The San Francisco call., 1908-10-25
Ducks More Numerous
Around the Bay
of Northern Birds
Begins and Hunters Are Able
to Secure Good Bags

As the duck shooting season advances
the wild fowls are becoming more
numerous around the bay, but the lack
of rain continues to constitute a draw
back to lovers of this form of sport, as
the number of fresh water ponds is
limited and hunting is overdone on the
comparatively few favored spots on the
marsh areas. Hunters, however, are
able to get good bags, as the annual
migration of northern birds has set in,
and the new arrivals from the freezing
the local fowls, having had no expert
ence with the shotgun brigade. Can
vasbacks, which were rarely seen
around the bay up to few days ago
are commencing to figure largely in
the bags brought to the city by hunters.
Sprig, teal and widgeon continue to
outnumber the other birds, however,
thinness of the fowls bagged. New
arrivals from the north are generally
found to be plump when brought down
but local fowls are pony, and, In the
opinion of experts, these conditions will
exist until the rain starts the feed and
furnishes additional ponds where the
ducks can find refuge from the guns
of the hunters and rest with some de-
Canvasbacks commenced to appear in
large numbers on the marshes early
last week, their coming being heralded
by the arrival of thousands of gray
geese. The latter are becoming as
numerous as ducks lin some sections, to
the delight of market hunters, who
had been eking out scant living un-
der adverse circumstances until re-
Gently. A fact of Importance to the
consuming public is that ducks can be
had in the city markets for about
Canvasbacks alone are beyond the
means of the average buyer, prices for
the other kinds having come down to
a reasonable basis.
neyed to the Suisun marsh at the close
of last week enjoyed good day
sport last Sunday. Aehille Roos shot
over his preserve at Teal station and
bagged the limit in few hours. At
the Green lodge at Signus w. w. Rich
ards, DR.. Sharp and j. x. de Witt
hunted with good results, and the
shooting was, good on the grounds OF
also on the preserves of the Marsh
and Ryer island clubs. The Valente
club was represented on Joyce island
by Pete Howard. Or. c: D; McGetti,
and James Maynard Jr. Twenty-seven
canvasbacks fell to the guns of this
quintet, and Pete Howard got 16 Eng
lish snipe.
James Rolph Jr;, and J, K. Prior OF
shoot, and DR.. George e. Davis. Otis
McAll1Ster, M. Hail McAlnSter dnO
Louis Weinmann got limit bags at
President pond. On the Cook ponds
William ]. Hynes. j. f Nichols, l.. L.
Burnham and M. o. Feudner were
among those present and all four re-
turned home heavily laden. Good
hunting was had in spots around Alva-
rado, but hunters were not numerous
enough to keep the birds moving. DR.
&C. H. Bell got fair sized bag on the
oliver place at Mount Eden, but his
luck was considered exceptional.
The Southern Pacific will run a spe-
cial hunters train every Saturday from
Oakland pier down the San Joaquin
valley as far as Fresno. Boats con-
Meeting with this TRAIN leave the foot
of Market street at p. m. The train
will stop at all stations near hunting
grounds and will leave Fresno on the
return trip at $3.50 p. m. Sunday.
Quail hunters are not so anxious fol
continued dry weather as they were
when the season opened. AS a resuli
of the ideal weather during the closed
season quail are plentiful, but the rair
has held off so long that there is nc
feed for them in the valleys, and they
have been forced to seek the thick
timber for sustenance. The prosper
of bounteous. supply, with which the
season was ushered in, has been dis
solved and not until after a copfous
downpour of rain will the little broilers
be easy to get.