The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25

i"et, and often n man who thinks that he IL
holding ,even yards In front OF the leading
duck In The iloce viii. 10 hi- astonlshment, see
th" ,l't one come p~Iunging headiong down.
having boon centred hy a load intended Tor
an Ind rSidqal iiIty feet ahead OF him,
II H. under such circumstances that the Old
10 galgn, with its tour AMI y hh!l trans OF
rOwlrr and ounce anl n quarter OF No. 4 shot;
comes. most r aliy into play lle successlul
mon otthc Illinois are those who believe In the
barge cal beers. The lt.gaugo with nitro ex-
iloslSe Is all well enough M q quail or snlpe
gun and II Is deadly, too. against ducks In their
winter home marshes, as wei as a oeautllui
tut against birds wearing "A winter coat 81
feathers, boring fast through a crossing halt
gale, Is lcell" pop ~ only AN expression o. IN
nirluacv. In using this gun In this latitude
and IN the spring season. u often follows that
he ra',lr "gth" shot gu the rrast-plumes Is
distinctly audible. bat the duck Keeps on unin-
jur"d nul ROT frightened or out OF temper.
As the season advances the character OF the
shooting changes. The first netting and
h~rraking OF the leo IN The woods ponds ana
slough, Is The signal Tor tn" appearance OF the
mhIlnrd. NJ winter acorns have lain under
the ice, half buried IN the mud and In nowlse
Injured by their. long hath, The ma lard Is
tirely for the more secluded streams over
which the limbs OF the trees hang thickIy;
This kind Of sport. IL preferable 10 butternall
killing on the w~ind.swcpt reaches o' the ILL.,
comfortable. lie j. loss exposed IL subjected
to less e~xertion and h. Is not obliged 70 have
u cDnlpdntnn with "A boat. one ~ tnt Utiftst
thru 90 to confirmed duckshooter is the soli-
tul, which il ought 10 give him. FOR thine
he il freed from the clntter and roughnHSso OF
comranionship, neop-hpried IN tho wooisi
mile or two ffOm any other human being. he
can think his thoughts, keep ms eye peeled ana
smut his mouth lightly. He only, Is the witness
q his X Hand when he makes adrlylnRd 3nhIe'
the great bodies crashing down through the
branches. h. ENJOYS 1t more thoroughly per-
hap, than u a thousand men were looking, on.
As the mnllnris 20 to these ponds e, feed. or
Ntt ~. n,,t lnu-n tla a1Atuha snaklnO FOR faa1.
INK gtoun Il, they do not show the hurry which
marks their river flight, and decoy readily
enough l. Is here that the ~inesSe OF the Old
shooter Is displayed at its best. IL he hnds q
pond bcrally dotted with birds, he will creep
to IT st"aIthi!y and contrive by, some, slight
noise to s%tlrtle It's inmates into light, tie VII
get thom scattered. in the air, When
th'y have deuarted he will take HE stand.
oak whose branches do not Obscure. his
vision. or ne may crouch in the top o. n fallen
tree, or he may knrel behind some giant log.
ont. but they are not, necessary WITHIN ifteen
minutes the first brace will return and be
lrupred promptly a. they hover above the
points surface. II the feeding has h"rn good
the .hoo'rr may look for an hour or two II ey-
collent sport, for all the. birds, which we're IN
IN" pond will revisit 1t. They com back
sufficient intervals to make tho shooting, most
comfortable. Fi'ty ducks have been Killed In
this way over a pond not an acre tn extent
Stationed on one Of the slOughs. the man
with tho gun gets a form Of shooting peculiar
10 tins section. II il snau-shooting pure and
simple. The slOughS are sinuous. and II Is
dIu at 10 find a place whence moro than ny
yards can y" comman ted by one sweep OF the
eye. The dnCk bu2Zng IN Gcd down - In sight
fur not more than n second 81 two. and he must
br stopped within the sight limit or he will not
b. stortei at ali. Then, too, II often happens
that the birds establish n PASS across one OF
these s'oughs, darting above It from side T.
or also making their way back TO the river for
roosting purposes. In such Instances they are
ALWAYS nying high, in order to clear the
th.eE tops n, Of o,,I the oaks sHysrt Sna avS e'H Feet. wh aSa
they are seen for only a moment against
tie SKY, round black balls going like bullets.
The hunter has not the adyantage OF seeing
them before they come within gnnshot, OF
estimating he distance at which they will pass
HIM. OF Identifying their species, and thus
learning something OF their rate OF travrl. or
Of concluding how much he will lead them:
lie is compelled. too. to keep his gaze fixed
upward ana il apt to acquire that. crick In the
neck which comes most often from squirrel
Kind tho birds will dart above him. He can
only throw up his gun, inst i~nctLvely calculate
tho altitud" and shse! and pHll the trigger.
the best shots OF the Mississippi Valley are
unable to do better than one bird in the bag
for every four shells expended. The satisiac-
ton Of making a clean shot OF this character.
however. is not to be eqgalled by many things
wi'hin the experience Of the sportsman.
Duck hunting in the WOODS IN spring tests
more scientific he Is, not only as a marksman
Lu, ms n hunter. rho bigger his bag will be. He
must know upon what, the birds are feeding
AMI when and where, ne must Know now 70
ing to them the damaging fnct that q man with
Il shotgun Is after them. He must select his
hiding place, n4t Only WIN reference 20 ne
reference TO the facilities which II will afford
him for handling his weapon in the proper
manner II he has dec1oys. he must know how
and displaying o probable arrangemen.
quicker 10 detect a fault OF, this kind
than a mallard drake or hen OF one or two
seasons' experience. There are certain iorma-
lions which these ducks never assume In
feciing and the tyro is art to blundsr on them
to shoot after he has chosen his blind and per-
fected his preparatlo IONS and. above, all. no must
know how TO call. II he has elected to do
slough shooting. calling VIII be q necessity to
where ma lards have been feeding or where he
has decuy- set out in. plain view OF passing
i,ocks. On the slough. however. the more
adept he. is In giving the assembly and feeding
calls Of the bird the more successful no Will be.
The assembly call IS n resonant succession q
Sa no: WGn G9T S" that tp tGs due ducks should hurry
to the point whence they come. The feeling
note, however, is not louder than the sound
made toy "A man VINO cInckS 10 u lTOWSy Morse.
and it is indeed wonderful to note the distances
M which the malta rds will hear II and answer
It's Sometimes a flock hurting past
at a height of 200 yards may be made TO
Fwcrve. wheel and plunge down ward TO the
water from which this gentle noise OF swallow
ing has come NJ to them. No man can hear Il
when ten rods distant. but the ducks will
catch il ut more than three times that distance
even when in rapid flight. II resting quietly
on the water the feeding note will call them
when they are 800 yards away.
II man has friends in the city to whom he
may express his cameo or IL he limits his killing
TO The NEEDS ot hecamp he may reconcile spring
shooting 10 his conscience without trouble.
Those, however. are the only conditions under
which a sci prospecting sportsman may indulge
in II. The physical attributes Of II are pleasant
enough There is a gradual change. for the
better In the temperature. freezlng Tor long
hours in icc-laden blinds IL not TO be thought
of. The wind from the south Is balniy and
~resinous with the scent of far pines. The
ground Is damp under the loot, and from II
comes that indefinahle smell which speaks ~
vegetation pushing its way through the soil.
The sap is slowly ascending the trees, and on
the tins Of the lower limbs are swelling buds
soon to burst into leaf. There are days which
are perfpction-coo enough to set the blood TO
tingling and yet speaking OF the birth OF green
thing. Sometimes. as the crack of he gun
and resultant splash die away, the man hears o
PARKWAY twitter. telling that the bluebild has
one back. or, maybe. the tnint carol OF some
early and half-disheartened thrush,
mr. INIT or RiUWiT SPFED.
Frsaurnt signs That II Has Not Yet Been