The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-05

| lana the woodduck and blue-wing tea
may be shot August 1st the date for III
| other ducks being September list. In
| Maryland the opening day. is November
1st, except that in Charles county the
Acorn or Summer Duck may be shot
October lst Michigan. Missouri, Cali
fornia and some other States have fixed
the date October 1st and in a few States
the season does not begin until Novem-
Der. This is entirely too late for wood
duck and teal shooting in many of the
Northern States. since the cold weather
comes often in November and these
ducks then leave for the South. The
date in Ohio is. November 10th. long
after the wood-duck and teal have left
the marshes about Lake Erie. and in
fact these marshes are often frozen.
over about that date when the Nallards.
the Canvas Backs. the Scanps and all
the other ducks depart. In many of
the Southern States the wild fowl are
not protected at all. the theory being no
doubt, that a good thing which comes to
them in the late aut,1Ian should be en-
joyed by Southern sportsrlen and market
gunners until it's departure in the spring.
The market gunners often kill large
number of ducks at one shot. Audubon
was assured by a gunner at New Or
leans that he had killed 100 blue-wing
teal at a single discharge and says he
saw a friend kill eighty-four by pulling
together the triggers of his double gun.
The teal and wood-d,lck formerly came
to the marshes of Lake Erie and the
kankakee and Illinois rivers in great
numbers and many remained to nest
ard rear their young. The records at
the Winous Point Club in the Sandusky
marshes show some very large scores.
from 1867 to 1870 the average number of
wood-duck killed on the club reserve
was 424 each year.
This club Is a small one with a mem
bcrship of but thirty and only few
members attend each year and usually.
for but a few days shooting after the
arrival of the large ducks. In 1870 545
wnod-duck and 357 blue-wing teals We're
killed. In 1873 the record shows only IS
wood-duck and 9o2 blue-wings and the
relieving is the score for the years in
tSSn. wood-duc.s. 10; hue-wing teal. 211O
1855, wood-duck. g.: blue-wing teal 1913
1899 wood-,'ucSs 20; hlue-wind teal. 6hs.
1856. wocd-duck 5: blue-wing teal, q.
1909. wood-duck. 0: blue-wing teal, o.
!1les reason no birds were killed In 1900
has been already stated, the law now
prohibiting the shooting until after the
birds have departed. But only three
times since the year 1880 does the record
show t.. killing of 100 wood-duck in a
year. This record shows conclusivelyl
that the wood-duck is rapidly vanishing.
hut the score for 1899 shows a slight i'm
provement and I was Informed by club
men who visited the marshes early last
autumn that they observed more wood
duck than had been seen for many years
The records often show the killing of
over 100 blue-wing teal in a year. AS la to
as 1885 the score was i .O19. but since thar
date 1t has fallen off to 1909 in 1891 ana
since 1891 there are no records showing
800 birds in a season. The following tells
a story:
1850. blue-wing teal. o,11o; 1895. q. 1895
l2s:: 1897, 50; SOS, 200: 1899. 255; 1900 o.
Thes.score for 1885 and 1899 shows a
slight change for the better. In 1900 as
have observed, there was no shooting.
It is. perhaps. Just as well that the
Ohio law should not permit the shooting
OF these birds for several years. When
the law is amended, as it no doubt win
be. to again permit the shooting Of teal
and wood-duck in September it would be
we'll for the club men to watch these
figures. and. if necessary. pass club
rule prohibiting the shooting Of these
early ducks for a further period. or
limiting bag to but few birds per diem.
which would be the better way, since