The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-15


terious change that -proclafms. that
dawn. though still unseen, is coming
to replace night that lies 50 black upon
the world just then, the brave pinlons
Of mallard, black teak bluebills redhead
and Widgeon are beating the air win
strong, tireleSs pulsatAoIls OF eager life
along the shores sinister gloomy
shapes dipping into the still deeper
gloom of the overhanglng trees, or slid
ing by the Shiyering reeds that stand
knee deep in the cold dark water,
dragged at by the hungry tide that
hurries to the open sea, whose muter-
ing grOWl steals necessarily across the
wide sea-meadoWs.
Wind and wave, grayness and misti-
ness are the delight of the man In the
blind On a clear day the birds are
prone to mistrust his decoys and mark
some suspicious circumstances ABOUT
any except the most carefully made
blind. But in a storm they swing IN
close and are ever ready TO drop among
the wooden duck with friendly cries
To any except a lover OF the OPEN
here is nothing more naonotonous than
sitting in a sea-blind, with a gray and
vapory horizon that marks the distant
line Of sea and sky. and otherwise
nothing to interest the eye except
miles on miles of waving brown sea-
grass. But there is subtle fasclna-
ton in this very monotony that charms
men so that they viii prefer it to the
finest scenery that forest and lakes
ever set for human sight.
The Charm of Wild Places.
The hunter over deeoys in the fresh
water country where the birds lie up
in wooded lakes finds no such monot-
ony. The wilderness is alive with fur
tive things that come forth to open
sight after the duck shooter has sat as
silent and motionless as a tree-stuTnp
for a space.
A marten or a mink will come out
with mincing steps. running along a
log that Juts into the water, A splash
alongside of the canoe may disclose an
otter swimming unsuspectingl along
bent a-fshing. Hawks and eagles come
soaring over, looking down into me
cover with keen gray eyes. Great bIue
heron stalk gravely along, nshlng
sedateIv and carefully like feathered
long-Iegged Izaak Waltons. B1ttern
and grebe appear in the swamp world
Even that shyest Of birds, loon, may
swim into the hunters ken There is
plenty to occupy his mind and eye
while he sits waiting for duck to swing
in-so much, indeed, that many times
a man does not see a bunch OF birds
settle among his decoys TIL they are
swimming around in front of his eyes;
and at such times it has happened OF
ten that the startled hunter has fired
wildly into the bunch. only to riddle
his wooden decoys, while the live duck
tapped of Indignantly.
Sink Box Shooting.
The most simple and inartistic kind
of duck hunting is the shooting from
batteries OF sink boxes This, like drift
ing down on birds in bough-coyereo
boat. is prohibited by many of the
states.
The battery is nothing but a grea
square box several feet deem and solid
and wide enough to hold two gunners-
1t is towed to waters where duck
congregate and there made fast to
stakes. being tied down 50 that it is
almost submerged, there being left only
Just enough freeboard to prevent the
water from running into it. This
makes it almost invisible to the duck
and the gl1nners lie down on it after
the decoys have been we'll planted all
around the sink box
When the duck arrive the gun
gunners sit M and ire Sometimes
a sailboat sails around the sink box
at distance Of half a mile or 50 to
drive the duck toward the gunners-
In certain parts OF the country sucn
as Great South Bay ana some OF the
salt water sounds OF the south, this
form of hunting IS very successful, Tor
the birds stool without fear and they
usually settle so close to sthe gunneTs
that hits are assured with any sort Of
God shooting, while the less sports
.nanlike hunters who 40 not dladaiu