The San Francisco call., 1908-11-15
Duck Hunters Shoot
at Long Range
Birds Become Very Scarce
Except in Several Favored
Locations
By Frank O'DOnnen

essential 20 this form or sport ldll ~
meterialize. huntsmen are taking con-
ISOLATION from the fact that there are
plenty of ducks to be seen and a few
to be had anyhow. for the weekly eX-
odus to the shooting grounds continues
unchecked
Toward the end of each week the
usual large number Of hunters journey
to the shooting grounds around the
bay. and the special train to San Joa-
quin points carries big delegations or
spOrtsmen, undeterred by prospects OF
poor luck There is a noticeable lack
Of enthusiasm among the hunting fra
ternity, however. as ducks are by no
no means easy to get in some loeaIi-
tiles, and the comparatively few limit
bags appearing are obtained only on
favored preserves. where the sport -
judiciously conducted.
As there has been no rain to speak
of since the season opened. and the
number of fresh water ponds on the
marsh areas is limited in consequence,
the situation from the viewpoint OF the
hunter is unsatisfactory, TO say the
least Nevertheless, they continue 10
invade the shooting grounds, hoping
always to do better than before Many
amusing instances of the persistence
of hunters and their determination to
secure good bags are reported by OBJ
servers. According TO these story
telIers, veterans who should know
better are seen taking long distance
shots, and even parting with their
last shot in a futile effort to bring
down ducks that are mere specks on
the horizon.
Reports from the districts that are
most frequented differ widely as to
the number and condition OF the birds
I to be found in the different localities
1t is said by some that ducks are
poor in parts of the San Joaquin valley
and similar reports are received from
Suisun marsh, while other hunters
maintain that there are plenty OF fat
birds to be had. and exhibit fair sized
bags to prove their assertions This IS
/ perhaps due to the fact that the ponds
are not properly baited on all OF the
preserves. Another explanation has it
that hunters are too numerous In some
districts and that the birds are de-
prfved of a chance to rest and sleep
/ by being kept almost constantly on
the wing. However. the fact remains
that thin birds are more numerous
than plump ones. Both spOrtsmen and
marketmen say so.
Nine members OF the Empire gun
club spent last Sunday on the preserves
at Elkhorn in Monterey county with
good results, getting an average of IS
I birds each. and some of them rounded
out the days sport by bagging many
quail and snipe The members OF this
I
ent weather expressed by other sports
men, as their ponds are heavily baited
and offer inducements for ducks to re-
main, while a heavy rainstOrm would
scatter the ducks and cause them to
! seek other quarters. Shooting continues
/ poor on the Suisun and SOnOma marshes
and only few birds are being killed at
/ bay shore points, except at Mount
/ Eden. where the kubler gun club
ponds are located. NJ English and
party of three hunted in launch Off
SausalitO and in the vicinity of Peta-
luna slough last week. AND got limit
bags of eanvasbacks, blue bills and
sprig. English reported that nearly all
/ the birds brought down by his party
We're plump, and expressed the opinion
that they had been driven from the
marshes and managed to find a refuge
/ in the isolated part of the bay where
they were bagged.
/ Northern canvasbacks and blue bills
are becoming more numerous around
the bay every day, but they are not
plentiful in the vicinity of Gustine and
Newman as yet. There are enough
local birds at these places. however. to
furnish good shooting. and the mem
bers of the clubs with headquarters
near Firebaugh and Los Banos appear
I to be satisfied with the existing situa-
/ tiOn. though some of them say the fat
ducks are rather scarce.
I Two recent happenings in the vi
cinity of Gustine illustrate the ex-
tremes of hunters luck Charles Nc
I Claim, an amateur hunter, was the
guest Of one of the clubs in that vicin-
/ ity and brought down the first bird he
shot at. but was unable TO land another
/ though he tried for several hours, while
/ the officials Of another club were
Obliged to discharge a keeper who was
accused of shooting for the market
with -four bore" gun. and was said
4 to have killed 132 ducks In two shots
+ Northern birds have appeared on
Tulare lake. but they. like the home
+ bred fowls, are said to be suffering
I from the same sickness that killed so
many ducks in that region. Experts
say that the strange malady that has
been destroying ducks by the thou
( sands in that region is caused by the
birds eating questioned wheat and also
from devouring poisoned grain that Is
placed in the fields to kill ground
squirrels.
Quail hunting Is becoming more pop
ular as the season advances. but the
luck has thus far been more on the
I side of the game than on that of hunt
/ ers. In Marin and SonOma counties
the game is plentiful. but the birds
continue TO keep TO the cover OF the
heavy timber and hunters find 1t a
difficult matter TO get at them They,
like the duck hunters. are hoping for
rain to come, as the game would then
be forced to leave the brush on the
foothills and come to the valleys and
canyons. where dogs could work to
better advantage and the men behind
the guns could enjoy a hunt without
tramping through thick underbrush
and over mountainous country
Hunters who We're fortunate enough
to obtain admittance into vineyards in
SOnOma county last week had great
luck. and secured big bags with little
/ effort. Among these was Win Barnes,
who shot in a vineyard near Windsor
above Santa Rosa last week Barnes
got the limit with hardly any trouble.
and said that he made all kinds OF
shots. scoring doubles and trebles while
hardly moving about.
r. ID. McPhail. who recently returned
from a trip through the south. said
/ that hunting in vineyards was common
throughout Fresno. Kern and Merced
counties. and he also reported that
good results were obtained by hunters
Il in the sagebruSh country of Kern
near FoTT