The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
SANDBAR SHOOTING.
A Deadly Method OF Hunting Wild Geese
on southern RiN ers.

During December hunters living along
the big Southern rivers, camped along
them, or drifting down them in rude house
boats will have their fill of wild goose
shooting Their favorite method will be
-andbar shooting. II is easiest and surest
The geese will be- making their way
south until January, proceeding in a lei
surely fashion, stopping for days on rich
pasturage, and they follow the big rivers
not only because they get fresh water in
them, but also because they prefer them for
roosting places. floating for the night in
quiet eddies. or crouching upon the banks
within few feet Of the streams
Morning and evening long lines Of the
birds 60 up and down sehKng suitable
bivouacs, and often numbers OF them
come in from the fields in early afternoon
To squat on the sandbars and sun them
selves This they do most often on streams
which make into the Mississippi but have
little steamer traffic
The hunter preparing to kill his geese
first finds a bar which shows heavy signs
Of their frequenting it, He goes to it in
the morning when no geese are near it,
! carrying a spade or shovel. With this he
digs a pit some three feet wide and four
| and a half or FIVE feet deep-just wide
enough TO permit him free motion and deep
| enough TO cover him to the armpits when
he stands erect
He may leave little ridge Of sand
about the mouth Of his pit but ii is better
to throw all of the dug up sand into the
water, leaving the sides of the pi, level
with the bar IL he has Silhouette decoys
| he will set them out within easy shooting
distance and between them and the water,
bu, II the passage of geese is heavy, or
| il the bar has been much frequentcd.
| they will not be necessary.
| he may also attempt "a few calls softly
| uttered and directed TO fockS some dis
tarce away and bent on going ahead. but
unless hc Is really n master of this most
| difficult art he will do well to keep his mouth
shut The Wild goose IL one of tho waricst
| II birds aud viii detect slight inaccuracy
| Of note a. far ~ II can be heard
| In watching for the geese the man will
keep his head above the pit, but when he
| scrs a flock making toward him W i'll draw
| il in, not quickly aud suddenly, but grad
! ually, He may depend upon il that A. tar
| a. ne can see the geese they have seen the
small round black object Oi. the sand and it,
sudden withdrawal will serve H. n warning
10 them almost ~ alarming a. two puffs Of
| smoke would be
II takes an experienced man, or man
| WIN ms nerves under good control, To do
| this work wei. He scos the hock milo
; away ard gets his head down smoothly
| II hn wants 10 bag any q them, he will
! not show again until they are thin shot,
| He must bo able to judge their approach
| bv their low talk one 10 another. and he
| will remember that the leading gandcr l.
| ap, to be some yards in front ~ the ct hers
| II is rule that the man in the pit should
| not rise until the -Nish of wY.gs il dis
| 'iuctlv audible. hut this rule IL good only
! on still DAYS II the Wind l. blowing hard
| or If rain Is falling it Is Of uo ,is.,
Az any rate, II il always safer Ia wait
until the geese are nearly over tho pit or
| opposite 10 il The man. of course, runs
| the risk that the geese will se-, the hole aud
| even look down into II, but they will not do
| this until within range 4 strong p,i,t I'm
| the snortsmans favor l. that the birds
have been accustomed to the bar and are
not looking frr dFrror o. IT,
When he hears the wnrs, or the fulness
Of the rnuttered gooSe-taik tells him that
his quarry is near he rises up'ight. The
geese swerve instantly and begin climb
ing. They pav no rttontion to their
hrolon formation-it l. every goose for
himself and BIB shot take the hindmost-and
they bunch thickly, though they do not come
into collision.
The shots. both barrels. must he made
In two seconds or less. but IL the man has
l"en cool enough to wait he ought To be
cool enough to make his gun count. Some