The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-05

Thousands Of the birds were killed by
pot hunters and meters, who shipped
them to the markets of the Eastern
cities by the carload.
This Pennsylvania nesting, however,
was pigmy compared to that which
took place on the southern peninsula
of Michigan. about Is miles south OF the
Straits of Mackinac in the early spring
of 1876. Late one afternoon the wild
pigeons began to arrive near Petosky.
1t was a dismal March day. The birds
came in two bodies, one directly from
the south by land, the other following
the east coast of Wisconsin, until they
reached Manitou island, when the great
army of birds changed their course and
flew straight across Lake Michigan.
This latter body of pigeons came in
from the lake just before dark, and
those who saw 1t say that it was
compact mass of birds fully six miles
long and two miles wide. The first flock
to arrive in the woods adjacent to Pc
tosky was almost as large.
With foot of snow covering the
ground in the woods, where the sun
could not reach it. but with the fields
bare, this monstrous body of birds be-
gan building their nests. The colony
extended it's boundaries so rapidly that
it soon spread over a vast territory.
This nesting was 20 miles long and
from three to five miles wide. From
Petosky for nine miles through hard
wood timber, then across river
swamp, and then on through 20 miles
of white pine belt, did this throng
settle. Every tree of any size through
this stretch of 20 miles contained a
nest; many Of them dozen nests. The
noise made by this countless mass of
wild pigeons was deafening, their COM
bined clamor being easily distinguished
three miles away,
For six weeks the birds remained at
the Petosky nesting. During this time
several million birds We're slain. Near
ly thousand men Waged a warfare
of determination against the pigeons.
The shipments of dead birds to the
distant city markets from Petosky and
smaller towns along the peninsula av-
eraged two carloads each day for fully
one month, but with all this slaughter
it is estimated that not one bird in
a thousand was taken. Owls and
hawks preyed upon both the old birds
and the squads that occupied the nests
to an alarming extent.
This Petosky nesting covered some
thing like 100000 acres of land. The
number of dead birds sent by rail each
day was counted at 14,500, while an
equal number was shipped by water
This does not include $4,000 live birds
sent away by METERS. In 40 days more
than 100000 were slaughtered.
A man who was an eye witness to
this great nesting declares that thou
sands of squads were left dead in the
nests and thousands of dead and
wounded old birds were not secured.
He roughly estimated that no less an
astounding number than 100000 pig
cons were sacrificed during the nest
ing.
The METERS who have done so much
to exterminate the American wild pig
con are becoming almost as scarce an
article as the birds themselves. The
METERS excuse for the non-appear--
ance of the birds in their former great
numbers is that they have been driven
into the uninhabited regions north of
the great lakes, into British North
America. This theory may in part be
true, but surely the intense cold of the
winters would cause them to flock to
warmer climes. In the warmer South
ern states few of these birds are now
to be seen. The migratory seasons come
and go, but the wild pigeon is not
counted among the birds that take
flight, north or south. The last big
flight know to naturalists was that
which took place in Michigan in the
spring of 1888.
According to men who witnessed the
flying of pigeons that year, fully a
quarter of million of birds were on
the wing. The METERS were on the alert
on that occasion to learn of the large
nesting place these birds must have
made, but every effort to find the flock
proved futile. The trackless woods of
British North America, no doubt, prov
ed to be the pigeons haven of safety.
The methods pursued by the METERS
in capturing. the birds are varied, no
more common way being to have a
dozen or more live pigeons with their
eyelids sewed shut These birds are cast
into the space inclosed by the net
There they fiutter about and decoy
around them thousands of pigeons. The
METER, hidden away behind barrier of
hemlock boughs, pulls his string and
the net closes over his prey. The nets
often become so full that the struggling
birds tear it loose from the pegs to
which 1t is fastened, and in that way
many escape.
The wild pigeon becomes easily be-
wildered. On one occasion an immense
flock of young birds became lost while
crossing Crooked lake, Michigan, in
heavy fog. Instead of flying straight
ahead, they began to circle about Fin
ally they descended when nearing the
shore, and thousands of them struck
the water and were drowned. The shore
of the lake for several miles was cover
ed foot or more deep with them. The
old birds following closely behind rose
above the fog and none persisted
The days when wild pigeon shooting
was leading pastme among sports
men are now but a remembrance The
passenger pigeon, like the great aux
of the far Northland, is doomed to ex-
function in this cn,1pitrv