Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-31
SEASON FOR DUCKS
OUTLOOK FOR HUNTING SAID TO
BE POOR.

The duck-hunting season on the Potomac
is near at hand, but as yet the OUTLOOK
for the sport Is very poor. Usually by this
time of the year the ducks have made their
appearance on the river in goodly NUMBERS
and the gunners find good sport going after
them This year, however, there have been
very few, and those that have been seen
are of the smaller varieties. The hunters
are wishing for cool, frosty weather, with
plenty of northwest winds. which, they say.
will bring ducks to the Potomac Reports
coming from the James and York rivers
state that the birds are very scarce on those
waterways but the hunters are waiting
for cool weather before they become dis
couraged.
The vigilance of the game wardens and
the police has put a STOP to the use OF
other than shoulder guns in the District,
but on the lower portion Of the river guns
that will shoot large quantities of shot into
a flock of water fowl, killing and manning
dozens of the birds at shot, are still
being used, and soon drive the ducks from
their feeding grounds on the Potomac.
Reports coming from the upper portion OF
Chesapeake bay, about the mouth of the
Susquehanna river, state that the ducks
are plentiful in that region, and that the
hunters will have some fine sport when the
season opens tomorrow. For the past
week the air has resounded with the ia
milar ''quack," 'Quack" of the ducks as
they flew overhead on their way to their
feeding grounds. With the ducks have
come hundreds of wild geese that will give
the gunners good sport and furnish
toothsome dish for the table.
On the Way South.
AS the weather grows cold in the far
norththe ducks and geese start on their
migration southwark, and those who are
acquainted with their habits state that in
the wild celery beds on Chesapeake bay the
first stop is made by the fowl on their way
to the far south. The wild celery beds of
the Chesapeake and its tributaries are re-
ported in better condition than they have
been for several years past, and this will
be a big factor in making the hunting sea-
son better than usual, as it will keep the
birds here longer and will attract larger
numbers to these grounds. where food is
easily obtained.
The Potomac sportsmen are not in de-
spair however, in consequence of the nom
appearance of the birds at this time. They
come and go with startling rapidity, par
ticularly when disturbed by gunners or
passing vessels at night. Today the river
flats in this vicinity will be bare; tomorrow
they may be covered by hundreds of crow
ducks. widgeon, whistlers shutters and
mallard, with few of the lordly canvas
backs. The bulk of the ducks shot in this
vicinity are crows and the smaller varieties
of the water fowl, but in the vicinity of
Gunston, Glymont and on down the river
the finer varieties are found. This is due
to the fact that the favorite food of the
mallard, red-head and canvas-back Is not
found in this vicinity.
Give day or two of frosty weather
and a good, hard blow from the northwest,
and the ducks will be here" is the way an
old Potomac hunter summed up the stu
alton yesterday. And he seemed to know
what he was talking about.