The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-03
ALcoHoLIztp GEESE,
q NostA Dakets Farmsf's Strategy
Brings Him AbAnAant Returns.


q NostA Dalketa Farmers Strategy
Brinss Hin AblnAa.t Returns.
: A farmer ON the Fort Rice reserve
ton, about ten miles below Bismarck,
N. D., on the Missouri River. has q
liberal supply Of wild geese, both dead
and alive. as the result Of an experi-
ment upon which be 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 focks Of geese, and they make
short pilgrimages from the bars to the
helds 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 90 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 focks 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
the geese for several days the farmer
resolved to accomplish by strategy
what he could not accomplish by
stealth, and every morning before the
arrival Of the birds he distributed
about a peck of corn about the bar.
Upon the return Of the geese this would
be speedily devoured, and the process
was repeated every morning for several
days, greatly to the satisfaction Of the
geese.
Last Saturday night the farmer came
to the city and secured a 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 hight, SO that it was
thoroughly soaked, and in the morning
at the usual time he spread # over the
bar and concealed himself In the brush
along the shore Of the river and await
cd the coming of tie geese.
They came as usual, and also az
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 ovepowered and lay helpless
In the sand in a sort of drunken stupor. |
others attempted to fly and were I'm.
able to do so, their wings refusing to
perform their usual functions, and the
only result Of their efforts being an
aimless Hopping about the bar. Others
'taggered off like tipsy men and finally
'uccumbed to the influence of the
liquor and lay down in the sun in a
drunken sleep. A few were able to
1y and scared off for few moments,
'ut the alcohol was too much for them
md they were forced to circle back to
he bar and settle again on the sand.
After waiting for the liquor to have
Effect the farmer emerged from his
hiding place and approached the
drunken birds. They seemed to have
ost their usual fear and many of them
we're inspired with remarkable pug
lacity, flying at him and endeavoring
o beat him with their wings. 1t was
! iaueh~hio sight ODD -~.v ~f .l.v
geese realized their danger, but were
inspired with all the drunken courage
If men in the same situation. The
armer knocked over number of them
with club and captured as many as
we're totally stupefled with the liquor,
live, for decoys.