The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29
BIRDS COMING NORTH.
All Kind OF wtid Fowl Give Evidence Of an
Early spring.

All Kinds or Wild Fowl Give Evidence Of an
Early spring.
Folks generally believe that there will be
An early spring, but sportsmen who have
been in the field know It. For half century
and longer the goose bone has been one OF
the most trusted OF seasonal prophets
but a live goose knows more than the bone
of a dead goose and the live geese said
three weeks ago that the spring vas coming
early.
Even before that time they were stirring
restlessly and leaving the Gulf regions In
ANAL detschments northward bound. BY
March IS they were going steadily and many
Of the ducks were following them. The
wild goose starts north before any OF the
ducks. but uoes NOT get there before tnem'
a IL takes more time In its night, ioahng
longer in grassy nelds
Now every kind Of wild fowl 10 north
ward bound. including even the jacksnipe'
plover and woodoock. The reese are
lettering In the upper part OF the SOUTH
though they are scattered widely ana are
hard to find, but the ducks have passed
them in many instances and are thick along
some Of the Northern rivers.
The Mississippi Valley brood has come
az far up as upper Missouri and IL feeding
along the Illinois River, though the water
is<ill full of floating ice. Indeed. ioe Ii
going out OF many Of the rivers At an I'm
precedentedly early time. 1t began break
ing up a week ago as far north az Michigan.
Taking the latitude Of Illinois. which
State permits spring shooting. sportsmen
do not look for ducks generally even In
scattered punches before April Ia well
started, and the jacksnipe do not arrive
until April n more than half gone. This
year, however. the snipe will be in the
Kankakee marshes shortly after All Fools
Day and some Of the ducks are there now.
Shooting along the Illinois is more than
ten days old, and because 1t is still cold
the ducks are in prime condition and there
is no danger Of losing them. II u later In
| the season when tens OF Thousands OF them
| spoil on the hands Of the hunters, that
| spring shooting becomes an outrage.
Men past middle age, who have used the
| shotgun since they were small boys. do
not commonly pay much attention TO the
sSy1Es Of the sessrsp Sps sSs h ine
| of immediate conditions. They have never
! known the wild fowl to be mistaken, how
ever, and pin their faith to them
If the geese and ducks are late IN reach
am, ana = vice i versa This season the Canada
honkers, the brant, the .mallards. sprigs
canvas backs and teal all cay that warm
weather Is coming soon and they are getting
| out of the way OF IL.
moving norhward also. Some OF them
have reached as high as Chesapeake Bay
and they have been in the waters OF upper
Georgia for days:
It 5 the habit Of the wild fowl to go North
ward slowly, keeping always within strik
ing dist snoe Of the cold, and they are now
! 10 situated that IL spring should set in
| earnestly they could reach the Canadian
line In two days. There is no concert Of
| movement among them.
Each separate flock in It's own judge Of
the time TO 60. so it happens that some will
stay for days after Others have left. even
| ducks Of the same species showing wide
diversity in this regard. Even now. the
| latest mallards are still as far down a.
northern Louisiana, while some OF their
brethren are sitting on ice-cakes away up
week from now spring shooting in that
In full blast. There are rigid laws against
II almost everywhere. but there are many
lawbreakers and the ducks and geese win
run a gauntlet until they get home.
The Atlantic brood viii be a. high up a.
New York by April 10 and thereafter not
many days win elapee before the birds
are on their breeding grounds. last year
they we're five hundred miles further south
at that time and stayed South an uncon-
scionable while. The hocks did not separ-
marines until the latter part Of May.
The snipe and woodcock were even later.
There Was no woodcock breeding until
well into June. Year before last the season
was almost as late. This year they will
make their homes much earlier, win be
bigger and stronger and more numerous
when they start South and will consequently
have more chance to get through safely.