The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20
The FALL HUNTING.
Gunners in Pursuit Of Game
Birds and Deer.
SPORT WITH THE JACKSNIPE.
Advance Guard of the Birds Ar
rives From the North.

fives From the North.
Puzzling Corkscrew Flight OF tho snlpe
Advice About shooting Theni-The
Hunting Season in Maine Under the
Now Lsws-A Tip About Ruled Grouse
Chance Shots for the AnEler-Many
Prairie Chickens Killed in September.
Flying out of the north, behind the rain
clouds OF autumn and ahead Of the icy
winter storms, comes the jacksnipe, most
elusive, puzzling, exasperating and satis-
flying OF birds.
Far I'D toward the stars he travels. jour
neying only at night, and when his myriads
poise for hours above some inviting marsh
the air is tremulous with the wings. Out
Of the dark falls sound like the hunming
OF big bees in summer clover.
1t ID strangely pleasing in the solemn
hush which 1t. alone breaks, and the man
hearing It wonders again at the marvellous
instinct which brings the bird straight
toward his winter home in gloom wherein
all landmarks are obliterated and he is
obliged to make his way guided only by
his sixth sense. For it is noticeable Of
the jacksnipe that he travels on black,
stormy nights as we'll as on fair ones.
The snipe's habit Of getting up and going
without apparent sense or fitness makes
the gunner eager to be after any snipe
within reach. He never knows how long
the sport will last.
The birds come as Unexpectedly a. they
10, and the best Of jacksnipe shooting Is
that which is had Unexpectedly. The
man out after other game finds his ears
suddenly saluted by a harsh, rauoous, rasp-
ing Escape! scape!" and his eyes are pleased
by the sight of small brown object zig
Sagging away at great speed.
He is surprised. He did not look for
the jacksnipe to be down for ten days yet.
He does not shoot. however. By the time
his gun is at shoulder the snipe is fifty yards
away and still rising and going fast.
Twenty yards further on another Jumps
from spot almost within reaching distance.
The gunner has plenty OF time, is not at
all surprised. brings up the double-barrel
swiftly, but smoothly. and puts the ends Of
the brown cylinders Just where they ought
TO be and--msses. As his finger pressed
the trigger the snipe swung wide to right
or left by q couple Of yards and the shot
passed harmlessly six feet from the speed
ing body. That is only one Of the birds
tricks.
IF the man goes on, as he will. the
enipe will rise moro and more frequently.
and presently he will be in the centre OF
the pitch. probably a quarter OF a mile
from the place where the first one flushed.
Always at some distance from the main
body these outlying stragglers are found.
They merely warn the sportsman that in y
little while the gun will be almost too hot
to hold. ...- .r.l
In ordinary years the jacksnipe make
their appearance south Of Canada by the
are spread down fairly well through the
upper tier Of Northern States. They may
be found now along the Atlantic as far
south as Massachusetts,. and there are many
of them around the scattered ponds and
small lakes in northwestern New York
These birds are properly the advance
guard OF those which are to come later.
they are not thick enough anywhere to
make them q drug on the market, yet
good shot who understands their haunts
and habits may pick up dozen in a days
tramp He will have fun in doing it.
be- had in the East. The North Atlantic
coast and the States which lie conigu-
ously to- it are too thickly settled now.
The bird il not overfond Of civilization.
These birds on their annual pilrimages
learn from the bitter experiences OF years
likely to be disturbed, and the vast mass
of them fly over and pitch upon the least
settled tracks Their favorite routes are
along streams Of big lakes whose banks
do not contain many people. From those
parts Of the East where the towns are almost
continuous they have practically disap-
peared.
Formerly they were more plentiful along
the Atlantic coast than elsewhere, but
they have been driven gradually inland
until now they fly in far greater numbers
over the Western prairies. They swing
back to the sea az they get southwark.
In December and January they lie thickly
all along the coast from the Rio Grande
northward to the upper line Of Georgia.
They are especially plentiful full. in the
In the wet lands about the mouth OF the
Sabine.
The jacksnipe is less subject than any
other bird to the inroads Of the market
hunter. This is because the snipe is not
to be shot sitting. except upon the rarest
occasions.
There is one comfortable thing about
JhChslllpe bIlOOJlIlH, anu bfldt Ia He " d DlIu
of decent hours. 1t Is Of little use to go
after him until the sun gets well up, because
early in the morning and late In the after
noon he is wild rising fifty yards away and
going far before pitching again.
When the sun is we'll up he has generally
filed his crop pretty well and wishes to
be quiet for while. He will then lie more
closely and give the sportsman less excuse
for the miss that is reasonably sure to
follow.
Another comfortable thing about it is
that there are no logs to climb or hazel
brush and briars to break through, as is
the case both in grouse and woodcock
shooting. The marsh is heavy underfoot;
the going is sticky and clammy and mans
boots pop when he pulls them up as il he
were walking through wet clay.
In time this begets great WEAKNESS
and ache Of muscle; but there are 10 OBJ
structions in the air; when the snipe leaps
he comes into clear view and then, If the
han fails to score, il is because the bird
fose at too great distance, or the wind
blowing too hard, or the powder is not
lick enough, or the shells are old and
ing fire little. or the gun is dirty and
needs cleaning. or it does not fit or he slips
just as the trigger is pulled
The ideal jacksnipe country s an open
marsh with three inches of soft ooze making
its surface. and little pools Of brackisl
water yard across scattered here and
there There should be clumpy grass
growing foot high, and between these
clumps the snipe crouch when they hear
fnrt etA ThA Inn1 n IN