The evening times., 1899-09-12
COMING OF THE CROW.
A Bird That Knows How 10 Keep
Ont of Gun Range.
From the Chicago Rccord.)

"As the crow flies" has become a pro-
verb for directness of fight for the nearest
line between two distant points. His awk-
ward sweep of wing will carry him along
without apparent effort at rate OF from
forty to fifty miles an hour, and IN stay
ing powers there are few birds which can
match prowess with the crow.
His song is not varied one. The queru-
lous inquisitive "caw, cav" that he sends
out is loud and curt, and carries with IL an
apprehensive tone. as though he would like
TO hear a responsive and assuring cry from
one OF his own kind. For with bullet, trap,
and shotgun is he remorselessly sought,
and as he is more and more hunted he
grows exceedingly cunning, and his habits
of retiring modesty become almost mania
with him. About long rifle range is as
near as he is comfortable with man in
the average neighborhood. Where per
son is in buggy or wagon the crow, like
many other birds, does not get SO suspi-
cious of the occupants Of the vehicle as he
would be of a pedestrian And yet if
man sets out deliberately TO hunt them day
in and day out for any length Of time, on
horseback, or from a rig. they will soon
get the drift of his scheme and refuse 70
be guIled. In only two States that know
of are the crows mentioned in the game
laws And there they are only named as
not being protected. In many parts of the
country there is a bounty for them the
year round.
And from to cents a head Is paid
for them in various sections OF the States
The boys and men of these particular 10
calities hunt them perseveringly. In New
Hampshire one summer / hunted crows
with double -barreled shotgun for cou-
pie of weeks with very fair success. The
birds frequented old orchards good deal
which were usually enclosed by stone walls
from three TO four feet high. / used to
prowl around until j saw crow keeping
a sharp lookout from the top of an apple
tree This bird was the temporary chair
man of the meeting of the crows, a sort
of ''sentinel-am-I" crow. After he had
been up in the tree for few minutes he
would fly uF and take his place. In the
short interval between guard duty | would
make run and crouch behind the stone
wall nearest me. 1t then became eau
tious stalk TO get within range, by run
ming a little way each time the guard
mount was shifted 1t worked to a charm
for some time. / would approach within
twenty or thirty yards of them, and when
a lone sentinel few down after / had crept
within range ] would get in one barrel at
the bunch on the ground and another shot
as the survivors rose. i averaged al least
three crows TO each double discharge. OF
course il was ''pot-hunting," but | consid-
cred the crows as 'vermin," and shot
them ION the wing, on the head, on the
tail-anywhere.
II was very exciting stalking for awhile,
but they stopped ii by simple method of
bird reasoning. The sentinel crow finally
got to waiting until his relief few upon
the tree before he few down to join the
gang in the orchard. With a lockout
always in the tree nay occupation as a
crow hunter was gone ] could not begin
to get within shotgun range of them. The
minute ] tried to make a sneak On them
the alarm was given, and away they went
to some other part of the township. ] killed
a few with rife after that, but not many.