The San Francisco call., 1901-11-23
STORM UPSETS
CALCULATIONS OF
DUCK SHOOTERS
Do Not Expect Good Sport Unti
the Weather Conditions
Settle.

The storm Of the present week has up
set the calculations Of the gunmen and
they do not expect good shooting again
until the weather settles. The rain has
formed ponds in every direction and the
ducks are scattered over wide area
The men who shoot about Mount Eden
were counting on the high tides which
will come to-day, tomorrow and Mon
day to provide ponds which would at once
attract the ducks and kill the mosquitoes,
which are a great pest The rain did
some of the work the tides were expected
to accomplish.
UP in Richardson's Bay, near Sausalito.
there are thousands Of canvaSbackS. 1ney
are difficult to approach, as they shy at
any moving object and seem to keep just
outside the range of a shotgun
Three members Of the Willow Lodge
Club secured eighty ducks last Sunday at
their preserve near Mount Eden
Otto Priest secured fifteen ducks near
Mount Eden, L. Thiebault getting four
and Joe Bigerstan six.
Oscar Fisher and a friend killed tWen-
ty-Six quail near Belmont
D. Schwaners killed twenty-five quail
near the same place.
Paul Kingston secured twelve canvas
backs on the Alameda Gun Club pre-
serve, near Surf, on the Sonona marsh.
Frank Schultz will try the marsh about
Mount Eden tomorrow for ducks.
The members Of Spooney Gun Club Sc
cured about a dozen birds each on their
Mount Eden preserve last Sunday. IN
the party were: L. r. Larzalere, Phil
Bekeart, DR.. Short, George Morse and
Mr.. Guyatt. Had the rain held on they
counted on great sport tomorrow owing
to the unusually high tide.
The members of the Field and Tule Club
are noted practical jokers and are always
looking Tor new victims. President A. NJ.
Shields is their latest game, and was
compelled to stand lot Of their badinage
last Sunday. 1t all came about through
his claim TO distinction as a caller OF
ducks. He stood on the veranda of the
clubhouse near SuiSun and without arti-
dcial aid commenced to give the mallard
call. Soon ii was taken up in every direc-
ton and the marsh seemed alive with
ducks, although none were in sight. Mr..
Shields did not know it at the time put
his fellow-members had armed themselves
with duck calls and were answering him
The members Of the club enjoyed excel
lent sport on Sunday. j. 3. Coleman was
high gun, getting the limit bag of fifty
Among the members on the marsh were
T. Wirtner. H B. Hosmer, w. Bay.
Fritch, A NJ. Shields, Dr. A T. Derby
ana +. V. Bell.
seventy-fve head Of elk, the last rep
resentatives Of great herds which at one
time roamed over the San Joaquin VAL
ley, are becoming a problem to people
near Bakersfield. The oil derrfcks have
driven them down into the valleys from
the foothills and they are becoming quite
destructive. They are at present on the
Miller a Lux ranch Under the State law
not molested. although a vauuero will
once In while throw a riatta over one
just Tor little recreation. There is a
general desire to see these animals in
crease IN number. as otherwise they will
meet the fate of the buffalo and become
only memory to be described by men
who saw them when they roamed about
in vast herds.