The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
SHOOTING on LONG ISLAND.
SPORT FOR MANY SORTS OF CITY
AND COUNTRY GUNNERS.
Comedy and Tragedy Mlxed-WIld Scenes
on the Four Days OF Deer Hunting
When, where and WHAT 70 shoot
and the Cost The Game Laws

ON the Four Days OF Deer Hunting
when, where and what to shoot
and the Cost The Game Laws.
Hunting on Long Island, or shooting as
the folks term il who think the first term
sacred to fox hunting and sport with big
game, Is a comedy on which the curtain
has just been raised for the annual success.
The incidents OF the play are mainly farcical,
but there are stirring and realistic happen
i~ngs-good sport to wipe out memories OF
the pot hunting-and the four days OF deer
shooting, a massacre Of the innocents, is
often marked by the killing or manning
Of a gunner. The first pop Of guns has been
at snipe, fair game since July 10, and the
woodcock season has been on since August 1,
but the long bills are now scarce, and the
sport not what IL was before the hunting
grounds were all plotted as building lots.
Grouse, pheasant and quail may be shot
from November l to December 81, but the
season opens fifteen days earlier on Robbins
Island and GARDENERS Island. Summer
boarders and cottagers, on their inland
walks and drives, found many young covies
during August. The favorite playground
for a quail and her brood is a bare, dusty
and sunny place on one OF the old roads in
the BCTlD OAKS. NO Duub III HOW bJLOh8
and the broods well divided up, 50 that there
should be some good shooting for quail on
the well guarded land next month. There
ia little open shooting for quail now on Long
Island, for the warning signs against shoot
ing are now as common as fence posts.
Shooting black and gray squirrels, hares
and rabbits will be legal after October 81
and until December 81. There are many
stretches Of woodland in the interior that
afford good rabbit shooting, and the sport
10 the ~favorite one with city, gunners The
early morning trains throughout the season
are crowded with them and each sportsman
brings along at least one dog, the pack in
zach smoking car including specimens OF
every known and many entirely novel sorts
Of huntingdog. The tripsare fruitful OF fun
for the gunners and Of profit for the country
guides, hGckmen and s~aloonkeepers The
game IL plentiful, despite the many raids,
and nearly every party on the return trip
can show a string OF Dummies.
Deer may be shot on the hrst two
W~ednesdays and the first two Fridays Of
| November, the dates being November 7,
o, Il and 10. The hunting Is in clubs OF
eight or a dozen usually, the men camping
out on the runways that lead to the pre-
serves of the South Side Sportsmen's Club
which shooting is forbidden. The members
OF the shooting companies are II their
places over night, in the hope OF getting
a shot at a deer aroused by the dogs and
racing toward a safe retreat. There il a
hlsillsde OF guns when game " started
and on a kill the deer is divided between
the different claimants. Within a COM
pany the division is on an equitable basis,
but complications arise when outsiders
make a demand that often lead to fights.
Many Of the companies or deer hunting
clubs are made up OF city gunners, but the
locals get the cream OF the shooting.
II is a sort OF guerilla warfare along the
firing line and as dangerous as picket duty
in an enemy's country. The nerves OF
all the watchers are on edge and a sudden
movement in q bush, even though the cause
NAV be only the upturning. Of a pocket
fask, il apt to bring a load Of buckshot
whizZinR through the trees. The sport
has the spice OF danger to the participants,
wit hout doubt, and there is the further
excitement OF mix-ups with the guards
on the forbidden grounds, wit hin which The
deer are safe. The preservation OF deer
on Long Island is inspired by sentiment
and in the best interests OF sport the killing
might we'll be rest ricted altogether, or else
limited to but one day. Still. there il a
crowd out on a open day, while from
forty to sixty deer are baRged each season.
9nipe shooting has thus far not been
90 |, but the sport will be better in October.
Inc salt marshes and the beaches have been
well patrolled, but the yellow legs and Jack
snipe nave not been abundant. The little
sand pipers still frequent the old shooting
grounds, but they are game not worth the
candle. Not so very many years q the
big snipe were a sure bag along the beaches
from Norton's Point TO MCntauk, on the
south shoRe. but they have to be stalked az
carefully as the few biGhorn sheep left in
the Rocky Mountains. In October the snipe
Oh )oting will no doubt be good, for the
summer boarders will no longer vie with
the birds for the possession OF the seashOre.
The royal sport OF Long Island, waterfowl
shooting. will also be in order then.
Waterfowl, ducks, geese and swan will
be fair game from October 10 December
81, with the exception Of Great South Bay
west Of Smiths Point, where the season
opens on October 10. On the south side
private clubs own many Of the best shooting
waters, but there Is plenty Of open shooting
IL one knows where to seek IL. The best
way IL to 90 cunning with one Of the local
guides, or captains. Who hold forth II
each Of the towns. The gun license n
uanlallV 40 and tn axpsnaNa viii AVarn a