The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-08
Which Can Now be Shot
Lawfully, Is a Willy Bird.
FLIGHT IS ERRAT|C
And tho Hunter Must Get Up on
His Toes to kili..ls Found
In Stark County
Swamps.


fight, and one which tests the skill
Of the hunters more than any other,
is tho woodcock The open season for
shooting this bird came in Friday,
and in some sections, hunters went to
the swamp in quest of this game. To
the ordinary hunter, however, the
bird Is unknown. Tt inhabits the
swamps and spring heads. especially
where there are low trees and some
underbrush, hence It's name woodcocl1,
or cock OF the woods.
1t Is species of snipe, brown in
color, and about the size OF a quail
Its flesh Is esteemed a great delicacy.
In some sections Of Stark county 1t
Is plentiful, especially in the
large swamps and around tie
lakes. 1t is found occasionally along
the swamps bordering the East and
West Nimisila creeks, occasionally
being seen inside the city limits of
Canton at this season OF the year.
AUGUST BAD MONTH.
August Is the worst month in the
summer to find and shoot the bird.
Formerly the law allowed shooting in
July, when the young are full grown.
They could then be found with conf
parative ease. In August they have
left the swamps and have gone into
corn fields, where they cannot be
found. Later in the fall they come
back to the swamps and afford fine
sport.
The distinctive feature Of the wood
cock Is the size of its bill, which Is
almost as long as It's body. Their legs
are short and they are not as active
on their feet as q quail, although they
often get quite distance from where
they were marked down before the
hunter reaches the spot.
When they fly from cover their
wings make peculiar whistling
sound, which once heard is never con-
fused with any other bird. The hun
ter always knows when the woodcock
takes wing. When they rise from the
ground, their flight for ten or fifteen
feet is even, and could the hunter
shoot then the bird might be easily
brought down., but by the time the
gun lie. to- the shoulder the flight
changes into the most erratic gyra-
tions that one can conceive of. The
rolling of = tumbler pigeon might
give some idea of the course taken
by a woOdcock, except that with the
pigeon the tumbling is downward,
while woodcock goes from right to
left with lightning rapidity.
HOW 1T DODGES.
After flying 25 or 30 yards the fight
become more even and II the hunter
has patience to wait he can have bet
ter success, IL there are no trees
or brush to hide the quarry. In thick
cover this, bird has a habit of darting
up over bushes and dropping quickly
back to the earth, within is or 20
yards Of where 1t rose. This kind of
Q dodge Is very trying to the sports
man.
The woodcock feeds at night. Dur
ing the day it hunts convenient cover
and takes 1t easy, waiting until dusk
before 1t starts out to hunt a crop full
Of earthworlns, which iS Its principal
food. With its long bill 1t hores into
the soft earth and captures the worms.
In order that its eyes are no. tlled
with the mud in which 1t bores, thcy
are placed almost on top Of the head,
giving the grid a grotesque appear
ance.
They are migratory, and early in
the fall they take their flight to the
south. Occasionally at the head o.
some warm spring, a tardy fellow will
linger until late in the fall. In their
flight at night, they make a pecu-
liar note, sounding like "bzzt" and Of
ten make a peculiar towering flight
when leaving the ground. They will
fly directly upward sometimes a hun.
dred feet before they start off In the
direction they wish to go.
CARE OF THE YOUNG.
The woodcock has peculiar meth
cd OF carrying its young. The nest
is usually on bunch OF leaves and
the young ones walk about before
they can fly. When the mother bird
wishes to carry the little one out OF
danger or move to better feeding
grounds, she walks up along side the
little fellow, and he thrusts his bill
over the mothers neck. pinches II
down tight, and away goes the old
bird with the young one dangling In
front of 1t. sa.
A well broken bird dog is a great
aid In hunting this willy bird. yet
some dogs that are good on quail are
worthless on the snipe. The scent is
different and all dogs do not take to
the sport. A dog saves a great deal OF
hard tramping in the swamps and
high grass, and is invaluable In find
ing the dead birds. A wounded
w0odcock makes no effort to escape
however, and in this It differs from
the quail or pheasant.
II some Of the Canton sportsmen
want little of the conceit taken out
of them, they might repair to the
swamps and try few smokeless
shells at this species of the snipe fam
lily.
WISHED TO BE FRAUX.
A man whose ancestors were Esquim-
aux Remarked. do you honestly ever