The sun., 1902-09-07
SHOOTING PROSPECTS coon.
II Is Tie! tor the QuaII and Rured GrOrs'
From Now ON.

With the coming Of the first of Seplem-
bnr the inhibition against shooting was
taken oS in most Of the States and the
doublp-barrei which has lain idle for many
months was oiled and put into action.
Reports show that in the game sections
Of the country he birds have come well
through the summer and there - a good
supply. II was feared that the heavy
SHOWS of last winter had killed out most
of the quail in the Northwest, but the new
leyic, scem 10 be a. big and numerous
~ ever This will he good news to the
sport ,men of Minnesota, Iowa. Michigan,
Illinois ard Indians; IN Wisconsin no quail
-ho6ling is permitted AZ any time. The
total closure law has -,ill two years 10 run.
II is now siN years old The result has
lsrn an enormous increase of quail in the
southern and western Ja"ts Of tha, state
When the law We, passed quail in Wis
consin were practically extinct The game
,1Wuiisaiop. however. imported many
thousands &C pairs from Oklahoma, aud
ihe Western bird IN their now and colder
home did exceedingly well Oklahoma
row hes law 'orbiddns the oxportatio
of live quail, anL he Eastern States wherein
the birds a'e f'V ard growing fewer will
bc harH pr 10 il 10 r"pcnsh their supplies
Prairie chickens, the hardest members
n tn" grouse family, continue to hold
their o".. again, FhotgIns and the en-
"roaCNHCut E" farmers upon their homes
tn" gam" laws hayo been reasonably well
enforced and all through W." West there
arc plenty Il there big flyers. They are
not 80 plentiful in Kansas, Nebraska and
Iowa a. they have been. hut further north
there has been Il marked increase
The heHt Of prairie chicken shooting is
now 10 b" had west Of ~ Paul and sports
men VINO want good shooting and any
amount Cf u will head in thai direct ion
u ha. come TO hc az expensive thing to
shoot chickens, a. the shooter must travel
hundreds Of miles 10 reach the west territory
but men with money and time WIN still be
able 10 get their ffty day a. long a. they
care 10 do SLAUGHTER Of hat size
In tho north woods above the home Of
the quail, through the great timber belt
which runs along the southern shore Of Lake
Superior, the rrficd grouse. most beautiful,
dificult and delicate of all American grouse.
has bred profusely. The summer has not
been too wet for the young and the covies
are now full grown There will be plent v
OF ru1ed grouse shooting In Minnesota
and Michigan, but probably the hest field
Tor this bird il in Wisconsin, anywhere along
the line Of the Wisconsin Central above the
middle of the State, or In the great woods
reached by the Chicago and Northwestern
or Milwaukee and st. Paul road about and
above Minocqua
The man who goes after the wood grouse
Will need a good dog OF a light color and a
pair OF legs competent to cover a good deal
of ground in day. Thero is no form Of
American shooting which calls for greater
endurance and skill. but the rewards Of the
sport are proportionate to it's difiiculties,
In September the birds are tender and bv no
means so wary as they will be later in the
season.
=, Ihe best gun to Use against them is
the io-gauge double barrel cylinder bored
ana loaded with smokeless powder behind
a No. 10 shot, In October No, Ga WIN he
me proper size and In November 8's will not
be too big. "''
The rined grouse Is exceedingly swift
of wing, flies through thick branches with
skll that is not short OF the marvellous
and VIII fool even the quickest OF shots
good deal OF the time A strMRbt-stocked
gun TO get the muzzle well above Rain .
birds and OF wide pattern TO allow n
reasonable leeway IL o necessity.
While the woods are In full leaf the shoot
ing Is almost wholly snap-shooting. The
man behind tha gun hears Q roar and Rets a
glimpse OF blown body whizzing throueh
the foliage This glimpse is the twentieth