Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
COMING SHOOTING SEASON
Reed Bird and 0rtolan Season Will Open
August 20.
Limited to Three Days a WeeS-GoOd
Reports From Quai1-Small-BOre
Guns Getting Popular.

A month hence stranger in the vicinity
OF the marshes around Washington will
have the Fourth Of july forcibly recalled to
MIN by the unmistakaisie auricular demon
stration of the burning sof powder August
20 the marsh bird, or more popularity in
local parlance, the reed bird. season will
begin, commencing nearly two weeks ear
lier than ever before, by reason of the new
law governing the sport adopted at the last
session of Congress. Not only is the adj
vance provided for by the measure but the
shooting has been very wisely limited to
three days in the week-Tuesdays, Thurs
days and Saturdays
This reform will be advantageous in va
riety OF ways. Heretofore the law permit
tlng blackbrds to be killed earlier than reed
. nlrds mas worked injury to very great ex-
tent Not only have reed birds been killed
IN large numbers by the presumptive black
olrd hunters, but the early flights have
been frightened further southwark by the
pop pop pop OF the guns. Consequently,
the opening of the season for all varieties
OF marsh birds the same day will pre-
vent liiegal shooting, and the prevention of
an an, cunning four days out of every week
WIN assure better sport on the open days
simply because the flights that reach the
marshes on the close days will remain in
STEAD OF being kept going by noise of guns.
;; rom present appearances the oat crop
the 1aVor1te abiding places of reed birds
ana ortolans, will be heavier than ever be-
Tore IN recent years. The oats are now
ser'.ns' ana; according to experienced OBJ
ever known. - 3 gill 'iie''
Uncle Billy Wnsner's Views.
Mr. William Wagner, fondlv known the
country over as Uncle Billv," and who
has the longest and most active experience
as sportsman than any man in this Sec
tion OF the country, conversed with a Star
reporter this morning on general snoring
topics.
From present appearances" said Mr..
wagner. look for an unusually good sea-
tL On on tne marshes. The new law is just
the thing that has been needed for wears
Every man who has ever shot over the
marshes has seen countless focks of reed
pros go right along high up over his head
shnt,l stopping, because of the steady
shooting going on below. Hereafter the
nocks That come on the off days will alight
ana ieed and remain and become accus-
TONED TO their surroundings. Then the
market hunters will be benefited too I'm
der the new conditions they will he able To
shoot all one day and dispose of their game
the next. Heretofore they have nut in a
tlde IN killing and used the rest of the day
in selling o''
Woodcock and Quail.
"oodeock are scarce he continued
except down at Mattawoman, where thew
are plentiful. Three men were arrested
down there before the season opened for
X Killing woodcock and got off with fines of
20 apiece. That wasn't enough I'm in IA
vor OF a law making confscat ton of the gun
a part OF the penalty for shooting out of
season. 5. with a good, fat fine on top of
What do you know about uuail?', in
quired The Star reporter
Nothing but good reports" answered
Mr.. Wagner. Il put out forty-eight birds
near Washington early in the wear after
the blizzard had got in it's destructive work
Some of these birds were shot soon after
they were releaseda l tried my best, to
tnd out who killed them, but couldn't. One
rest was robbed ofGits eggs by boys but
four coveys are there that l know Of
From Virginia and Maryland l hear every
day of coveys of little birds so I'm pretty
sure we'll have good sport in the fall.
SmalI-BOre Guns.
There is very marked tendency on the
part of sportsmen to use small-bore guns"
said Mr.. Wagner. For several years past
In the south and particularly Texas, 20-bore
guns have been coming more and more
into use. Two or three years ago Mr. Ar
thur Mattingly of this city had a 2O-bore
Parker built for him, and he has shot moth
ing else in the field since. understand
that he intends getting d 2S-bore for next
falls shooting. Col Perry Maus of the
army. who, with General Miles, | accompa-
MED down to Groom after woodcock a cou-
pie of weeks ago, before his marriage
shoots a 2i-bore. / have placed orders in
Europe for five 2S-bores and one 24-bore for
customers, and I understand the Parkers
are putting in appliances to turn out 2S-bore
barrels l don't think the 12-bore will ever
lose its place in general popular estimat ton
but they all have nothing like the penetra-
ton and lightness of the small-bore guns
But it's the same in shooting a shotgun as
1t Is rif1ed cannon aboard a warship It's
the men behind the guns who the most
important factors"