The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-06
GROUSE PLENTIFUL.
Biggest Crop of Chickens Raised ii
Northwest For Ten Years Now Ripe.

Northwest For Ten Years Now Ripe.
Minneapolis Tribune:
There is law in this state that pro-
vides penalty for Sabbath breaking,
but it is not recorded that any of the
enthusiastic chicken hunters who
took their guns and dogs out yester-
day have been prosecuted under this
act. The law says that grouse may be
legally killed on and after. Sept. 1, so
that there is conflict of authority.
1t is not to be considered that all the
gentlemen who went afeld after sport
during the final three days of last week
actually opened their shooting season
yesterday, because many of them are
strict Sabbatarians, but to hundreds
the temptation to get the cream of the
sport was too keen for resistance.
One need not go very far from home
to put up covey of pinnated grouse
this autumn. There are scores of young
birds trying their wings daily within
sound of the court house BELLS Three
or four big coveys have for weeks been
feeding in a cornfeld near Minnehaha,
and the quail out that way are so thick
as to belle an oft repeated assertion
concerning the early extinction of our
game little friend, Bob White.
1t has been an ideal breeding season
for prairie grouse, and the birds have
taken every advantage of opportunity.
Last year was a good one for breeding,
also, which means that with two fine
springs in succession the birds have
had splendid chances. There was no
heavy rain during the nesting season,
and as a result most of the sitting
birds brought off their broods without
accident. Frequently the occurrence
of continuous wet weather during the
Matching period will destroy thousands
of eggs, and compel the hens to attempt
raising second broods. When the Sec
ond Matching has to be depended on for
sport there is very little real sport
about it, because when hunters take to
the field these late Matched birds have
hardly shed their pin feathers.
This year everything is as it should
be. The young chicks were Matched in
good season, and month ago were fly
ing strong. By this time every 1901
chicken is we'll able to take care of it
self. In fact, some of the local sports
men who tried their luck in the Anoka
county scrub yesterday declare that
the birds they saw were as wild as
hawks, and as hard to approach as
packed coveys in late October.
That the birds are wary and stron g
on the wing is a matter for congratu-
lation, because he who gets bag will
have to work for it, and it will be
difficult for the man with the blum
derbuss to shoot whole covey sitting,
as is too often done in the early days
of the season.
There is nothing in the conditions
that can cause the man with good
dog and a good gun any misgivings.
Certainly the prospect for sport was
never better in the last 10 years, and it
is doubtful whether the outlook has
ever been so eood within that time
Whatever may be said concerning the
laxity of game protection in this state,
and it is lax where some species of
game are concerned, the wardens have
done fairly good work in protecting
pinnated grouse, when their opportuni-
ties are considered.