Evening star., 1899-10-17
Local sportsmen Preparing for Its
Approaching Opening.
FAIR SPORT SEEMS TO Be ASSURED
Birds Scarce in S 0me Sections, but
Quite Numerous in Others.
MEN, DOGS AND GUNS

Two weeks from tomorrow, Wednesday,
November /, the open season for quail will
begin iE all the shooting territory contigu-
Gus to Washington and favored by its
sport smen, and the latter are already pre-
pairing for the delight, they know results
from day in the stuhble and covert with
a good gun and a reliable dog. The latter
indeed. is the prfmest- necessity, because
nothing is more exasperating than to fol-
low an unbroken or half-broken setter or
pointer in a quail country.
The birds were frightfully decimated by
the terrific blizzard of last winter, and in
many sections near Washington where they
We're plentiful and afforded good sport here
tofore the reports show that coveys are
few and far between. A very large num-
ber of couples of quails imported from Kan
SaS were released in the late spring and
early summer in both Maryland and Vir-
ginia, and while all did not produce coveys
the returns from those which did seem to
have recompenSed the expense and trouble
attendant upon securing them and turning
them out.
Reports of Results.
Inquiries made recently indicate that the
breeding birds did well in Prince Georges
county, Md, in the sections where they
were released, and their progeny is fairly
plentiful. In Montgomery county, however,
the result was exactly the reverse. 1t is
difficult to discover any reason for this as
the cover and characteristics of both coun-
ties are almost similar so far as the neigh
borhoods where the quails were turned out
are concerned, but the fact is as stated
So scare are the quail in Montgomery in
deed. that a movement is on foot by the
sportsmen there, particularly in the south
ern part of the county, to agree not to
shoot at all in that section this fall, and to
get all landowners to vigorously post their
property. There is also proposition being
considered to secure birds from Kansas
early this fall and turn them out at once,
SO they may become acclimatized during
the winter and breed more naturally in the
spring. The only trouble about this seems
to be that the enthusiastic gunners who are
prevalent in every community might not be
able to resist the temptation to go out and
kill up the birds as soon as released.
News From Other Sections.
Better reports come from Frederick and
Anne Arundel counties, and there are a
good many birds in Charles. From Virginia
there comes conflicting information, but
the major part of the news is favorable
This is true from many points on the main
line - the Southern railway and its Wash
ingtOn branch as far as Leesburg while a
letter received yesterday from that portion
OF Albemarle county between Gordonsvilie
and charlottesville, along the Chesapeake
and Ohio, stated that +quaits were so pIen-
tful there as to be the subject of remark
Excellent reports come also from the favor
tie quall country in North Carolina, be-
ginning at Rocky Mount and extending all
the way down to Scotland Neck covers
on the Atlantic Coast line and its branches
while quails are in profusion near Green's
horo, and in that vicinity, reached by the
Southern.
The blizzard not only Killed the birds
but it seems to have a similar effect on the
vegetation, both in stubhle and branch bot
toms At least the cover is reported from
all directions as being fighter than for sew
eral years and the two or three heavy
frOsts that have already appeared have
thnned this OUT quite materially.t This will
be good for both gunners and dogs as push
ing through heavy rag weed is laborious
for both.
Scarcity of Good Dogs.
Good dogs are scarer this year than ever
before and several ardent sportsmen are
seeking high and low to find pointers or
settlers of intelligence and reliability It is
the opinion of a great many experienced
field shots that the persistent in breeding
of the high-class strains Of pure bred dogs
and the only thoroughbred animal let it
be said at this point is the horse of pedi-
gree-for points has resulted in spelling
nose power for one thing and weakening
muscles for another. The day of the old
Stanch. chucRle-headed setter who could
hunt from sun up to sundown every day
ter was eating lunch seems to be past. He
didn't have any pedigree, and a bench
show candidate would not meet a single
one of the qualifCa tiOnS laid down by
Stonehenge, but he had a nose ike-like a
setter-and the action of a race horse and
when he dropped to a cOVey he held it
until his master dropped one or two when
it rose and then trotted out to retrieve the
dead bird or birds without scarcely muss-
ing feather of the plumage
Some Fortunate Ones
Every one is not unfortunate on the dog
score, however. Mr. Schadman always has
fine dogs. He wouldn't be pleasant in the
eyes of his sport loving father-in-law, Ser
geant-at-Arms Bright, if he owned a poor
one. His are settlers. Mr.. James NJ. Green
is also proud of his animals. He will try
the quail in lower Virginia, by the way, next
week IN one of the counties where the sea-
son opens October 10. Later he will go
to North Carolina, near Greensboro, and,
of course, Mr.. Richard A johnson will ac-
company him. 1t would be difficult to name
two more ardent or successful field shofs
M Aftnnr Mattingly, who is another
nhghty SHOT will also seek sport In North
carolina. He owns several first-class ami
mails.
Dr. Henry D. Fry has two dogs that have
developed wonderful traits. He will visit
heswlck, Va, early in November for day
OF tWo and when cover gets cut down more
WIZ make MS annual visit to North Caro-
ma. His young daughters. who are de-
veloplng proficiency with the double-barreI,
may accompany him.
Mr. ID. William Oyster has two dogs of
lhe unpurchasable sort, a pointer and
setter: He secured and released a num-
per OF birds not very far from Washing
ton last spring. and they bred abundantly,
SO ne Is not exercised over the question Of
enjoying sport this fall Il
Mr. samuel a. Drury is negotiating for
nrSt-c4ass dog. OF course, such a high-class
sportsman would be satisfied with no other,
ana after enjoying sport up at his country
place near Dickerson station will also try
North Carolina 81,
Small bore guns areobeoening more and
more popular for field jsho9ting with local
ner has filled orders fSr three twenty-eight
pores and six twentg bores in the past
three months He wH4 shoot new gun
inns rali and one of the finest ever manu-
and presented to him by Parker Brothers
made OF Whitworth steel
10 those who are f6dd Of rabbit hunting
with beagles or hounSs III will be graft
Tying to know that Clifton tails are plen-
tiful' tdna both in nearby Virginia and Mary