Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-09-08
GOOD DUCK SHOOTING
Twin Lakes, Ia. an Ideal Place
For Hunting the wsb.F Footed
Game
Blue. Wing and Green. Wing Teal
Abound in Large Numbers
Some Mallards.
Excellent Sport Enjoyed There at
Opening Of the eason-sport-
ing News
,ecial to Times-Republican.5

: IL :
Special to mes-Republican
Des Moines. Sept. S.-A great many
Iowa hunters have the idea that 1t is
now necessary to go far from home,
several hundred miles north, to get the
best duck shooting or even to get very
good duck shooting. II they had been
with the gang at Twin Lakes last Sat-
urday they would have changed their
minds. The opening of the season at
that famous duck resort was attended
by the greatest cannonading the place
ever heard. AT least that is what old
hunters said who had visited the place
many times in the old days when 1t
was in the height of its glory. For the
first time in the history OF the place
the game law had been strictly enforced.
during August. The shooting began at
1870 Saturday morning at the first
streak Of dawn. The hunters began to
get up at 8 a. m. to get into position,
ana some of them were up practically
all night driving to the place and locat-
ing their stand.
The birds consisting principally OF
blue-Wing and green-w wing teal. widg-s
cons and spoonbills, began their flight
following their usual
course, which had been marked out the.
day before by some OF the wise ones.
There is fine flyway west of the hotel
between the lakes and here about If
teen shooters stationed themselves.
over in the south lake, which now has
Ia lot of water in it, and in the Gun Bar
rel Slough, We're twenty or thirty more
The north lake was also heard from
and other places in the vicinity gave
evidence that shooting was the order, Of
the day. The flight exceeded the expec-
tations OF the most sanguine and when
lit is known that Winchester pump guns
were numerous it will not be difficult to
imagine what bombardment there
must have been.
Every one came in for breakfast with
skill of the shooter Every morning and
might hunters were stationed In this fly
way, and they always got birds.
Contrary to theory and the expert
ence of most hunters, the birds came in
to decoys beautifully. Some OF us
learned this quite by accident from
some country boys. We We're shooting
from a blind on a point which was di-
Irectly in the flying course Of most OF the
birds. We were getting few ducks,
but we noticed that some boys up the
lake We're getting about four to our one.
They We're shooting from decoys and
were we'll concealed behind the reeds in
1.-THE mud So next day we took out our
1 decoys, placing a lot of blue-wing teals
lnear shore. with mallards reaching far
Their out. Getting on the lee side Of the
lake, behind the reeds. with these de-
coys in front of US, we had the finest
shooting in that vicinity. Two OF us
shot nineteen birds one morning before
4 breakfast ard the shooting was nearly
las good as that all the time We We're
there. We found the call did not work
1 but theteals and the spoonbills came In
Ito the decoys as nicely as they would
4 in the sprinS, and occasionally we let
them light just to see how tame they
! We're.
/ Ducks were never in finer condition
4 than these birds. Young. fat and ten
4 der. they were still well grown anc
good, strong flyers. Very few of ths
\ large ducks were seen, altho one mar
i got two redheads. Quite a good many
4 widgeons and mallards Were shot, alst
4 some rudy ducks and occasionally {
4 wood duck. Spoonbills We're quite nu
merous.
Heavy rainfalls all over northwestern
lIowa haveraised the water in the ponds
land lakes until the places where wadint
fused to be practicable now lure the un
wary hunter into deep distress ant
q mud. party of US got tangled up u
Il Gun Barrel Slough one morning in wa
3 ter and mud up to our armpits. witt
reeds and rushes ten feet above on
lheads. so that we could not see NOR
THAN four feet ahead, and it was onl.
by taking bearings from the sun tina
!, we were able to find our way out at al
and then in condition of utter ex
haustlon, having lugge4 high rubbe
lboots flied with water thru this Well
z night impossible morass.
Those of us who were without a do
declared that we would never go thr
another season without one. Excellen
as the shooting is, many birds We're los
because they fellin the grass or rushe
! or crawled there to die. 1t was beau
ltiful sight to see a well-trained spanit
and setter mark down and find ever
bird shot in his party.
The shooting In Twin Lakes will b
fairly good from now until late in Nc
vember. But in October, when the IA
flight begins, and the big birds com
down from the north, they will fin
such good feeding there that they wi
:. be tempted to tarry Then will the OF
portunity to secure fine ducks be til
best of all times. The party tht
lopened the season this fall resolve
. without exception to return for the o.
!; |tober flight and to bring a friend or tw
:. Twin Lakes is four miles east OF Jolle
!. on the Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Pa,
!. railway, about 100 miles northwest 4
:. Des Moines.
: II