Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-04
GUNNERS FIND
EXCELLENT SPORT
DUCKS PLENTIFUL AND IN
GOOD CONDITION
RETURNING SHOOTERS REPORT
FULL BAGS
Birds from North Not Arriving In
Large Flocks, but First Storm
Will Bring Them in
to Blinds

The last of the hunters who went out
to the various gun clubs on the OPEN
ing day returned to the city yester-
day, and with few exceptions they all
had limits. None of the clubs will
shoot today, although many hunters
will shoot unattached" The best
hunting grounds for unattached hunt
ers is reported to be in the vicinity OF
Balboa, while Sunset beach and Ala
mitos bay will be the scene OF mucn
shooting today. Several hunters lett
Los Angeles yesterday for Lake Eliza
beth and will remain over Sunday, re-
turning to the city early tomorrow.
Reports from Lake Elsinore are to the
effect that ducks are abundant along
the shores, and this fact no doubt VIII
tend to cause many hunters to journey
to those grounds.
During the past year most of the
open duck hunting ground within COM
paratively easy reach of this city mas
been leased to gun clubs or individual
sportsmen, and in consequence the m
dependent hunter will have hard
scrambling to find open marsh terri
tory to indulge his penchant for duck
shooting.
On most of the preserves the club
houses and lodges are comfortably
kitchens, snug sleeping quarters and
elegant dining rooms. Other down to
date accessories, including hot and cold
baths and showers, are not lacking IN
some clubs Boat houses and storage
buildings are provided. Warm kennels
for the dogs are provided on some OF
the preserves Notwithstanding that
many of the ponds are shallow and the
dead birds can easily be picked up by
a gum-booted keeper, the dog has not
outlived his general usefulness as a
retriever of both dead and wounded
birds Sometimes a good dog is indis-
pensable, particularly when bird has
dropped in the tules.
Shooting Grows Better
In case of a northern storm the local
preserves will be populated by thou
sands of the northern ducks, which as
yet are scarce in Southern California.
The northern birds can easily be told
from the home bred birds. The thick
covering of breast feathers is much
winter than that of local ducks. When
the sprig, for instance, first comes in
from the north they are almost pure
white in color. One of the proofs OF
the northern bird is in the appearance
of the intestines, which are literally
covered with transparent fat, ana sucn
birds always are in the best of condl-
ton.
1t is the opinion of many local sports
men that the number of hunters who
leave the city next Tuesday night for
the Wednesday shooting will far ex-
ceed the number that attended the
opening days shoot. The conditions
under which the opening shoot was
conducted were not of the best. Sew
eral gunners during the first day shot
into the same ponds, and no little con-
fusion resulted from the melee. In the
future, however each member Will
have his own blind to himself, and will
be better enabled to procure the limit
in a shorter space of time than ne
could under the opening conditions.
A few of the clubs have had some
trouble in getting sufficient amount
of water for their ponds Many of the
artesian wells that formerly were
gushing streams are now flowing bare
lv fast enough to run over the top OF
the casing. Several wells stopped al
together, and where this has happened
water has been secured from other
clubs or irrigating ditches and as a
result most of the clubs are in fair
condition for the shooting. Many OF
the clubs that were unable to fill their
ponds were somewhat handicapped by
the poor condition of the birds but this
will be made up by liberal feeding;
Only two members of the Bolsa Chica
Gun club shot from the grounds Sat
urday. They were Jaro Won Schmidt
and j. s. Torrance. Both gunners pro-
cured the limit within one hour. They
started firing at 5:17 o'clock yesterday
morning and left the grounds at $50
with choice BAGS of game. Jaro Won
Schmidt had six mallards in his num-
Der and the rest were sprigs, and }. ).
Torrance had four mallards. Count
Won Schmidt said: 81 have never had
s-,,oh oyca1lp1t chOptinor in fifteen wears
nor did l ever see so many birds as
there are scattered among the various
preserves. 1t is a curious fact that
of the many thousands of ducks that
are in Southern California only one
widgeon has been seen. and that one
was killed Thursday"
The Pasadena members of the Bolsa
Chica Gun club will visit the reserVa-
ton Monday night to enjoy the sport
Tuesday. Among these will be John
b. Miller, Will r. Staats. G. P. More
house, II. L. Story. f. e. Wilcox and
DIR. MCGOWAN. The Los Angeles MEM
bers will not shoot at the preserve
again until Friday. Many of the mem
bers of the club are in different parts
of the world this season, which allows
the local members better shooting.
Colonel John Lambert is at present So
iourning in Egypt. William BaYly is
In Paris, f. II. Stevens is in Buffalo
and w. F. Dreer is in Philadelphia. 1t
is probable, however, that many of
these members will return to the
southland before the season is over so
as to participate in the excellent sport.
A. T. Jergens and w. II. Cline of
Los Angeles returned yesterday from
the Sunset Gun club with a good va
riety of birds. W. II. Cline succeeded
in procuring the limit and Jergens shot
eighteen ducks.
Fred Jaynes, Peter Pfirrman and an
other will pass today at one of the
many duck grounds in Orange county
where they expect to get the limit OF
ducks within a short time.
George Friese and George Ashman
will go to Sunset Beach today and
shoot for ducks.
T. RundeL Fl. Brumell, p. f. Peter
son and M. A. Crossman will shoot
ducks in the vicinity of Balboa today.
c. Lidster of Los Angeles brought
home the limit of ducks yesterday from
Anaheim Landing, where he went Fri
day night. He reports plenty of ducks
in the vicinity.
E. B. Tufts of the Tufts-Lyon Arms
company Charlie Ruggles, viii Tufts
of the Tufts-Lyon Arms company,
John Sc umaker ard Ed Helm left Los