Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-02-05
WILD PIGEONS
ARE RETURNING
AFTER THIRTY YEARS, ABSENCE
FLocks ARE AGAIN APPEAR
ING IN OLD HAUNTs
Formerly Flew in Thousands About
Lake Superior and Wore Trapped
For Hotel Fare-Are Thought to
Have Been in South America.

4
Many old citizens will remember that
forty or fifty years ago. the woods and
forests of the northern states and in the
regions Of the great lakes swarmed
with focks of the wild or passenger
from pigeons. For more than. decade
now these pretty birds have been miss
ing from their former haunts. And now
from the country surrounding Lake SUI
perior come reports that the f1ocks are
coming back to the north country.
Just where these birds Of passage
have kept themselves for more than a
third Of a century Is not known, but the
general supposition is that they have
been breeding in the wooded and I'M
settled regions Of South America.
Woodsmen report hundreds of them
along the Cloquet river, in st. Louis
county Minnesota, and colonies have
also appeared, it is said. in the Wiscon--
sin woods, north Of Superior. Last
spring flock was seen in Pressure Isle
Park, at Marquette. Mich, by the care
taker, who when young man had kill
ed many of the birds, and he recognize
ed the species at once.
Old Men Think of Former Days.
Many middle age and elderly men re-
member the old days on their farms in
Minnesota or Michigan in the great
lakes region, when these birds were so
numerous that boy could kill hun
dreds In day with no better weapon
than club.
In those days trapping the birds for
the market was regular business with
large number of men. Nets were.
spread out in the stubblefield after the
harvest. A few decoy pigeons were
placed here and there, just as sports
men now decoy wild ducks in their
flight. Then, lured by their kind, and a
lavish sprinkling of grain, the pigeons
would descend in thousands on the net
covered grounds. A dexterous sweep of
the net by experienced hands would en-
trap the quarry. The birds We're serv-
ed at hotels and restaurants in the cit
les and were regarded as great deli
cacy. In fact, such great favor did this
food win the squad raising has been a
profitable business since the departure
of the wild species years ago.
Belong to Dove Family.
Wild pigeons are Of the dove family.
The male has narrow, gracefully
pointed tail, and is about seventeen
inches long. The female is much small
or. The upper parts are generally a
variable blue, the neck richly CLOSED
with metallic, golden violet, and the
lower purplish or brownish red, fading
behind into a violet tint. nearly white
beneath the tail. The bird resembles
the homing pigeons and has wings
eight and one-half inches long Its
flight is remarkably swift and powerful.
The birds were once resident
throughout the year in the South of
| Canada and the most northern states,
which they We're compelled to leave
in midwinter when the ground was
covered with snow. Stories about old
settlers seeing millions of passenger
pigeons instead of thousands might
seem somewhat exaggerated, but ear
ly travellers in the region of the great
lakes have remarked in their writings
the enormous numbers OF these birds
which required for their food great
quantities of grain. However, grain
never formed an extensive part Of the
feed, since the birds did not settle up
on and attack the growing or ripening
fields. but only CLEANED among the
stubble.
Feed Mainly on Some Nuts.
Their food consisted mainly Of the
smallest acorn and the thin shelled
nuts, especially beech nuts, and va
such material was plentiful they gath
cred in vast congregations, which
thronged upon the trees until the
branches would break with their
weight. They covered the ground so
thickly, turning over the, leaves in
search Of something to eat, that the
moment one rose upon wing another
was ready to take its place.
| The pigeons would remain in one
place as long as the food supplies held
out and in May or early June would
make their nests in company, some-
| times so loading the trees that they
would break down. The nests were
crude platforms of twigs, holding two
roseate white eggs, or sometimes only
| one.
Pigeons multiply rapidly. Such con-
seen in the great lakes region than
elsewhere. Settlers would bank to-
gether and kill and catch the birds in
! great quantities, while wild animals
| from far and near would assemble for
| the feast.
At first the killing was done for home
needs, each family, perhaps, sailing a
few barrels Of bodies; but later when
transportation facilities improved, large
1 numbers We're prepared for market.
The birds. captured alive, especially
! the young pigeons were transferred to
enclosures and kept and fattened for
| the market. Men made such business
of this that they went from place to
place wherever pigeons abounded.
Pigeon shooting was a favorite
amusement among sportsmen when
birds We're plentiful. AS many as 90
900 birds were used at a single tour
nament before public sentiment and
/ law checked the slaughter and perse-
cution, together with the clearing away
of large areas of forest. rapidly drove
/ s@0c0%1&o@GS@1o~ SaVS&oSe1s
! 3 A Safe and Sure {
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