Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-02


craftsmanship.
Over 80 per cent OF the birds killed
yesterday were sprigs and, unlike the
opening day of 1907, the mallards were
unusually scarce. The hunters report
that the majority of the ducks are local
birds and that these yet are young,
which latter assertion is proved by the
fact that the breast of the male bird
has not yet turned to the snowy white
that Is so noticeable among old males.
The hunters began to arrive In Los
Angeles as early as 10 o'clock yesterday
morning, and curious crowds gathered
at the Pacific Electric depot at Sixth
and Main streets and gazed at the
hunters as they alighted from the cars
with the limits strung about their
shoulders.
Cline Gets Fourteen
Among the first to arrive In the city
was George Cline of the Dyas-Cline
sporting goods house. who, with
party consisting of Bernal Dyas. u.
Brawley, Guy Haggerty, Harwood Tay-
lor ana G. Bean, journeyed to the Do
minguez Gun club Wednesday night.
Because Cline was obliged to return
early to Los Angeles he was unable 10
procure a limit, but brought fourteen
teal with him, which he had shot with
in one hour. The others of the party
returned to the city about noon and
each gunner had the limit.
II never saw so many ducks in this
part OF the state before" said George
Cline. 'grhe majority of the ducks are
local birds, and / attribute the cause
OF this to the fact that we have taken
such good care of them during the close
season. With the first big rain ipNhe
north the local colonies will baeSin-
creased by thousands of northern
ducks. and from the present outlook
we Will have good hunting all winter.
Seven members OF the Pacific Gun
club succeeded In shoting the limit OF
ducks, and with one exception every
bird was a teal. The foreigner" was
a cinnamon tail, which was shot by e.
G. Schumacher. The members who shot
the limit were e. b. Tufts of the Tufts-
Lyon Arms company; +. M. Notmauf
w. H. Holmes and John HI. Schumah-
er The lowest number of BIRDS shot
was fourteen, killed by +. M. Lyons
Col. Charles Ruggles and F. G. Schu-
maker made up the rest Of the party,
who thoroughly enjoyed the sport.
Undoubtedly the best shooting OF the
day occurred at the Bolsa Chica Gun
club. The doors were opened Wednes-
day night to seventeen of its members,
who are among the most prominent
business and professional men or
Southern California. With only two
exceptions every member succeeded IN
getting the limit. AS was the case at
the other clubs, the majority OF the
ducks consisted of sprigs, although nu-
merous mallards were brought down.
The first gun was fired from this CLUB
at SIT o'clock, according to q watcn
held by Isaac Milbank. During the
first two hours the fog hung thick over
the portion of the clubs grounds Wnich
obrders on the lagoon and racing the
ocean, but back toward the malnlanu
the mist was thinner, and here also
were procured many ducks that VIII
adorn the platters in many Los An
geles home today. The members VINO
entoyed the sport at Bolsa Chica were:
Edwin T. Earl, T. q. Gibbon, EdWaro
r. Hull, Gail B. Johnson, II. L. ken-
dali. DR.. G. MacGowan, John y. MIiler'
Isaac Milbanlx, C.. p. Morehouse, .. +.
Posey. Jaro Won Schmidt. James Slau-
son, Will r. Staats, III: l.. story !. ..
Torrance and Lee Williams.
Members of the Creedmore Land and
Water CONF any also We're In on the
luck when 1t came to dropping ducks.
a. B. Conrad shot sixteen birds, which
proved to be the lowest number shot
bv any member. G. c. Colyear shot
the limit before noon, as DID n. y.
Dow, p. A. Leonard. %. G. Wood,
T.. N. Wright, F. w. Pitcher and J.
III. Martindale. Other members who
procured more than eighteen ducks
were L. C. Brand, p. A. Howard, r.
Shelter and G. /. Parker. The ma
jority of ducks shot were sprigs.
The smallest gun club in Southern
California is the Newport Gun ciuD,
which has only four members. 1t was
an easy trick for them to procure the
limit within a short space OF time.
II. w. Murpcy had 4 choice basketfui
of sprigs which We'd In size with
those shot by /. q. Ingram, James
Matfield and Dwight Whiting. 1T was
Sc easy" said Murphy, that we are
planning to have duck in the house
for the remainder of the season.
The Blue Wing Shoot members had
a fine streak Of luck, in fact. better
than any of that band of warriors
expected when the fact was taken
into consideration that the ponds al
most were dry on their little reser-
walton, on account of o crippled pump
ing station.i Nevertheless, nine out OF
the twelve members shot the limit or
ducks before foon The other three
members shot more than fourteen
apiece. Secretary H. N. Warrington
asserted yesterday that he never saw
30 many ducks on the grounds. Most
there is a goodly number of mallards
scattered among them and an occa-
slonal cinnamon tail may be seen
bounding in and out among the feath-
cry herd"
Twelve members Of the Olympic