The sun., 1902-03-09
AS TOLD BY HUNTERS.
Fine Batch of Odd Stories
About Wild Ducks
AND TWO WERE SUICIDES.
Birds That Drowned Them
selves to Escape the Gunner.

0us SHOT That Killed ~ Ducks. 70 Say
yothinx OF the wounded Power Of
Tho MaIIard IN the Air-Two Dccoy
pucts That Played Truant and Didn't
LIKE n-A Gunner Who Lost His
Roots but saved His Duoks-Judge
Kina's Cntch-ss-Catci-Can Bout With
Tarpon- Wild Turkeys In TeNas
MANY Deer in the Northwest
II the testimony OF two trustworthy
sportsmen be taken at face value, IT seems
10 be true that ducks under certain cir
o,,mstanoes commit suicide. This has been
q mooted point among gunners for
long time.
C. B. Bannlstsr Of Bloomington. ILL.,. is
one OF the witnesses He was shooting
last season in the neighborhood Of Amigo.
Wis One morning he was standing knee
deep In the water fifty yards from shore.
He had a natural blind in the form Of a
eurnp OF willows The water was as clear
rs glass about him. but thirty yards further
out wild rice grew. lie had out a dozen
docoys near the inner edge Of the rice.
Tho wind was blowing against his back
and consequently the ducks came in facing
him. With every condition in his favor
he was doing good work. waiting until
the malards poised lowering above the
decoys, then knocking them down right
and left.
At 0 o'clock he had killed pretty nearly
his daily allowance Of twenty-five birds
and was thinking OF quitting. Then he
saw a solitary duck coming In, or rather
coming over, against the wind and. thirty
yards high.
Pitching up his gun when the bird was
within extreme range he pulled the trigger
OF the left barrel which was full-cocked and
loaded with No. As. Instantly the duck
began 10 descend. wabbling from side to
side with broken wing and coming down
on a slant,
70 watch il fall. II struck the water within
two feet of him and instantly dived.
He had Just time 70 eee that IL was mallard
hen.
clear expanse, waiting for it to reappoar.
Il did not show. He glanced down cur
iously The water which had been rolled
by the plunge had settled.
There, not more than a yard from him,
was the duck. Its belly rested on the
bottom; its sound wing was pressed tightly
against its side, the other hung loosely;
its neck was outstretched; its bill was
clenched upon a tough weed root; not
bubble arose from II.
He was motionless for a minute or more.
Then he stopped, thrust his arm to the
shoulder In the water and picked up the
mallard Only slight force was necessary
70 detach its bill from the weed. The duck
was dead.
lie kept II separate from the remainder
OF his kill and when he got back to the
hotel picked IL himself IL had not a wound
on II except that the bone OF the second
joint Of tho right wing was shattered.
naKa tGes lEVa.N hat NlFa Nfnr hon
drowned itself. but does not say that the
suicide was intentional. He thinks that
the bird was badly frightened and hung
TO the root in desperate desire 10 hide
until 1t died.
Ii. c. Grubb, who buys pearls for a wcst-
ern firm. went up the Chicago and North
western road last fall TO diclier with the
clam diggers who are working the Wis
consin rivers. He went out to slough
OF the Mississippi near Lansing one morn
ing looClg for jacksnipe.
He flEhed duck from shallow pond
and brought It down with the right barrel.
IL fell in the centre of the pond, which did
not cover half an acre.
Having hpboots, ne waded TO retrieve
It. 1t was winged and swain nearly as
fast as he could walk. The water was
only foot deep, but muddy; also the sun
was hot.
Now and then the duck dived. He
chased IL for fifteen minutes round and
round until the blood in his temples beat
an anvil chorus and his eyes started from
his head Grubb l. fat.
Finally the duel: divcd for the last time
In water SO shallow that the tip Of it's tail
showed on the surface. IL was still, and
30 was its pursuer who stood painting and
swearing between gasps.
Finally he grabbed il and went ashore.
II had driven its entire head into the mud
TO the beginning of the Eeck. lts bill was
open and its mouth was caked with mud.
This duck was Of the spoon-bill. or shUv- |
eller variety