The sun., 1903-10-04
EARLY DUCKS FAR SOITH.
Good shooting for Green winged Teal on a
Ranch In New Mexico.

reference in THE SUN to the early
appearance of some blue-winged teal in
the far South. caused Donald Maclennan
of Mesilla, n. NJ, to send an. account Of
observations Of early ducks made by him
on his ranch. He says,
"On Sept 5 last, while riding about the
ranch was surprised to see pair of teal
rise from little strip of adjoining land and
wing away toward the river. The ranch
is about quarter of mile fr ON the bed
of the Rio Grande. think it was two days
after that took down the old gun and
went at dayl reak to the river-bottom.
There was absolutely no running water
there. and i believe at this season there
very rarely is; blIt after more or less plodding
about in the soft sand l succeeded in dis
covering a small water hole. Creeping up
on my hands and knees / found bunch
Of about twenty ducks in the water and on
the mud at the waters edge.
Il fired one barrel and dropped what
appeared TO be the only large duck in the
bunch with the others when they rose.
In the uncertain light could not tell posi-
lively whether there were bluewings in
the flock or not, but the three killed with
the first barrel were green winged teal,
as | think they all were with the exception
Of the large one which was more or less
believe. more properly called a ooot.
Later in the morning killed a lone pair
of greenwings out of another small water
hole stumbled across. Since then have
been out nearly every morning and have
hunted the river bed for several miles,
both above and below here. finding very
few water holes and none as large as the
first one, which is perhaps IS yards long by
so in width.
Il have built blind there of mesquite
and other dead brush and have usually
fairly good sport between daybreok and
breakfast time-no big bags, but get
seven or eight on an average, which think
enough for man of moderate ambition
and a very moderate SHOT. l might aod
that find no Use for decoys, the ducks
being only too glad to get water.
Three or four mornings ago while COM
ing down the river bed on my way to the
ranch noticed COW standing partly in a
water. She was bawling most Justify
After passed was very much startled to
hear a great tapping Of wings, and on
| turning to see pair Of mallards struggling
up and away. I got them tn.
"This water hole, like all the rest, was
very deep; and near as was hardly think
| they could have seen me, though why the
sound of my footsteps should have scared
| them when they could stand for that COW
| il beyond me. Perhaps they knew the
| COW didn't have gun. Except this pair
the coot and a half dozen bluewings, all
| the ducks I've killed have been green
winged teal,
There are no tender roots, celery or
| things of that sort in these holes, so | sup
pose the ducks live entirely upon the tiny
slvery fish which have been left by the
| falling water.
at seems exceedingly strange that these
ducks should be SO far south at this season
when know it is quite rare TO kill even a
single teal along the marshes OF the upper
Potomac 1T is stated in the article re.
ferred to that there is record Of a pair OF
them fbluewing teal killed in southern
Texas in late August. though this instance
was highly exceptional II this was ,ex,
traordinary I think the foregoing no less
so, for though not as far south as most
southern Texas, still it is remarkable when
you consider the number OF ducks. the
scarcity Of water and the fact that most
of the ducks I've seen have been green
winged teal. which are supposed to be OF a
later fight than the bluewing.'