The Minneapolis journal., 1902-11-01
WILL Be NO FLIGHT
Northern Ducks Arc Drifting Grad
ually Down From Canada, Says
Local Nimrod.
No Sudden Flight Need Be Expected
This Year-Good Hunting
In Iowa.

wondering why the northern hight dld
not begin to arrive. Though this Is long
past the season when the Canadian ducks
usually begin to swarm down toward the
south the main fight has not been sighted
although numbers Of Canadian ducks have
been seen and shot in Minnesota and the
Dakotas. - 8. .. 49,
A local hunter who returned to M:nne.
apolis this week after spending few
days at Heron Lake, explains this point
said this nimro1, that there will be no
northern itignt this year. nor any year
when this warm weather prevails until
late into the fall. " W
'Of course do not mean that the birds
will stay in Canada all winter They vii;
come down; indeed q large part of them
have already come down, but SO far as
any concerted figh- is concerued. I think
no one need LOOK for it this year.
Ducks Plenty, but Wild.
During the past week I have been
shooting around Heron Lake. Ducks
are there by thousands. but they have been
shot at so much. and are so wild, that it
takes a pretty good hand on the trigger to
land good bag. They are all Canadian
ducks. mallards, canvas backs, and red
head. One of our party in one mornings
shooting brought in a bag Of fourteen
birds, Of which nine were canvas backs,
four mallards. and one RED head. I be-
lieve the Canadian ducks ara all on the
way south now, and there will be no
flight, except what is already taking
place. .n. -
when the weather remains warm,
with only few cold days scattered along,
as 1t has this year. the birds do not come
down with a rush, we have become ac-
oustomed to seeing them come, but they
filter down gradually, and the fight is at
no time so large as to cause remark.
When a cold snap comes the birds move
little farther south, and when warm
spell succeeds the frost, they remain
wherever they happen to be until another
fall in temperature. So they keep on
drifting southwark. and they are shot at
20 much that they become very wild and 1t
is almost impossible to get near enough to
them to get good shot.
Now. the bluebill, as every hunter
knows, is the last duck to move south in
the fall, and the first to start the north
ern journey In the spring. No bluebills
have put in an appearance on this side
OF the border as yet, and when a really
cold snap comes. this species will come
down in flocks for two or three days. So
far as the other kinds Of northern ducks
are concerned. however, believe that
there are as many here now as there Will
be-" NJ
Good Hunting In Iowa. i
Reports from Iowa say that the hunt
Ing IS the best that has been seen in that
state for years. This is especially the
case along the northern tiers Of counties.
Famous slcughs, which have not held a
drop Of water in years, are fun and run
ming over this fall with both water and
ducks. Fine shooting has been enjoyed
ever since the first Of September on the
large numbers Of local ducks, which have
afforded nearly as good sport as the main
flight usually gives. 90 / ....t,.;5 5s', ;. {.
The northern ducks have not appeared
in Iowa In large numbers yet, but the
first really cold snap Of the season struck
the state last Sunday, and within week
or two weeks at the most, the birds are
expected to drift down from Minnesota.
Sunday many sportsmen in northern Iowa
turned out and secured good bags OF
nnallards and spiketails. Geese have not
vet put in an appearance In Iowa.
A week or two ago prairie chickens were
very scarce In Iowa, but recently large
docks have drifted down, chiefly from
Minnesota. and the chickens are now
scattered over the country everywhere.
Do Grouse Drink?
Some discussion has been aroused over
the question DO grouse drink" The
New York Sun thus discusses the ques.
lion: .,
Ruffed grouse arc plentiful along the
wagon roads, tote roads ana trails plen.
tiful in the deepest woods and most plen.
tiful along the straa.:ns ir the nost:, woods
There they are most easily approached
and most easily shot.
They come to the streams to Grinik and
make two or three VISITS each day. 9'he
grouse drinks as ths domestic CHECKER
does, by dipping its bull III tho water, ele.
waiting its head with n jerk and suffering
the water to triclkle down its throat, ant
one Of them will stand on tho kank i
undisturbed, and sip and swallow for 1T
taen minutes. They sesm to need & gooi
Deal Of water.
Residents Of the region when they wan
grouse for dinner, or to sell to stra,
Sportsmen, simply get into q boat ant
drift down stream, keeping their eye
upon the banks. They do not drift far be-
fore grouse steps gingerly from til,
bushes, walks sedately to the edge ant
the next instant is flutter1ng In the wate
pr on the bank with g. lot OF No. . shot IL
him. r@.r' = =, MI
This IS perhaps the easiest form of pot
shooting known to the craft Of market
hunting, and one Of the most remunera
tive. as few shots are missed, and grouse
even IN the little towns of thu north woods
are orth 40 cents a piece, - =. l--iE-+