for hunters to enjoy a favorfte
pastime
Unless the Supervisors of Marin Coun-
ty ordain that the quail shooting season
will end this year after the sportsmen
will have a few months of shooting the
prospects for future sport will certainly
be very slim. as the birds did not pair
this spring, owing to the extremely dry
summer. and as a consequence very few
young birds are now found among the
flocks. 1t would be to the interest of the
sportsman that the season for shooting
would be limited TO a few months.