The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-01-08

WIZ
f..iNE, As against the use OF the
T.~S. gun, one gunner in a recent
article complained of the fact
that a number of the swivels are still used
in violation of the law, and that if the
abuse was allowed to continue the game
would all be killed off. Gunners this sea-
son have been unable to make even a
living, in many cases, owing to the scarcity
of game as compared to former seasons, and
which they attribute to the Strengthening
effect of the swivel guns.
''Should the swivel gun be allowed to
continue, it will eventually kill off the
game on the flats" continued the gunner,
"and the time will not be long distant
when the wild ducks will have become so
frightened that they will refuse to frequent
the waters of the Susquehanna, the most
famous ducking grounds in this part of the
country"
The big or swivel gun, which weighs
from one hundred to one hundred and lifty
pounds, is used contrary to the law yet it
is still employed, and no successful effort
appears to have been made to suppress it,
1t is arranged in skiff, in which one man
is stationed. The man lies upon his breast
and paddles the boat, and when enough
birds are at hand, he fires, and bushwhack
boat, containing two men, follow closely
after the skiT and picks up the dead or
injured birds. The gun is then removed
to the bushwhack boat and reloaded, and
replaced upon the skitf and then made
ready for another shot. The writer re-
marked that he knows at least Si75
worth of ducks have been killed in one day
by the big gun.
MR.. JACKsoN's VIEWS.
Walter T. Jackson, a well-known gunner
and sportsman of Havre de Grace, takes up
the matter and states that the attack on
the swivel gun calls for closer statement
of facts.
The statements made by the gunner refer
red to are surely misleading in the ex-
'iShiC, uh" Nhilc IL 10 poSSlDlC tbut HU SuCu
intention was meant, the gist of the article
was undoubtedly taken from the statement
of some party who was prejudiced to
those who shoot big gun. The majority
Of those who shoot with a swivel gun Oh
the flats, or at any rate those who do so
with any degree of success, are residents of
IIoyra 10 nd IL 10 with Il
that the public should know the facts
regarding the same, rather than an attempt
to defend them in this unlawful manner OF
shooting that the writer takes the matter
up.
Any one who is at all in touch with the
cunning interests here is fully aware that
there has been no scarcity of the world
renowned canvas back on the flats this fall
and 1t has been the expressed opinion of
those best informed that there has been
more of these birds than for number of
almost completely frozen up, the ice gum
ners report them in plentiful supply, not
outstanding the fact that the "big gun
ner' has been at work. Only as far back
as Monday, December 90 one gunner shot
from his sink box from , o'clock in the
afternoon until shutdown 40 canvas backs,
besides numerous other ducks, and it is
possible that like number has not been
shot from one sink box i'll one day in the
past six years. Taken as a whole, there
have been more canvas backs killed by sink
box gunners this fall than for years past
which eXplodes the claims that the swivel
guns have ruined the business.
1t is claimed by the gunner that $40 was
netted by some big gunners from one
nights work. This has been thoroughly
investigated, and it is question if all en-
gagged in the business have killed that many
dollars worth Of ducks in night. While
it is pot generally known just what they
do, the facts as to their operations are
known by some few people, who are aware
when, where and just how many ducks
are killed, and with the single exception of
one night, when something like hundred
were gotten, their work has amounted to
little.
The swivel gun has been in vogue
since time immemorial. Possibly hun
dred years ago it was the only mode of
shooting ducks here. While it is unlaw-
full, those who participate in it claim that
they do no damage only as to the number
of ducks they kill, and they might just as
well kill hundred ducks in a week that
way, leaving none to tell the tale, as for
some sporting man to kill hundred from
a sink. box, and shoot at 500 more, only
to slightly MAIN them, or miss them alto
gether, which naturally serves to make
them wary and it is to this, not the big
cunning, that the majority of the local
gunDers attribute the remarkable shyness
which has developed in our water fowl in
the past few years.