The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-09
PIGEON SHOOTING
Great Skill Required
Where Live Birds
Are Targets.
JAY SMELL TALKS.
The Sport Described by a
Worcester Man, Who Is
a Crack Shot.

There are many gunners in this city,
but only a small percentage have ever
stood before traps where live birds are
thrown up and banged at to bring them
down within certain distance or else
have them scored as misses.
Three Worcester men will attempt
that kind of shooting at the annual
American handicap which is to take
place at Elkwood Park, Long Branch,
Long Island, for three days, beginning
Tuesday, April II.
They are Jay Smell, Charles E. Fore
hand and George w. Russell. 1t viii
be the latters first entrance into live
bird shooting before the ElkWoOd Park
traps, but Smell and Forehand nave
tried before. The former has scored,
bringing home SCI last year as his share
of the prize money.
Smell and Forehand shot from a mark
26 yards from the traps. The greatest
distance is SO yards Smell may be Set
back yard at the coming handicap on
account Of the good work he did last
year. He hit every bird, but enc
dropped a yard outside the line and
was of course scored as d miss. Fore
hand did not get into the division of
"
last year. Russell will probably be
placed on the 20 yard mark. All novices
are given that mark to avoid a ring
err being placed on the limit Is yards
Forehand shot last year for the first
time, and had the greatest luck posi-
BILE in not being set back three yards
from the mark he shot from.
Each man has 25 birds to shoot at.
There are three sets of traps, five
tV1z in, oh RI nan q
toned at largely diVergng angles TO
compel the gunner to shoot under every
possible condition of wind and rise.
The traps set on the ground, each
having boy beneath who shoves a
bird up into the trap. The trap tips
over when the signal is given, and fails
back to a level with the ground leaving
the bird entirely unprotected. Two up
right rods with small bells attached are
shaken by the motion of the trap to
alarm the pigeon and start her up. The
boundary is so yards only SO that the
gunner has not much time to spare.
After dropping the bird, a dog Ie-
trieves it, If a bird brought down
within bounds hops out before the dog
gets her, the bird is scored as lost.
The gunner does not know from which
trap bird will rise. He shoots five
times at each set, awaiting his turn at
each successive set.
There is not only difference between
shooting at live birds and clay targets,
but there is also a bid difference in
scoring. If any part of charge hits
the average clay pigeon it scores, for
the requirement is simply that the
referee see piece Clipped off no mat
ter how small it may be. OF course it
sometimes happens with a clay pigeon
baked too hard, that the fine shot
pierce it and only dirt be seen, when a
miss is scored. In shooting live pigeons
many a bird is centered and several
shot enter her body but a vital spot is
not reached and the bird flies away or
agg1'avating'y drops just outside the
boundary line.
A day or two ago The Spy man had
an interesting talk with Jay Smell who
is certainly one of the best guns in this
city on live bird and clay target shoot
ing
Il would say" replied Mr.. Smell in
response to question by the news
paper man, that under the rules one is
ABOUT as difficult as the other. With a
single barrel only Of course target
shooting is more easy, for no matter
whether the angle is known or not the
fight is in a straight line. At live birds
there is a difference. The pigeon may
change its fight. In target shooting only
one barrel is used.
In live bird shooting, a man can use
his second barrel, and if he misses with
the first, he may bring her down with
the second.
"The object of the gunner is to bring
the bird down with the first barrel. and
as quickly as possible. Nearly all the
birds are killed within 10 yards of the