Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-10-25
SPEECH OF THE FOREST FIJI
Efforts Of Hunters to Call Bird and
Beast.

The art of calling ranks among the
higher accomplishments Of the hunter,
indeed one might almost say that the
successful caller is born, not made.
FOR instance. within a few days, a
party or sportsmen sat in their boat
amid the rushes and with all kinds of
patent quacking devices failed to in
| duce one of several hocks of ducks TO
Heat in their direction. Around the
next point sat lad. who vigorously
ana successfully commanded the pres
ehce OF his victims by word of mouth.
ana whose gun was hot with barking
out death to them. When the
youngster tired of using his lips, he
tapped with his heel on the bottom of
MS punt. and the ducks appeared to
make professions to his hiding place to
Quack cut their willingness to die for
him.
1t IS not always the most perfect
imitation which tells. for Joe Beaudoin.
Tor years the prince of successful call
ers. used to make hoarse kind of
park only very remotely resembling
quack and yet seldom failed to sum-
mon the ducks Sometimes he would
beat Upon an upturned canoe. and the
ducks. known as old squaws from
their noisy habits. would come from
anywhere within sound to inquire what
he wanted.
Yet the ordinary black duck calls
sold at the sporting goods stores are in
experienced lips perfect limitations,
and at times are extremely effective.
A gunner sitting in the reeds watching
his decoys and practising calls once
noticed bunch of rushes coming near
to his masked. welI-sunken boat.
Without changing his position he
watched what he supposed was
muskrat collecting winter supplies.
Until turn revealed the red coat of
Reynard, brother hunter who under
cover of a mouthful of greenery, was
seeking for the cause of the quacking.
The call which deceived such a cor
hoisseur as the fox must have been
about perfect.
Somewhat similar was an experience
in far northern woods when Beaudoin
was once demonstrating his ability to
call up red deer. His bugling
through his closed fists was wonder
fully like that of a stag. and so
thought hungry wolf that came
sneaking into the beaver meadow or
u.
on the lookout for venisOn.
An irritating instance of misused
ability on the part of another guide
once spoiled most promising caribou
lunt. Three of these Handsome deer
aad been sighted On bare hillside
nearly a thousand yards away from
any cover.
To bring them within shot a couple
- tav l. ;nrc ocfa rn1 tNv
switches and slowly and regularly
waved at the edge of bush all
through one afternoon. The keen
sighted and curious creatures noticed
the moving objects and, as they fed,
moved in the direction Of the eX-
temporized flags.
At last they approached to within
four hundred yards. and the hunters
were about to try a shO: ut them when
the guide signalled them to await the
nearer approach Of the caribou. Hold
ing the flags still, he issued call,
clear whistling kind of hiss.
In a moment the white-scarfed, dun
bodies were i'll motion in the opposite
direction. AS they started it was no.
ticed that they gave back the hist
of the guide, and the party in hiding
SuSQoctoQ what lHoy IcdllZcu, dItCi tNo
" lnree instances of the same thing.
that the call given by the guide was
the danger signal of the caribou, such
as is used by their sentinels at times
hen safety depended upon instant
fight. +
AS a matter of fact, curiosity in the
animal called is as important an ele-
ment as the skill of the caller. The
writer has more than once brought
duck and even geese from distance,
sometimes from flight by jerking
cord fastened to a wooden trough an
chored in a lake. and thereby produc-
ing a good splashing.
A very fair call on frosty morning
is produced by setting out a tin can IN
which are two or three butternuts. and
making it plunge about. wildly and
nOisily in the water. t.u-
The most wary of all waterfowis, the
great northern diver. can generally be
attracted to within easy range or a
blind by hanging out red handker-
chief and knocking two stones to-
gether regularly for some time.
Not infrequently the pine lumber
cutters are surprised while at work by
| the presence OF inquisitive moose and
l