Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-01
SHOOTING OUTLOOK is GOOD
Spring Flight of Water Fowl Has Set
In Early and SPOrtEmen
Are Eager.

All the last week geese have been flying
along the Missouri and Platte rivers, and
the hearts Of huntsmen are warming with
an anticipation that is half the Joy Of the
chase itself. In a week more there will
be hunting galore, and there is every pros
pect that both the birds and the shooters
in this part OF the country will be more
plentiful than for many seasons past.
The first news OF the geese was brought
by a conductor on the Central City branch
Of the Union Pacific. Along his run Mon
day he saw Eeveral nocks. Next came siml-
lar information from Cozad, and finally
Frank Leeder cam in from De Soto, and
said that a half dozen punches OF geese
had gone past him. Outside OF Nebraska,
similar reports come from Paul, Ia.
Ducks have not yet been seen. They are
less ventursome than their stronger breth-
rem. the geese, but a very few more warm
days will bring them along in the wake Of
their harder pioneers. Then will the
hunters HE to the old favorite haunts.
where they know that open water is good
and food plentiful. and where. therefore, the
birds will be II they are anywhere at all.
Till April Is the sportsman may shoot
water fowl as he will, and from indications
at the gun stores he viii TAX extensive
advantage Of the opportunity this season.
So the man who maintains that it's only
chicken and quail that the shotgun ex~
per fancies will find himself plainly out
voted this spring. There will be just about
twenty times as much hunting done for
the water fowl as there was for the land
fowl last fall. There will be more birds.
more time to hunt them, and more men
after them. And in this calculation the
jacksnipe should not be omitted. He will
get his share OF the attention.
but how DO you know that birds will be
so plentiful this spring when they have
Just commenced to n.y." is the question put
by the tyro TO the old hand at the game.
With his true huntsman's lore ready TO
command. the shooter replies: Because
there was the biggest flight south across
Nebraska last fall that there has been in
ten years. They always come back north
the same way"
Ana they DO, almost always. There is
only one thing that can stop them. That
l. ice. To illustrate. II the Mississippi
river ice breaks up before the Missouri
river ice does, the birds will come north
along IT; II the Missouri FIRST offers open
water. that course will be the one chosen;
II both open up at the same time. the
birds will come north along whichever
stream they followed south a few months
before. They must have the open water TO
follow.
AS far as feed is concerned, they can
come most any way this spring. There
was corn and grain everywhere last season,
and the birds will find more than they can
eat anywhere from western Nebraska 10
Ohio. And that item makes a big difference
IN their course Of flight. The shooters know
fun well that during the years Of the
drouth here the birds would avoid Ne
braska like q place Of pestilence. They
would never be seen either way.
At 81. Edward, Neb., this week, comes
the fifth annual Interstate Sliding Handi-
cap tournament Half q dozen Omaha
shooters will attend. They are I'D HRfer,
Sandy Mcdonald. W. B. Townsend. Fred
Goodrich. Dana morrill, and Joe Dries
bach. The affair is for two days, Wednes,
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