Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-11-10

Jacksnipe Said 60 he Unusually
Plentiful In the Northw~st-Tests
of an old Theory.
Several parties Of sportsmen have
arrived recently in Minnesota for the
Y duck and geese hunting.
Local sportsmen are all talking OF
| the wonderful hunting to be found al
Swan lakes. I'm the southern part OF
Minnesota. couple Of hours ride from
st. Paul on the Northwestern. writes
l.. L. Cavalier the Chicago Times Her
aid correspondent from ST. Paul Such
swarms of ducks have never been seen
4 there before or in any other locality in
| this vicinity. They fairly cover the
water they are so numerous The
birds appear to have been on their way
| down from the north in vast fiocks
| when they encountered warm cur
rent which brought them to stop.
! These lakes are about four miles
from the station called Nlcollet and
were brought to public notice recently
! by the days work OF two of st. Paul's
! professional men who are not even re-
| garded as fair shots. Two hundred
| and ten and 235 ducks respectively
were brought home by these Nimrods.
| 1t was a record that staggered the old
est sportsmen, and straightway trip
was made to Swan lakes where II was
found that the picture had not been
overdrawn.
A question that has always puzzled
sportsmen WAS apparently well dis
posed of the other day. Hunters have
held that ducks when wounded 20 they
cannot fly will dive into the water and
| not return to the surface. A recent
experience indicates that wounded
ducks probably die from paralysis
rather than by drowning as is ordi-
narily supposed. In scientific works 1t
is said that when the bird dives 1t
grasps hold of grass roots under the
water and either browns or dies from
its wounds in a few minutes the death
rigor of the jaws preventing the body
from coming to the surface. This the
DRY Is probably correct as regards
ducks dying from wounds, but that
they must otherwise drown has been
proved incorrect in this vicinity within
a few weeks.
4 sawbill was wounded and dived on
being pressed by the dog. After swim
ming around for some time the dog
took refuge on some rushes near by
and refused to come when called. The
hunter went to dinner and remained
away at least an hour and half and
on his return found the dog still on the
watch AS the dog insisted that the
duck was there the hunter made a
search for it, which occupied consider
able time as the moss was thick. with
nearly foot of water over 1t. When
| taken from the water, the duck was
| found TO have a broken wing, but 9th
| erwise was not hurt. and it did not ap-
| pear to be in the least exhausted from
| its long immersion. 1t appeared to
| have been in trance.
The second case was on sept p last
and was a spoonbill. This duck dived
on being shot. the hunter waiting half
an hour for il to come TO the surface.
| He then went out and found 1t hanging
to some moss just where It had gone
| down. Reaching after It and bringing
| 1t TO the surface restored animation,
and it was found that the bird was
only slightly wounded.
In each instance the duck was under
water longer than 1t could hold its
| breath. which is the ordinary method
OF water fowl when diving and II
would seem that nature has provided
some means whereby they may live be
meath the water for considerable
time if they remain perfectly quiet. 1t
| is possible the position they assume,
the body being directly over the head,
has something to do with their exemp-
tion from drowning, and ii may be that
their condition at such times may be
suspended animation or what IN HUI
man being would be termed trance
state
Jacksnipe hunters have found game
unusually plentiful. Indeed so numer
Gus are these birds that the market has
become oyerstocked and hundreds of
dozens are going into cold storage.
| They are more easily shot than most
other prairie fowl, for they are found
in the main Travelled country road in
| the neighborhood of pastures and
swamps. Often they are found in
fiocks. but are difficult to get except
they be taken singly, and this makes
the jacksnipe an expensive bird and
for that reason much more of deli
cacy.
In recounting his experience with
jacksnipe a well known St Paul MINI
rod says that he found himself In the
center Of a marsh covering four or five
acres, over which there was from six
inches to two feet of water. He had
gone into the marsh to scare up some
mallards that had dropped in there
Jacksnipe became so numerous that
he abandoned all thought OF the ducks
and though he was obliged TO use shot
three or four times too large he remain.
ed there and kept up continuous bonn
bardment. while his dog was busy