Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-17
Now for Snipe Shooting

The season for snipe shooting in the lat
itude of Washington is now at its height
Beginning two weeks ago and continuing
on into the month OF November, the birds are
slowly migrating southwark to the marshes
of the gulf states. feeding as they go.
They are found now in numbers in moist
meadows, along the streams and on the
marshes In Maryland and Virginia. A
hunter having some experience with these
birds can obtain good bag any day with
in easy reach OF Washington.
The best places to shoot Snipe within the
District are out on the Eastern branch
between Benning and the District line,
over on the Giesboro shore and along the
Potomac above Georgetown. One needs to
know the peculiar habits of the snipe to
hunt him successfully, but when that is
known II is easy to get them This bird Is
easily killed and though difficult shot to
the novice is comparatively sure to the
hunter of experience.
wilson's snipe or the English" snipe,
as II is often called feeds solely upon
worms and other insects which 1t extracts
from the soil with It's long beak When
hunting snipe one needs to look along the
clear places by the sides of the stream or
on the moist ground Of the meadow or
marsh for the recent probings of the
birds in the ground where they have taken
out some hidden morsel to satisfy their
voracious appetites. The snipe Is essen
TALLY bird of the open and need not be
will run and hide as the hunter APP
proaches behind tuft of reeds or a bush,
but generally they remain in plain sight
until they rise for fight.
In one respect the snipe is the most diff
ficult of birds to shoot on the wing. He is
either creature of the most vacillat-
ing mind or Is endowed with an In
telligenee beyond that possessed by most
OF the feathered tribe. Game birds usual
ly, when they rise from the ground seem
to have some definite idea of the direction
In uyh ynttld md hoy, gy,y toIx nm
wing they keep pretty well to one line of
fight unless turned aside by the appear
ance of some unexpected sight or obstacle.
Not so with the snipe. When disturbed by
the approach of the hunter or his dog the
bird dashes upward in fight, uttering a
curious sQuakfng note. which seems a cry
but a few yards. when the course OF flight
turns almost at right angles and the bird
goes twisting and angling out of reach of
the gun In a series of antics that seem lu-
dicrous to the observer.
kt
II the hunter is behind the line Of flight II
is very difficult to nail the bird, as he dis
appears along the corkscrew, xig-zag course
he pursues. Many wing shooters who can
Judge accurately and aim right with other
birds are puzzled for a long time with the
snipe or the woodcock. to which he Is al
lied Success in killing snipe lies In grea,
quickness, that is. by having the knack OF
firing the moment the gun Is on the object
without waiting to get bead on the line OF
flight. as Is done with some other wing
shots. II one fires both barrels after re-
treating snipe. the cry which the bird ut
tiers In his fright. as he hears the whistline
of the shot. Is apt to be irritating to the
nerves of the hunter. 1t has all the effect
of cry of derision: nj short, the bird
seems TO laugh at the sportsman with his
sharp 'skeap." "skeap." which comes bach
TO him more and more family from the dis
tance.
Old hunters say the snipe Is an "onsartin
bird" by which they mean he does not
stay In any one place long at a time. A
this season Of the year especially the birds
seem to be gsaeraily on the move. Whill