The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-18
DUCKS ARE SCARCE
Northern Flight Is Not Yet Under
Way, and Local Sports H.. ~
+: FL .:>,4 ~ men Are Idle.
A Few Foreign Ducks Have Been
Seen Around Wheaton and
Lake Traverse.

| Hunting has suffered a temporary de-
| cline during the past week, and the local
| Nt1nrods who have: returned from the
| fields do not enthuse over the sport. Most
sportsmen have grown tired Of chicken
shooting, and little attention has been
paid to these birds of late. Quite a num-
Der Of hunters are 'devoting their atten-
| ton to quail just now, but the majority
are" waiting for the Nfight Of northern
ducks to get well under way.
Quail, of course, are plentiful, although
during the past week the grounds within
easy distance Of the twin cities have been
! pretty well shot out, and those who wish
| to get quail must seek some of the locali-
ties more remote from the metropolis.
But the average sportsman does not
care much about quail. He prefers either
ducks or chickens, and if he can get only
one or two short trips season, as is the
case with the greater number he will
choose either Of the two species named in
| preference to quail.
! Nor do nonresidents come to Mime
sofa for quail, and if It was not for the
chance of getting other game. few would
go after these birds Consequently the
hunters will be comparatively quiet until
colder weather sets in, and the northern
flight begins. -
| In Wisconsin, the. quail are even more
plentiful than sin- Minnesota. By the laws
| of the badger state the quail were pro-
tected until 1895, and in many places they
are so numerous that the farmers will
petition the legislature to repeal the law.
The birds do great damage by scratching
up the seed.
Warm Weather Keeps Back Ducks.
. The continued warm weather is the rea-
son assigned for the nonappearance of
foreign ducks. Usually the fight begins
before this time It cannot be much
longer delayed, and in all probability all
other week will witness the advent Of the
Canadian birds. Then the, hegira Of
sportsmen from Minneapolis and St. Paul
will be on in earnest.
Many parties of nonresident hunters are
now I'm the state, and wifi occupy their
Il ducRs saTrivs..z 90 s ~ ''liF
Although the flight is, ,not,~yet under
way, quite a few foreign ducks have been
seen around Wheaton and Lake Traverse.
Browns Valley, Big Stone Lake. Elbow
Lake and Buffalo report a few Canadian
birds, but as yet these: are not seen in
sufficient numbers to tempt the main
body Of the sportsmen, who prefer to wait
until the flight is fairly under way.
When the flight is on, ducks are found
in nearly every body Of water in the state,
but on some lakes and streams the birds
are hard to get. - ..:.
+ In; choosing a location for duck shooting,
i the sportsman should select a lake of OBJ
4 long, shape, with as many bays and inlets
as possible. "A long, narrow or winding
ehaiaaofE laafes makes IDEAL resort for
+ -many~natural duck. passes where one may
conceal himself, which a large open body
of water does not possess. Starting north
! west Of st. Paul one may find ducks al
Buffalo, Maple Lake, Annandale, South
+ Haven, sKiInball Prairie, Paynesville, Lin
: Itonville and Belgrade on the 500 road. al
| within 100 miles Of the city. These are
9 the railroad stations, but the whole dis
Ftance is practically a continuation OF
small lakes. that are filled with ducks.
Good Hunting Along Mississippi.
A. similar chain Of lakes extends along
the Great Northern railroad, twenty miles
g. south and paralleling the 500. But prob
= ably as desirable: a place for hunting Is
n along the Mississippi river as far north as
FITS soufce ATf1ist stream atTplaces is little
= more than a creek but on each side of 1t
; the country IS dotted with small bodies OF
y water, where the wild rice grows in profu-
r. sion and where the ducks breed during the
/ summer. There is an added advantage
in hunting over this territory north of St
Cloud, for there are also to be 1ouno
prairie chicken, quail, squirrel, rabbits
and other small game, while as one pro-
crosses: north he enters the big game
country The latter route has been chos-
en- by half a hundred transient sportsmen,
who have gone into the woods and lake
region for a variety of sport and who IN
tend to wind up the season with deer and
!, perhaps a few shots at bear.
i But. there are plenty of ducks along the
J. Red River valley and in the Dakotas.
Il Hunters who have come In from that re-
:: gion recently say that ducks numbering
i Thousands settle on Lake Traverse every
| night covering vast areas of water; but
this lake is quite wide, and the only way
; to get the birds is to take them as they
. come in or go out and this Is difficult; as
they fly high. Just across the North Da-
kota border is small body of water called
Rice lake, covering perhaps thirty acres
1t is shallow and is covered like wheat
F. field with wild rice and celery, so that 1t is
a. great resort for ducks. E. Il. Draper
of Runnels, Iowa, brought down lS7 ducks
most Of them mallards, IN morning aho
afternoon. shooting.
3~f-~. Hunters Like to Camp
Sportsmen this season, except those
after chickens, are, doing more camping
out than ever before, parties of six AND
. eight being. frequently seen on the edges
+ of the timber near the lakes. This is un-
!, 1dout9ted!y the proper: way to enjoy the
sport to its full limit. - ~ ''.'..,
/ Geese Are Coming In. -
, Reports from the northwest tell of the
, arrival of geese from: the north. They
: are gradually drifting south over the Man
= itoba border, making short flights ano
are as fat as butter. Decoys are usee
2 more extensively this fall than ever, deal
l ers reporting a large increase. The CUES
ton of prohibiting the use of decoys Is
3 being discussed by many sportsmen, but
is not likely to be approved Of. The next
step would be the prohibition or the use
; of the gun. Decoys are necessity II
: goose and duck shooting, though they can
, not be employed at. all times
Partrldges In Wisconsin,.
=, While cartridges are not seen frequently
l on the Minnesota side Of the border
: sportsmen are getting them IN dozen lots
! in wisconsin. :. S.. w. Hines Of Cumber
land took seventeen, Charles Tyvoll bagge6
! nineteen, Mayor Waterman brought home
eleven from the cranberry marshes, S: N
: Foster shot thirteen, and a party Of three
- cyxS ~. A