Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-03
OUT ON THE MARSHES
HUNDREDS OF sPoRTsMEN TRY
SKILL WITH GUN.

Several hundred sportsmen we're out at
| an early hour this morning blazing away at
the reedbirds. -ortolan and blackbirds on
the marshes. Those who visited the
marshes Saturday were greatly disappoint-
ed because of the scarcity Of reedbirds and
| ortolan, but they did not return empty
handed as blackbirds were plentiful. Many
| sportsmen. however. will not waste their
ammunition on the "blackies." as they are
| small and are not regarded as being worth
shooting. Men who shoot birds for the
market dealers do not care to shoot black
birds because they get such small prices
| for them, supplying them at prices which
enable the dealer to dispose of them at
| from IS to 80 cents a dozen. 1t is stated
that the unusually high tides have oper-
| ated against the. pleasure and success OF
| the sportsmen. and the heavy rains drown
| ed many of the birds.
The dead birds furnished food for the cat
| fish in the Eastern branch about the vicin-
| ity Of Benning, and 1t is stated some fisher
men used the breasts Of blackbirds for fish
bait with considerable success. At the be-
ginning of the bird season Saturday morn
ing there was not the usual large crowd OF
gunners on the marsh, many of them walt
ing for today, which is a holiday Scores
visited the marshes along the branch and
river yesterday to see what the prospects
were for today's sport: They saw many
ortolon, and paths through the marshes,
where the wild oats and grass had been
beaten down by those who were there Sat
urday.
There was a line Of gunners on the Ben
ming road this morning long before sunrise,
many of them not waiting for the first car.
Some went to Benning in cabs. carriages
and wagons. but the great majorit yof them
were satisfied to walk.
Skiffs " ere in demand. but the demand
for them was not as great as 1t mas peen,
because most of the sportsmen who a1e
willing TO pay pushers own their owh
craft Guns, rifles and shooting imple-
ments of every description were carried
by the gunners. and surprise was ex,
pressed by some Of them that there had
been no fatality during the early morn
ing hours While many of the sportsmen
visited the marsh in skiffs. much greater
number waded the mud and water Or
remained about the shore to get stray
shot.
GLIB Members Forewarned.
Members of the clubs whose headquaT-
| tiers are on the banks Of the Patuxent,
and others who were willing to pay the
license fee of SO for the privilege of
shooting. went to the clubhouses and
boarding places along the river last night
in order to get out early this morning.
Under the Maryland law the season did not
open until today, and some OF the Mary
land game wardens, probably believing gun
marshes in advance, were on hand about
the Patuxent river early Saturday morning.
If any of them expected to make arrests
they were sadly disappointed. Club mem,
bers who care to shoot nothing but reed
birds will not try their luck until the last OF
the week. Then, they expect. the marsh
will be in better shape than 1t is now, and
the birds will probably be more plentiful:
At the Center market this morning the
dealers In game said that birds were un-
usually scarce this season, especially reeo
birds.
And" remarked one of the dealers to
Star reporter, II doubt if they will be
plentiful this season. There is not any
thing like enough of the birds to supply
the demand"
Reed birds were quoted at from 70 cents
to s.. 25 dozen today. Ortolan were bring
ing about the same prices and blackbirds
were selling at from 40 to 80 cents a dozen.
Rods and Crab Nets.
While many persons sought sport with
their guns. there were others who hurried
from their homes this morning to get en-
joyment out of the use of rods or crab nets.
Hundreds Of piscatorial artists went to
the saltwater resorts to catch crabs and
fish, fearing the muddy water in the Po-
tomac would interfere with fishing. 1t Is
true the water in the upper river was IN
went to points down the river, especially
about the vicinity Of Chapwamsic, In quest
Of bass.
Many good catches Of fish about salt wa
ter resorts this season have been reported,
the fishing on the lower Potomac having
been exceptionally good. Mississippi cat
fish and the white or channel catfish are be-
ing caught in large numbers in the vicinity
of the city. 1t is not an unusual thing
for anglers to fish for the channel fish IN
the Eastern branch and catch two or three
dozen during an afternoon. The best bass
fishing to be found Is at Lake Smith, near
Norfolk. where the rains affect the water
but little. Angling In the big body Of wa
ter Is so good that sportsmen In Norfolk
never think of keeping fish which weigh
less than three pounds. Under the rules
governing the lake anglers are not permit
| ted to take more than twenty-five fish from
| the water during one day.