Evening star., 1905-08-20


aside the tweIvefoot rod for the brown
double -barreied shot gun, and will be wad-
ing the marshes in search of reed birds.
Though the cunning season does not begin
until September. the hunters have a
weather eye out for the coming of the
birds. and are taking tramps down by the
way of Benning or rowing over to the Vir-
ginia shores to make observations and as
certain where the fiocks are thickest and
where the largest bags may be shot in the
early morning Of the first day of next
month.
The season has been favorable for the
growth of wild rice and other plants upon
tho seeds of which the reed birds, and later
the wild ducks and Virginia rail, will feed.
In the swamps along the Eastern branch,
and both above and below the city, along
the creeks and marshes clear down to the
mouth of the Potomac the growth of wild
oats and seed-bearing grasses is said to
have been luxuriant this year. Below
Shepherds Landing. at Fourmle run and
along Little and Big Hunting creeks hum
terS say the outlook for good shooting Is
better than for several years. Therefore II
goes without saying that the birds Will be
plentiful and fat, owing to the abundance
OF food waiting for them as they come from
their northern nesting places.
Hunters say the ortolan. the black birds
and Sora already ffocking in the region
OF Washington, full two weeks earlier than
usual This means that they will be
gorged with food by tie opening of the sea-
son. and be loaded with fat making Night
difficult and shooting easy. The BIRDS are
coming by thousands to the Potomac hats.
and indeed to all the tidewater streams
from Washington to the Florida coast. A
month later other fiocks will be gathering
In the swamps of Florida, Alabama and
Louisiana. where the remnant of the birds
left from the guns of the hunters pass the
winter.
The proper outfit for marsh shooting is
No. II double-barreled. brcach-ioadlns shot
gun. which costs from 81 to SO, according
to the style and finish of the weapon Am
rnunition is In the form of shells carrying
bird shot and loaded with quick-burning
powder. which can be purchased OF any
dealer in noxes by the hundred. In
mornings hunt. early in the season. not
less than 2m will be wanted. Ihe shens
are carried in a shooting belt. worn by the
gunner where they are handy Tor Loading.
\ large bag TO hold the siauShlSteo ~"
completes the OUTFIT.
There are two ways of getting at the
birds One is to put on hip boots ana "aoe
the marshes. shooting as the hocks rise
overhead. This is the method used most
along tie Eastern branch and in the low
lands about Shepherds Landing and over
at Four-mle run. This IS a tiresome
method OF hunting and may be attendsa
with some danger. II the gunner does not
know every foot of the ground over whlch
lie Is to tread. While looking upward lol
the birds he is liable to step into some hole
that will at least give him cold bath IN
The muddy waters of the marsh, II II ooes
not take him into some hidden pool from
which il will not be easy to eXtrtcate hlm-
self The marsh mud has tremendous
holding power, and the peculiar CROWN Oh
vegetation there seems to be a covert
scheme on the part of nature to entfap the
hast l.
WAYS in mid-marsh rather than about the
edges. ~
The other method is to shoot from a
marsh boat propelled by oars IN cledr
wafer and by a pole when going through
~, long grass The pole best suited to the
p,lrposa is about twelve feet long with d
V-shaped prong at the end 10 Keep II liuL,i .,aa
sinking too deep into the mud In case tiie
boat is used the gunner needs a man |"
handle it, and in the local marshes that
COSTS from s. to ST for a morning snoo'
ing This is not regarded as an eSofoita.il
charge owing to the nature OF the M woin
required in polling. in marking tie pal =
,,{sre Tho game falls and in gathering II
mn before il is captured by the craps Vi
cray fish The favorable time lor the .s ~,
of the boat is TO go into the HtarsH ui'
rising tide and to come ont as IL eoos. q q
rnu. lido there is not sufficient water on th'
marshes to enable the gunner 10 p5hHl' p A. a.
IN the best shooting grounds, ana ll'eh - ~
,,.,di,g huntsmen are in force at tNtiS
'..'.aIsibIa portion of the marsh, ana the
I,ird. subjected to q constant cross,hfe d
ant to become scared ana lea.t .S 'ls rnns
lands altogether. At high tide the sM'.ip5 a,,S
are romparativeiy free from hui'ei9 "''N
the birds easiest to approach.
Accurate craftsmanship Is not huIn VI
ai5.ratur, in the shooting of reed pirus-
,r,S q, i'm rocks and close togethef. me
- ned scatter the shot. ana al that II
ssniIIred is to fire fairly into the hoch. @ ailo
under ordinary circumstances two. ' ~
,,d ON mn TO half a dozen birds fall at edcii
Iisnharea of the gun. Accurate aim cannot
ha taken as the reed birds fly IKE hSI''iIils
Tror rising from the marsh 1he huhteI
must blaze away ana truS' " i
outcome of his shot e, ,,
bird than the ortolan, is a lar uiliereht hiliu t
of sport. They are shot on tne ma,
where they feed, and also IN the upia.us' nas
where they spend a portion or each da!.
They are shy bird, and move In hooks
smaller than the reed birds. They are dell
cate eating. tender and tempting mofseiS'
almost smothered in the rat taken On III
their slow progress southwark through the
marshes from the Great Lakes TO the Ia
goons of Florida and louisiana IL IS not
uncommon for the reed birds and the ran 10
rise together from the marsh on tne ap
proach of the gunner, and the TWO are
sometimes brought down together IN the
first shot into "a flock The shooting OF
rail however requires good marksinanship'
and TO gather a DdR VI tHcSc iii0 ci'NS -
uuires some patience and good degree OF
SKIN, different from the ndiscriminate
slaughter of blackbirds, ortolan and spar
rows which attends the heartless and sense
less shooting OF boys and inexperienced gum
ners on the Washington and Virginia
marshes.
To the hunter who wishes to extend his
wing shooting to snipe and woodcock.
which also haunt the swamps at the feed
INK season. a practiced eye and ready aim
are necessary. He must not be tempted by
the smaller game. but must wait until the
rise of his prey. They are found In the tidal
marshes and pretty much everywhere In
damp low ground. They are migratory
birds and come from the north In the
month OF September to the region of Wash
ington Maryland and Virginia. The breed
ing Is early in the summer. and by the mid
die of July the young are as strong on
their wings as the parent birds. Old river
bottoms. meadows. sloughs and thickets
abound either In snipe or woodcock. Both
birds feed late, and the afternoon is the
best time 10 shoot them In the earlier