Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-25
LOST spoB1...cylckgN sHoo1INe.

A LOST SP0RT-.-CkiCkSk SHOOTING.
Some fellow in Oklahoma, who seems
and prairie chicken shooting as the
average gunner of the present day, is
deighting the sportsmen of the present
with articles telling how to do it. Some
of these are excruciatingly funny to
the old time chicken shooter. especial
~ when we are told how loudly the
cocks boo and the hens cackle in the
midst of the shooting season. How
ever, while there isn't much of the real
thing about the story it recalls great
deal that was the real thing in the
days when chicken shooting was easy
to find and birds We're plenty.
It is hard to realize that from Iowa.
once the finest Chicken ground in the
world the pinnated grouse has de-
parted never to return. The prairie
chicken was a splendid game bird 1t
was plentiful. even numerous up to a
few years past in Iowa and southern
Minnesota Now from central and most
of western and northern Iowa the
prairie hen has vanished 1t had long
before departed from eastern Iowa
But in the old days, in the old days
when the spring mornings re-echoed
with the love call of the cocks and
great prairie meadows were covered
with their mutitudes; when the packed
|. fiocks in the fall numbered thousands;
when every corner and protected spot
} held a nest with its fourteen to sixteen
eggs, we had chickens Then the early
: mower disturbed new coveys which
burst out Of the grass in fuzzy ami
rated little balls and buzzed away
: like humble bees. When harvest actual
~ came the birds were half or two
thirds grown and the harvester marked
the habitat of each "Aock" with an
. ancicipatory eye. When September
came they were strong of wing and Of
good size And then
Two good men, at peace with each
other ana all the rest Of the world,
swu7g 0ut of the buggy. Across on the
stuhbl5 two dogs were standing rigid
as stone statues, one foot raised and
head and nose extended to grasp more
of the steaming body scent that filed
heir nostrils.
The men did not hurry much. De-
liberately they took their guns out of
tho aemocrat buggy, filed their pockets
with loaded shells and walked toward
the dogs There was no need to hurry.
Those were staunch dogs and would
l hold EN-" AS they came up one old
dog slowly turned his head for orders
and settled again stiff as steel. His
u Jaws were slowly working and he
: slavered. Co on said one of the men
The dogs took ore forced and cautious
step forward They're under their
noses" said the other Step by step
: thru the stubble until with a great
~ t4t am D-tl4!4S VI W 4!iSS up went TIE
u old bird. AS she swung to the right the
gun nuzzle followed her for an in
lstant, puff Of vapor clouded the al,
at the snap Of the smokeless and the
hen stopped in mid air dead as g
stone. so cruelty mericiful had been the
gunner's alignment. 50 a half dozer
to
took wing for the prairie grass. The
survivors settled there not a quarter o.
a mile away. Mark EN- said the
leader well pick 'en up on the way
back
:. When evening fell the democrat bug.
gy was full to overlooking with prairi.
/, loads brought in from the fields b.
men who came together and talked i
9, all over, perhaps that very evening
1t was one OF the very II1any suci
loads brought home over the state
:. Perhaps that is one of the reasons VIII,
=, there are no chickens in Iowa.
- buL II Is Only one VI LIle REASONS
Dc The great reason is that the breeding
to grounds are gone. There is no plac
for the prairie chicken on $3.50 an acr
ht farms. The plough destroyed the nest
or ing places, the pastures have replace
he he prairie grass Like the pionee
eel 1t moved on and is moving on to tn
c. end as the buffalo has moved and a
on the Indian and the pioneer are movin
he to the place of the things that wer
r There is little game of any kind lie
OF in Iowa. Soon there will !
tn none, how soon the number
By hunters certificates permitting eas
ne owner to carry weapon
re the lat4st and daaAltAst eonstr1,otdl
- rrsphssiss. Coming esnsrakieus W
dnA ltttas game shnefins Ia lava. eue
lie ~ may be VIII be over protested pr
IT. serves as birds reased in the E,
'erl ropean way. And the man with ii