Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-08-27
llPENS SEPTEMBER |
IPoRTsMEN WILL BEPERMiTTED
TO SHOOT VARIOUS GAME
NEXT MONTH.
Within the Next Six Days, Local MINI
rods Will Be Kept susy Polishing
n Up Old Guns and Repairing Their
O.. Hunting Garb.

~ IN one week the annual exodus of
'Eall hunters from the city will begin
olor on the first day of September the
sbars will be thrown down as regards
"a large number of game birds and ami
mails, and the opening will be celebrat-
ed In true sportsmens style. During
Inc next six days old guns and new
viii be taken from their summer quar-
tiers and put into condition for the
fray. Hunting garb will be reclaimed
from the disuse of summer, and all the
available shells will be collected and
pressed into service.
Ducks so far seem to be the most
promising subjects for the marksman-
ship OF Iowa hunters. No attractions
Of the hunting law in the city have
been reported.
Season Opens September L.
On September 1 the law will also be
out on prairie chicken, ruffled grouse,
wild geese and other fayorite game
birds. None of these have been seen
to any great extent, SO far. geese be-
Ing especially scarce. Only one or two
HOOKS have been seen and they showed
no disposition to tarry.
The Iowa laws regarding hunting do
not affect the Iowa hunters as notice
ably as they might. Many of the Hawk
eyes go to other states to do their
hunting. the nimrods of this city being
fond of the Nebraska and Missouri
fields However, those who have time
to hunt only for day at time or
even less. will probably stay in their
own state.
Quail Hunting October 1.
The quail hunting has been hardly
worth while for the last two years. The
open season begins October /, when it
Is hoped more tempting outlook will
present itself. There has been a move
ment in the central part of the state to
have the plover and jacksnipe laws
amended as these birds, being migra-
cory, can be hunted only when they are
passing through the country. If they
are not obliging enough to come dur
Ing the open season they are safe from
attack and 1t is with the object Of rem
edying this handicap that the state
hunters are trying to have the laws
amended.
Prairie Chicken Plentiful.
Hunters say that late crops will
make prairie chicken shooting better
this fall than for a score of years.
The number of chickens is unusually
large and the backward. condition Of
the crops will prevent any great
amount of preseason shooting. 81
Chickens are usually plentiful early
In the season, but the coveys in the
more thickly settled parts of the state
are usually broken up before the sea-
son opens by poachers.
This year, however, the grain is
about three weeks late and will not be
cut until late in August, instead of the
first of the month. as usual. It.. is
much more difficult to locate chickens
in the standing grain than in the stub
BILE.
Then too, farmers will not allow
their sons or local hunters and their
dogs to trample down standing grain
to find chickens, although many of
them do not object to toothsome bird
before the open season and do not seri-
ously object if poachers hunt on the
stubble. The consequence is that the
poachers will have only few days to
operate compared with full month in
ordinary years.