The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-08

DUCK SHOOTING
ON A
VERY WET DAY

Duck hunters in all parts of the State
where the birds frequent are now en-
joying tolerably good sport. The rain has
caused the broadbills to scatter, and as
a consequence the SportSmen of the south
will now be afforded an opportunity of
having a fling at their favorite pastime.
Recent reports from Delano and Bakers
field are very gratifying. A party of four
returned from the duck shooting grounds
near Delano Saturday a week ago with a
mixed bag of birds, amounting to four
hundred and fifty-three.
Although the late storm has interfered
with shooting near at hand, local hunt
erS, nevertheless, anticipate good sport
to-day, as they contend that the
''quackers' will certainly return to their
old haunts unless another heavy rain
storm is near at hand.
Last Sundays downpour caught quite a
number of enthusiastic trigger pullers
away from shelter, and it is safe to say
that among the wet ones there have been
into the mud nelds again unless they are
comfortably slowed" away in heavy
rubber garments.
Lloyd Eaton and his friend. Van Slycke,
concluded that a little Sunday shoot on
Crystal Spring Lake would return them
quite a respectable bag of large ducks.
they, however, did not calculate on be-
ing caught in storm and having to face
rough coating of lake water But they
proved themselves game sports, and like
good Indians faced the threatening ele
mentS.
On the lake in question is a small ISL
and, to which place they roWed in the
early morn in small boat anticipating,
birds.
The nimrods were enjoying tolerably
good shooting at animate objects that did
not stop TO inquire about the strange re-
ports below, when Van Slycke suddenly
detected a band of MARYLAND" pelicans
in cove near the western shore of the
lake.
Those are my size" remarked ivan"
to his somewhat Disguised companion,
and | snail row over and double up
Van was true to his word and pulled
TO PELICAN Cove, where he landed with
some difficulty, as the wind whistled
down the gulches surrounding the lake.
causing the whitecaps to spring up on all
sides After travelling several yards on
all tours he managed to secure two easy
distance shots at the big white flappers,
ana to his surprise and abject disgust the
!ong-necked birds said something strange
In pelican dialect, and then Van, with
eyes aghaSt saw the feathers slowly but
surely packing away the meat
AS the wide-range marksman expressed
IL L never was so disguised before. l
certainty calculated on having pelican
stew for breakfast next morning.
While the crawl for royal game was in
progress the lake became an angry sea,
and when Van Slycke decided to return
LOT the Indian" who was landlocked on
Crystal Island, he concluded that to ven
ture again on the lake would mean the
swapping of the boat and a decrease of
/ per cent of the German population of
this State.
Well, it's too bad" muttered Van to
himself, Ito leave the poor Indian sole
occupant of the island where nobody lives;
out, then, self-preservation is the life of
man, and l shall await the coming of the
calm and a tranquil sea"
an did wait ten long and weary hours
Detore he dared venture on the lake again
and, according to hearsay, it was drawing
close TO the midnight hour when the brace
OF respondent duck-shooters left the
happy hunting grounds soaked with
the dew of heaven and vowing never to
go there any more" Birds killed: One
island muskalonge and three fairy divers
Four very new members of the Olympic
Gun Club, unmindful of the fact that
there are times when a pocket stove be-
comes very necessary adjunct to the
paraphernalia of a duck-hunter who is
not conversant with the ms and outs of
the game, Ventured on the mud flats of
the clubs preserve last Sunday morning
and returned about noon to the bleak old
shack on the marsh, tired, hungry and
disguised with the respectable" load of
water each man carried.
Report says the gentlemen fired several
modest shots at passing feathers, but
that their fingers were so exceedingly
sleepy that the bulk of the shot passed
to the leeward of the birds aimed at, and
on mallard duck stew that afternoon
In the shack they found a coal oil lamp,
around which the disheartened hunters
gathered and warmed up as best they
could until the arrival of the night train
1t was a cold day for the tyros but
doubtless they will not soon forget their
first experience on the o: G. c. preserve.
Jim Chesley and his imported cocker
spaniels have grown considerably since
Sunday. Jim laughs at the weather, as
all days look alike to him when he carries
a gun or fishing rod. Chesley does not
deny that he was shot at by Jupiter Plu-
vius and that he was hit by many pellets,
but he laughed at his luck, and says that
as long as his pets are K he can stand
little soaking occasionally.
Charley Precht is authority for the
statement that the distance between Point
Reyes station and Marshalls is fifty miles
Charley did not find the man and the cart
awaiting his arrival at Marshalls last
Saturday night, and rather than sleep I'M
der a Tomales Bay Rock he returned to
Point Reyes on foot arriving just in
season to celebrate the advent of the
new year On Sunday last 325 ducks were
killed on the Point Reyes marsh