Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-05
COMING OF THE CROW.
He Knows How to Keep Out of Gun
Range.

hAhSc.
From the Chicago Record.
LAS the crow flies has become a proverb
for directness of flight, for the nearest line
between two distant points. His awkward
sweep Of wing will carry him along with
cut apparent effort at rate of from forty
to fifty miles an hour. and in staying pow
ers 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. ts loud and curt, and carries with 1t
an apprehensive tone, as though he would
like to hear a responsive and assuring cry
from one of his own kind or with bullet,
trap and shotgun is he remorselessly
sought, and as he is more and more hunt
ed he grows exceedingly cunning, and his
habits of retiring modesty become almost a
mania with him. About long rifle range is
as near as he Is comfortable with a man
In the average neighborhood. Where per-
son is in buggy or wagon, the crow, like
many other birds, does not get so sus-
plcious of the occupants of the vehicle
he would be of a pedestrian And yet, If a
man sets out deliberately to hunt them day
in and day out for any length of
time, on horseback from a rig, they
will soon get the drift of his scheme and
refuse to be gulled In only two states
that l 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.
buckingham is on the sea.
Off with his head"
And from two to five cents a head is paid
for them in various sections of the states.
The boys and men of these particular local
tiles hunt them perseveringly. In New
Hampshire one summer l hunted crows
with double-barreled shotgun for couple
of weeks with very fair success The birds
frequented old orchards good deal. which
were usually inclosed by stone walls from
three to four feet high. I used to prowl
around until l saw crow keeping sharp
lookout from the top of an apple tree. This
bird was the temporary chairman of the
meeting of the crows, sort Of sentinel
AMI crow. After he had been up In the
tree for few minutes he would fly down,
and presently another bird would fly up
and take his place. In the short interval
between guard duty I would make a run
and crouch behind the stone wall nearest
ME. 1t then became cautious stalk to get
within range, by running little way each
time the guard mount was shifted. 1t
worked to charm for some time. I would
approach within twenty or thirty yards of
them, and when lone sentinel few down
after I had crept within range, would get
in one barrel at the bunch on the ground
and another shot as the survivors rose. l
BILE discharge. OF course it was ''pot-hunt-
Ing but 1 considered the crows as "ver-
min." and shot them ION the wing, on the
head, on the tail-anywhere."
1t was very exciting stalking for awhile.
but they stopped 1t by a simple method OF
bird reasoning The sentinel finally
got to waiting until his relief flew up
into the tree before he flew down to join
the gang in the orchard. With lookout
always in the tree, my occupation as a
crow hunter was gone. L could not begin
to get within shotgun range of them. The
minute I tried to make a sneak on them
the alarm was given, and away they Went
to some other part of the township.
killed few with a rifle after that. but not
many.