The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-02
SHOOTING The WILD GOOSE.
FAVORITE HUNTING GROUND IN
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
flight Of Wild Birds and a shot NJ h Lead
or OF the wcdge-Woundec Goose rs
. DecOy deceptive Distances Upon
the RiNer-The Most Effective shots.

or Of the WcGge-WOundcc Goose ms
Decoy deceptive Distances Upon
the RNer-The Most Effective shots.
Lying full length in a sane pit, in the cen
ire OF o sandbar a mile In length and
half as great in breadth. my gun p~rotruding
through a pile OF willow twigs over the
breastwork raised with the excavated sand.
l shivered and waited for the mellow -honk'
of a flock of geese, writes a correspondent
of the kcnsds City Star. At intervals on
either side four other persons, similarly
situated, suffered with me in spirit and
likewise waited.
So Interested had | become in watching
the sunrise that | forgot the game which
had brought me there until two shots in
quick succession far down the bar Tudelv
aroused me. CHANGING quickly in hat di-
~rection, | saw a long, thin, wedge shaped
line fslter and swav and break into the
widest disorder. while a frantic s~quawSing
N honking and gut tural CLICKING Aoated
across the distance, clear and distinct in
the frosty morning air. A single dark
object separated itself from the army of
threshing wings and glistening bodies
and spun rapidly ea-thward IN strike with
a resounding thud upon the sand.
oJTblRnJ lot INV JDblllOH lHe kotoc CduAC
their leaders, by sheer force of frenzy, it
seemed, marshalling them into a sem
lance of order. l had turned quickly
upon my back at the first shot, my gun
across my body, held ready for instant
tee. knees half doubled up 80 that l could
spring erect preparatory 70 shooting.
Alarmed by the reception given them
already. tine geese rose a bit further from
the earth and when they passed over me
were fully eighty yards distant. l sprang
w and fired both barrels at the leaders,
scarcely expecting to do execution at that
| range. A single shot struck a big gander
sQuaTely in the throat, penetrating the
brain and almost preciI itating the heavy
body Of the bird upon my head. 1t fell
30 close that l could have reached out my
hand and caught 1t. The other boys di1n't
get a shot, as the flock, now thoroughly
alarmed, swung out over the open water Of
the river where there could be no hidden
gunner and winged their way rapidly
southwark for a safer neighborhood.
/ set the dead bird upon the sand among
the decoys, proppinR its head up with a
forked twig, and turne to my sand Pit
feeling sure of getting other shots, for there
is no decoy which will equal a dead goose
except a live one. The only di".culty with
these decoys is in securing the first one,
after that it Is more a matter of marksmaD-
ship than anything else If the birds are fly
ing. A single live decoy. stake out on the
sandbar before your stand, a cord around
its foot and attached 10 a stake driven
securely in the sand, will draw "A flock of
geese when forty wooden decoye would
not receive the slightest notice.
Occasionally a sportsman will wing a
goose and capture IL without shooting it a
second time. Such a bird should be prized
highly, for 10 seems that a wounde bird
takes malicious pleasure in calling others az
its kind down t. a similar fate and it will
utter notes which M. SIS'r sSman who ever
lived can initiate and which will bring a
flock Of geese full speed right under his
n Dead birds are almost equally good
except that they do not attract attention
as readily, as the live one will move about
and call, but with a few dead birds squatting
about on the sand in natural positi rms there
Is every reason t. eXrec roo shoe ting.
My hopes were not groundless, for the
shooting, so auspiciously begun, WAS eX-
c~ellent, and until noon WI rema med in our
pits and shot to our hearts content at these
magnificent game birds. Besides the geese,
over and occasiona lily we secured shots at
scurrying tiocks of ducks which crossed
the big sandbar In cutting" the bend the
! river made az this point.
AZ best. goose shooting is not such fast
sport as shooting ducks from a blind and
often the hunter must exercise a consider
able degree OF patience, for when one hoc6
J disappears over the distant treetops or
fades out Of sight in the blue ether of the
Sky because Of the distance il has traversed,
It may be an hour or even two before a faint
honking notifies the gunner OF the approach
of another flock. This flock may not come
within range, but circle your position tan
talizingly near--just close enough to make
you think you are going to get a shot, and
then strike out for a distant spot upon the
horizon or beyopd.
If ten or twelve fair shots are secured
In the course OF a morning or afternoon
~ - -. IL 49, L-II -
good, heavy bag when the sport il over.
Many Of the shots secured in this clas4 of
shooting are entirely out of range. for dis
tances are most deceptive under "uch cir
c~umstanCes, the great width of the river and
sandbar lending themselves readily 10 the
deceit. The white spo: under the throat
of a Canada goose looks scarcely thirty
yards away over the clear area OF eand and
water, when, in fact, it Ia three or four
times that distance, and many shells are
wasted because of this.
IL Is safe to figure Under such circ,lm-
stances that the bird Is twice as far from
you as it really seems, just as a body of
water Is generally tw ice IVA far across az il
appears on fint inspection.
A goose is "A good big bird, and a line of
fifty or more OF them seems TO offer a tar
get that one could not miss with a shot
| gun, but IL must be remembered thar a
nock OF geese are capable OF developing a
speed OF fifty and sixty miles an hour with
wind conditions to their liking and a fire.
quent change Of leaders, on whom fall the
brunt OF the work in opening a paSswav
! through the air for the flock.
a careful study OF the wounds Of a CON-
siderable nun Der Of dead geese will demon
strstc that most OF them are killed by shot
that take el ect In the head aud neck. OF
the remaining ones, most were winged
birds. brought down by q single shot which
breaks q Done. They generally nave 10
DO shot again unless they fall out on the har
and can be caught before they can maize
their way 70 the water. Very few birds are
killed by body shots. the heavy coat OF
feathers serving as an excellent protection
AMI turnlng away most OF the shot that
strike upon breast and stomach.
The iVe OF us killed twerty-seven geese
and live ducks. OF the geese tweoty-hye
we're OF the Canada variety and two were
white ironted once. One Of the boys had
secured a shot at a wan and several Of
- had shot at cranes, but without result