The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
TEAL OF HORIZON MARSH.
WIsCONsIWS GREAT BREEDING
GROUND ron THIS DUCK.


ern Pilgrimage BeEun.-The wsy Tho
Travel and the Best War To Shoot Them
HONEY CREEK. VIA, Sept 1.-The frs
flight Of the teal Ii on A week ago a detach
mont Of thom rose from the Horizon marsh. whor
they woro brod. circled thrice 70 get their bear
ings thon led by duck OF threo seasons Of OK
porionoe dArtod away TO tho southwark Their
were two smaller flights on that day. The mex
day horo woro a half dozen. From that tim,
The southwark trend has boon steady. BY III,
middle OF September tho number OF the bird.
In this State will be diminished perceptibly. Sir
veoks hence there will not DO ono north OF the
mouth Of tho Illinois river.
The teal vary widely In their ability 70 with
stand chill and in their desire 10 roam Each
year their migration extends over nearly two
months The fact that during all Of this period
Tho stream Of them pouring down 10 the gulf is
practically unbroken Ia some evidence Of their
enormous number. Hunters hcreabouts arc un.
sblo 10 perceive any Of the game extinction threat
cned by many writer's upon field topics. Autumn
after autumn tho some millions rise and wing
their way 70 warmer lands Possibly the preser-
walton Of tho wild ducks in their inestmable num-
bers Ia duo TO rigorous game laws vigorously en-
forced in all the States in which they breed.
The shooting season in Wisconsin is very brief.
In other Western States II Is not much longer
and In all Of them the number of birds a man
may kill in q day Is much restricted. A man who
goes into South Dakota, for instance, TO shoot
mallards wild geese. must first take out q ten
days license for which no pays S25; he Is not
permitted TO STAY moro than twenty five head in
ono day and he may not ship any OF Il outside
OF the State. just why a man who Is not permit
tod 70 kill moro than twenty FIVE ducks in day
for which he pays S25 Is not allowed 10 send some
Of thcm 70 hungry friends not fortunate enough
70 1.-Two In South Dakota has never been cX-
planned. but tho law In there TO stay. The same
safeguards arc thrown about the wanderers Of
The air in Wisconsin. Michigan. Minnesota and
other commonwealths in this part Of the world
Men who have used the shotgun in an amateur
way since boyhood complain, with show
OF reason, that all Of tho legislative kindness
IA reserved for tho ducks and not any is left over
for humanity. Whether not the laws are re
sponsibio for the maintenance Of the game supply,
and in many regions its positive increase, 1t is a
fact that the supply Of flying targets did not
70 lesson any before there were such laws. II
Ia contendod by old hunters and other observers
that In matters Of this kind nature has unfail-
ing balance by which she keeps things they
should be. II less ducks arc killed. less are pro-
duood. II more killed. more are produced
II man Is restricted in his slaughter of the limo
conts the restriction Is almost certain TO be fol
lowed by marked increase in the number OF tho
natural enemies of the BIRDS or by an unfavorable
season. by both. The supply Of ducks and
quail and geese and grouse is kept at its proper
status Just as the proper supply Of fish Is kept
In tho sea
Probably the Horizon marshes of this State
are tho greatest breeding grounds for teal in tho
world They make desolate stretch Of country
OF boys. little dark winding streams, many lakes
OF shallow depth. small islands Of quivering land
only little higher than the morass. weed frlnged
ponds and thousands upon thousands OF acres |
Of wild rico. No man knows all of the ntricacios
Of this dosolaton and no man will ever know |
Tho gamckeopers OF the various clubs which |
own the shaking surface get about in light broad
bottomed punts and look after the ducklings |
as II they wcre privately reared poultry. These
mon wage an unceasing warfare on foxes. minks |
and all the other predatory fauna, and Il is their
duty 10 note carefully and report the condition
OF tho duck crop 70 the sportsmcn who pay them |
They arc down on tho dozens Of poachers also |
and. first and last good many Of them have |
been filled from head TO heel with shot Some |
times the encounters result fatally.
Tho Horizon marshes contain hundreds OF |
square miles. and Il Is likely To be a century or
two before tho increase OF population forces their
redemption into arabic land. They mark the
extreme southern breeding point for wild ducks
In any number. Occasionally II happens that
hen in tho spring on her northward flight will
And herself heavy with ova and will stop to build |
her nest far below tho swarms OF her kindred
These. however. are merely segreg atod instances
In general tho wild ducks of different varieties
fnd their breeding places from the Horizons 10
tho shores OF Bafln's Bay. Those breeding in
wisconsin are almost wholly teal, though occa-
siona1y hero Is a spoon bill a sprig tail among
lhem-
In the fall there ducks OF all varieties on the
marshes until the surface is frozen over solidly
but they como from farther NORTH and generally
not until the homo-bred teal have taken their de-
parture Tho birds leave for the South in tho
order OF latitude in which they live and their sue
oesaion of departure never varies First 60 tho
teal. then the spoon bills, then the spng tails
then the gadwells and other forms akin to tho
then the lordly mauard then the canvas
back and then the wild geese The teal are much
less able 70 stand cold They get into the milder
climates OF the gulf countries long before there
Is any mood that they go and they stay as long
~ possible Teal have been killed In Texas as
'oriy as tho middle Of August the most torid |
part Of the year down there, and they are not in
visible along the gulf as late as the
hrst of April
OF this bird there two varieties one much
less hardy than tho other They arc the blue
winged and the greenwinged varieties, so-called
There Is absolutely no difference in them, except
that ono has two or three slaty blue feathers in
Tho wing and the other has green feathers OF a
ike number They Of tho same size, the Same
general character Of plumage and the same speed
They arc distinct however. and never interbreod
Tho huewinged kind especially objects to cold,
and tho time OF its migration southwark Is always
rom throo weeks TO five weeks in advance of It's
Iroen tinted cousin
Many epicures contend that the bluowinged
Gal Is a better table bird than the greenwineed,
but this contention is duo probably to tho fact
hat tho bluewinged Is tho first duck obtained
when the season opena II matches earlier at
aims maturity earlier and gets itself into position
~horo II may DO shot earlier. After a fast of
'even or eight months, that duck which the gour-
nand gets first is apt to be the best duck.
no would say tho same thing OF tho
'poonbill- though tho bird is dirty feeder and
T. flesh tastes OF mud DO that as It may, there
8 nothing better than bluewing except green
ring. and nothing better than greenwinR ex-
opt a bluewinG
st