The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-11-06
DUCKING, SEASON OPENS.

The cunning season on the Sus
quehanna. fats opened Monday,
one Of the poorest first days for the
sport in q number of years.
A few ducks were bagged early
in the morning by those who were
fortunate enough o.get good berths
on the flats and good berths were
few.
Hundreds of acres of the best
cunning grounds were high and
dry, owing to the heavy north
wind, which blew the water down
the bay. The wind was not blow
ing SO hard during Mondays
shooting hours, but it was strong
enough to keep the tide low, and
the gunners were huddled so close
together that none were able to bag
many ducks. The ducks could
easily take refuge on the bare flats
far out of reach of the gunner.
Many of the sportsmen returned
from the fats long before the day
was over, and they all report poor
luck, yet they seem satisfied with
the days sport, as the great
majority Of them shot at anything
in sight, whether there was any
chance of bagging duck or not.
More licenses for cunning were
issued this year than ever before, 81.
being issued by Hartford county
and ninety six by Cecil. Hartford
issued SO licenses last year.
The Baltimore News in speaking
Of the scarcity of ducks says:
Each year the shooting on the
flats, especially the opening days,
causes the citizens of Havre de
Grace to solemnly wag his head
and remark, "No, the times ami
what they was.'' There is more
truth than poetry in the complaint
Ten years ago ducks were more
plentiful, the asports" who flocked
to Havfe de Grace were more
liberal spenders and the residents
profted accordingly. Today cap
tains of crafts have hard work to
charter them and they cannot com
mand as good prices as formerly
Of course, the reason is that the
shooting is not as good as years
ago, and that is because the ducks
are scarcer. This growing scarcity
is blamed by the resident on the
sports from other cities and
States who get all they can in any
old way during the few days they
remain. They don't care about the
future, for they can move off to
other ducking grounds when one
plays out. And the truth of the
matter is that the famous Susque
hanna flats are playing out" more
and more as the years go by.
This year the feed is there in all
its profusion. The wild celery
which offers the most attractive
delicacy for wild fowls, which also
imparts to the feathered gonrmands
that dainty flavor SO highly priced
by epicures, and which made the.
Chesapeake canyasback the most
sought-after bird in the world, is
growing on the flats in plenty, but
the ducks are not there to eat it.
i All remember how in previous
years, even though the weather was
what it has been this time, the
ducks arrived aud if the weather
grew more propitious they came in
ever increasing numbers until the
sky was black with them, and the.
shooting was correspondingly good.
But the real trouble is not with
the weather, but with the gunners.
There are too many of them, and
there is too much shooting. De
spite the >denials of the State and
Deputy Game Wardens, despite the
claims of game protectors, shooting
wild ducks is going on night and
day, which is contrary to the law,
and its continuance, year after
year, is what has killed, and is
still killing, the duck that has laid
r.oIsl1~ 900.