The Washington herald., 1907-10-06

possible during the hunting season. Game
purchased In market and cooked at home
or at a restaurant tastes good. but IT
pals into insignIhcance when compared
with that which one kills himself and
brings home in triumph from a day in
the woods.
It's long wait 10 the man with a gun
from March to September-from the close
of the duckiHg season in the spring No
the opening of the reed bird season In
the fall, and Just wait until September
has been the slogan for many weeks.
Washington is particularly favored in
It's location for gunuing-for while
large metropolis. some very fine game
country surrounds il, and if one but
knows the ropes there can be found
within a radius OF twenty-five miles
plenty Of ducks. geese. turkey. wood
cock, RULED grouse. snipe plOver, Tab-
bits, quail, squirrels, and birds and orto-
Ian.
Just at present we are in the midst Of
our reed bird and ortolan shooting. which
yearly ushers in the fall cunning season.
and IL can truthfully be said that no bet
der the shadow Of the dome Of the Cap
itOL To the man with only a few hours
10 spare there IS a wide field 20 choose
1rom-Four Mile Run, Eastern Branch.
Little River-all are excellent localities.
and good sport can be had at any one OF
them, while with a few hours more at
his command he can visit the famous
marshes on the Patuxent River twenty
miles from here. or those Of Mattawoman
Creek near Glymont; Aqua Greek. near
Quantco, or Broad Creek, near Mount
Vernon. Fortunately tor unfortunately
a SO license is required TO shoot on the
PatuXent, but any one is privileged 20
60 there who can put up the price
Reed birds are not, strictly speaking,
game birds, although they are so de-
ncious and afford such good shooting
that they are classed as such under the
game laws. In point Of fact they are no
more OF less than b0bolinks, in a diff
ferent dress from what we are accus-
toned 10 see them in the spring All
summer long az the North the b0bolinks
and the sora have been providing for
our fun lsora rail is the book name for
oTtolam. and now that he is with us no.
body wants TO shoot bobounks-so reed
birds and ortolan for ours
OF all the different kinds Of hunting,
this is the one in which IL seems impos-
sible TO carry too much ammunition.
-Four and FIVE hundred shells are not too
many, and the only fear is that with this
large number one may wish for more be-
fore the day is over. Many persons use
q l2-bOre gun, but the little @-gauge so
popular now is by far the best gun for
this class Of sport. For reed-bird shoot
ing therefore. one wants. besides plenty
OF ammunition in a big bucket Ia regular
galvanized iron slop-bucket makes the
best receptacle. "a pair of hip rubber
boots, and skin-whetler or not 70
take a pusher is an open and an individ-
Ual question.
Ortolan are hunted on the same ground.
only If one wants 20 be successful one
must follow this rule-either hunt reed
birds or hunt -0rtOlan. both cannot be
gunned for at once with any satisfac-
ton. Everybody has their own way of
hunting. but when one man shows UP
measly bunch OF dozen or twenty
reed birds, and another shooting on the
same ground, gets twenty dozen, il is
not all luck
First study the birds a few moments
and get their line OF flight, for. instead
Of moving aimlessly about, the whole
mass are following a general direction.
Now, If YOU can so place the boat as to
get the flight over an open piece of water
and drop the birds there, you can have
no end of fun for hours at a stretch: II
not. you must take your stand IN the
marsh and work for every one you get
Standing thus, you can shoot birds to
your hearts content without shifting
your position scarcely at all. Only re-
member this, never shoot more than one
bird al a time-mark him down and never
take your eyes of the spot until YOU
have picked him up. If you do, you will
wind up by losing more birds than you
viii get. one place In the tangle OF wild
oats looks exactly like another, ana
even when a bird is marked down it is
not always an easy matter 10 walk 10
him and pick him up, but the above is
the only way 10 be successful-one bird
at 4 time and keep it up Rarely does
a pot shot at a bunch offer itself, and
that is not sport
This method was very aptly illustrated
this season in the writer's presence. one
man, following il exactly. and for three
hours shooting having over twenty dozen
10 show, while within dozen yards OF
him stood an equally good shot who did
twice the shooting. who showed up three
dozen.
Reed birds are like some peopIe-their
moods change-aud after time the line
Of fight changes for no apparent cause.
and one must change position according
~. On cloudy, l0wery days. they fly low.
and If hard wind is blowing they bed
down and stir very little. Il is at this
Ha oh.
work and Kills more than he finds
Again, during low tide, very few are nv-
ing, all being busily engaged in feeding,
but just as soon as the tide begins To
make they are on the move Just be-
fore sunset Is also favorite time to
get in the line Of flight, and, strange TO
say, with the disappearance of the sun
beyond the horizon the flight ceases.
For ortolan shooting the mOdus oper-
andi is very different. Here the services
Of a pusher are absolutely necessary.
With q long pole he stands i'm the stern
Of the skiff and pushes il through the
Wild rice as the tide rises. OTtolan flush
only on rising tide With a pailfuI
OF shells the shooter stands in the bow.
braced against the seat, and as the birds
jump kills them as fast as he can load
and fire II plentiful, the shooting Is fast
and furious. and many a time one has
10 stop In order 10 let his gun cool off.
and when many are shooting at one time
It is lots Of fun-and sometimes danger
Gus. The writer has been shot and has
shot others, and the sensation in either
case Is far from pleasant The business
OF the pusher is twofold-to push and
mark down the dead birds To the novice.
all the marsh looks alike but with three.
four, and even FIVE birds down it is a
marvel 70 see good pusher find every
one of them.
Not every bird that IS shot is killed.