The sun., 1901-08-26
REED BIRD
SEASON OPEN
Local Gunners Will be Out Early
This Morning.
PROSPECTS ENCOURAGING
Old Gunner Gives Interesting lnfor-
nation About Shooting the
Birds. Other
Habits.
PROSPECTS ENCOURAGING

Reed bird shooting will begin today.
yesterday being the opening day of the
season.
On ull the marshes around Wilmington
the crack Of sportsmet's guns will be
heard from early morning until dusk and
for many days hereafter. The local gun
ncrs have been waiting impatiently fur
the opening day, and many started out
for the feeding grounds in the marshes
about the city ut daybreak to get iii some
good work before the places were Oyer
crowded with glnners.
| Some impatient gunners defied the law
and were noticed several days last week
| shooting in the marshes along the Chris
| llama river west of the causeway. Bat
NEST OF the sportsnen Eereabout waited
until today to 20 after the birds
George Nigglesworth, gunner Of
many years experience, talks encourage
.ngly of the prospects fer good season
IND gives some interesting information
about the shooting of the birds and thrit.
habits. He has heen cunning on the
| marshes around the city for between
| 'orty and fifty years and knows every
foot of them. He says from all appear
ances the marshes are full Of birds
Tie birds are here for short time il.
May and then they go to Connecticut !; u
the foothills of the Blue Ridge noun
tans where they breed When the
young become able to fly and take care
II themselves they flock to the feeding
grounds in this part of the country. For
bout three weeks they have been in
hn marshes fattcning on seeds of l. 'e
eefls, foxtail and the numerous other
iinds Of food they find in this locality.
IN short foXtail, which is favorte
God. they will fatten in week
After the first two or three days of
.hr season the birds get wild from hay-
ng been driyen about SC much and ~
hard to shoot. inexperienced hunters
will blaze away ut bird as soon rs
hey see one, bat the old gunners adopt
different and more fruitful method.
fEey wade in the marshes and scare up
locks of the birds. When they aight
III the tops of the reeds the experienced
gunner will keep driving them until they
.et in Il line when he bangs away killing
good many ut Il single shot. In tins
way he manages TO get nice bag of
rcedies." He knows how to so about
cooking for them, too, after.they are shot
Locating the bunch of reeds upon which
he birds We're shot, by observing where
lie reeds are cut, he moves about care
uily so as not 10 disturb the ground
and soon his sharp eyes see his victims
wing tail mp in the bottom grass.
Reed bird hunting is not what it was
ears ago. 1t used to he that gunnars
onld go ont and bag from six to fifteen
y eighteen ,lozen birds in a day. Then
here We're fewer gnnncrs around and the
'iris could be driven along the banks
ne way for some distance then by work
ng around back Of the flock he could
lrive them back again. Now sunncrs
rowd the marshes and if Il man gpls
two 1ozen ''reedies" after being ont
I'll day he il, doing good. The filling in
# much of the marsh land along the
'hristiana has cut off a 60 i Dit of the
'c..linc grounds hut in year or 50
hls ground will be covered with 81 il
with and will be all right again The
;cason lasts for about six weeks, some
in:es little longer and for that length
II time gunners will haunt the marshes.
The first spell of cold weather viii put
IN end to the sport for then the hi ,ls
will so away leaving behind those which
lave been crippled and cannot t'y anv
distance.