The San Francisco call., 1908-12-20
SCOUT HUNTERS OF
DUCKS ARE NOW
SUCCESSFUL
Severe Weather Scaffers FiOCks
From Preserves and All Cum
ners Have Great Sport
BY Frank O'DOnneH

The day of the independent scout
hunter, who goes out in quest of wild
ducks without frills and elaborate
preparations. and depends upon his
knowledge of the habits of the festive
Wild fowls for results. has come at
| last. Until the weather god smiled on
Thim the scout hunter was a rank out
slider. as he was barred from the best
shooting grounds by the gun clubs
and the ponds left open to him were
! few and far between. The heavy down
7 pour of rain formed new, ponds and the
severe weather scattered the fiocks in
ali directions, thereby breaking what
was almost monopoly of sport held
! py the members of the gun clubs. The
gun clubs We're not exactly deprived of
game, their baited ponds insuring
ahem against such a calamity, but the
! by the severe weather, and the out
slder was given the chance that he
was waiting for since the opening of
! the season
| Ducks are so plentiful now that any
one possessing the least skill and ex-
perlence cara get good bags, whereas
up TO about two weeks ago the only
noteworthy results were obtained. on
the leased preserves or in their imme-
date vicinity. Millions Of ducks are
seen In the San Joaquin valley. and on
] tiS SuOISS OF the upper reaches Ol oau
Pablo bay and on the adjacent marsh
areas the supply is not limited.
Not only IS the game plentiful, but
weather conditions are ideal for sport.
as the cold weather drives the birds
from their loafing places on the open
stretches of the bay 20 the inland
ponds, and keeps them moving about
F, When ducks are on the wing, most
| OF the time or in full flight, it is an
easy matter for hunters to get them,
and Judging from recent successful
hunts the trigger pullers have not
been slow to take advantage of exist
ing conditions
| On nearly all the grounds around the
upper bay and in the San Joaquin val
week, but it was on Thursday that the
sport was at dts best. The strong
north wind that commenced blowing
sent the game scudding from the coast
and open waters of the bay to shore
and marsh lands, and any one who hap
pened out at that time secured limit
or near limit bags with ease. J, X.
| Orr, prominent sportsman of Point
Reyes, said that the flight OF cam
yasbacks at the point was tremendous.
The wind was from the north and at
tanned a velocity of 20 miles an hour,
sending the birds In thousands to the
sheltered coves of San Pablo bay and
to the marsh areas.
Ray Mecchi of this city was hunting
with Harry Obetz and William Cuneo
around Ignacio Thursday. and the trio
benefited by the fight reported by Orr.
Mecchi. in common with others who
frequent the west shores of San Pablo
bay. had ceased visiting favorite
haunts on Sunday, as the unsportsman-
/ like conduct of hunters in launches
made it almost impossible for those on
the shore to get shot. These launch
parties with their swivel guns cripple
more birds than they bag.
John Grace. Pop SWEET, John McGov-
ern and Jack Kennedy spent several
days on Midshipman slough in the same
region last week hunting canvasbaclxs
with good results, averaging from
eight TO ten birds each every day.
Shooting has been excellent since the
storms on the southern part of Suisun
marsh, but there has been very little
doing to the north. members OF the
Glover Leaf and Field and Tule clubs
reporting poor sport around Cordeia.
Jake Nichols. Ed Smith and Charles
Unger had good shoot at the Cygnus
club. but got no canvashacks.
! At the Volante, Joyce island, Green
Lodge and Ibis clubs sport was good.
Billy Hynes, Jack Filmer, Ed Wands
and Charles Fisher securing large bags,
consisting chiefly of sprig and teal. w.
Richards and DR.. Sharp got the limit at
Cygnus station last Sunday. Richards
sculled through the slough Saturday
and shot over the ponds on the follow
ing day, getting full bags each time.
Captain Seymour shot on the old Har-
vey ponds with A. Clark.
The usual large Sunday delegations
were out at the preserves around New
man. Gustine and Los Banos in the San
Joaquin valley and there was large at
tendance at the grounds of the Empire
club in Monterey county F. s.. judah
and Il. G.. Gait of the latter club got a
limit bag of ducks. including Is can
vasbacks.
| Conditions have been ideal for quail
hunting for two weeks, and several
good bags were brought to the city
from Monterey county, but for some
unaccountable reason there has been
little doing around the bay. Marin
lcounty club members are said to be
doing well on their preserves. but very
little is heard of results obtained by
independent hunters in that region.