New-York tribune., 1902-10-30
THE DOG AND SHOTGUN.
SHOOTING SEASON BEGINS IN EARNEST
ON SATURDAY-GANE MORE PLEN-
TIFUL THAN USUAL.

\ careful sportsman and real enthusiast wears
calm and peasUrable smile at present II he is the
happy owner Of a good pointer or setter or possibly
several OF these sharp uosed and intelligent animals
he will begin at to prepare for a froIic on
Saturday, when the real shooting season begins in
this district His dogs have gone into the country
ahead OF him Tor at least weeks for he realizes
that dog fresh from years confinement in the
city is about as useful and intelligent in a game
country flea at a tea party The dogs have been
allowed to roam over the fields to rcmp to their
hearts content, hardening their muscles improving
their scent ana otherwise getting into condition for
the hard work before them. The dogs treated I'm
this way Will be hardy and strong and capable of
setting their master lively pace for several hours
without tlrlng The dog fresh from the city viii be
tagged out IN two hours hard work in the stubbIe
fields and brtars.
In the sporting goods stores everything has been
hustle ana oustle for the last few days. Shotguns
have been FURNISHED up and cleaned and a goodly
supply or ammunition has been laid in Reports
from these stores show that the hunters are pur-
chasing the best shells to be had of the smokeIess
and sem-smokeless sort and that there is no
local demand for the old-fashioned black powder
she'll which Is penetrating enough but makes too
much smoke and dirt for the careful sportsman.
smells can Oe nousht at from two TO five cents each.
and the more YOU pay for your shells the better
you are hkely 10 be satisfied in the end For field
work the hammerlesS gun is all the rage and most
of the gunners now prefer 2S-nch barrel TO the
5-inch so generally used up TO two years ago Hunt
ing boots OF really good quality are about % Der
cent cheaper than was the case even last winter.
While duck. sntpe and woodcock have been shot
for several weeks, Saturday really ushers in the
shooting season in this district and the country
lad has been writing most interesting letters TO his
city cousin lately about the abundance of game
the city chap will md when he hies him TO the
woods and helds next week The open summer and
dry weather has been of immense benefit to tho
young birds which are consequently more plentiful
than ever number Of covies OF quail have been
seen crossing the roads on Staten Island recentIv
over on Long Island both rabbits and quail have
been seen as close TO this neighbOrhO as Rav
Ridge. and Just outside The limits of jamaica
- In richmond and Rockland counties in this
STATE the open season for quail rabbits. partrdges.
ruftied grouse and pheasants begins on Saturday.
and the same can be said of Long Island and New
Jersey Reports from New-JeTsey. especially from
the northwestern section Of the State. show that
small game Is more plentiful than for several years
past on Long Island there Is still some open
country Where the sportsman find a good
day shooting. but the great body Of the island is
two days this year, November ) and u. Proba bly,
three hundred ANIMALS will be killed on those
days. It IS dangerous work, however. and many
hunters prefer 10 remain the city shoot
ing days on Long Island. Good quail shooting
can be found about Manor. Port Jefferson 0ldfeld
Point and Riverhead. Several miles west of Wading
River there are also good shooting grounds for the
quail hunter.
In Connecticut deer cannot be shot until 1911, or
pneaSants until lSl Quail, grouse, woodcoCk and
rabbits are at the mercy of the sportsmen from
october 10 January ! SDOrtsmen Will begin
invade the South about the middle of November,
where the shooting is kepJ up in some districts
until March.