The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-31
ALL HUNTERS HAIL
RECENT CHANGE
TN WEATHER
Powder Burners Expect TO Keep
Busy During Last Two
Weeks of Season
BY Frank O'DonneH

10 say that the return OF the Hlilu
sunny weather was hailed with delight
by all devotees of the gentle sport Of
bagging wild ducks would be stretch
ing the truth, for only in few favored
sections is the prospect bright for good
sport between now and the last day OF
the season, which closes two weeks
hence. The calculations of sportsmen.
who were figuring on speedy return,
of ideal hunting conditions in all dis
tricts as soon as the weather cleared
up were upset by the long period of
excessive rains and severe storms,
which covered vast areas with water
and furnished the game with Ravens
of refuge and plenty of feed through
out the country.
1t is improbable that there will be
anything like good shooting on the
Suisun marsh preserves during the last
two weeks Of the season. even the most
optimistic members of the gu3 clubs
in that region expressing doubt as to
the possibility of the game returning
TO the marsh from the flooded areas,
where the recently sown grain offers
an excellent inducement for botn pond
birds and the diving canvasback to
remain.
1t is possible. however, that there
will be some fair shooting OF canvas
backs on the Sonoma marsh and around
the shores of San Pablo bay, as these
lows nave Deen KNOWN TO return
the interior immediately after an abate-
ment of stormy weather in previous
years in quest of q change af diet.
Up to the middle of last week, however,
there was hardly a feather in sight
around Bordells and points on the bay
shore.
SAN JOAQUIN LOOKS GOOD
With the sport practically off in the
Suisun region, hunters are turning
their attention to the San joaquin
" MI iF1or 70 oil
ports, ducks are seen in countless num-
bers. While it is true that there are
hundreds of thousands of birds in the
valley, there are not many being
bagged, as they are either Keeping to
the recently inundated areas or are
disporting themselves in the numerous
| small ponds throughout the interior.
REPORTS from SportSmen and market
hunters agree in this particular. and
the latter have been eking out but a
Scant living recently, as the light .'e-
ceipts of both ducks and geese in the
market show Nearly all OF tile game
now arriving in the market is from the
valley shooting grounds and there is
not enough of 1T coming to satisfy the
demand despite the high prices that
poultry dealers are obliged TO ask.
notwithstanding unfavorable hunting
conditions known to exist in the valley,
there promises to be a large turnout
OF city trigger pullers there today. The
Newman, Cuisine and West Side gun
clubs Will have large delegations on
their grounds, as will most of the other
organizations, while the reports of the
abundance of game will draw a large
army of unattached powder burners to
that region.
Six members of the Empire gun club
journeyed to their preserve at Ellxhorn
in Monterey county, and despite the
heavy rain and strong wind they en-
joyed one of the best shoots of hte
season. According to Floyd S. judah,
who was one of the party, none Of the
seXtette expected much in the way of
results, but decided TO brave the ele-
ments and try their luck anyhow. They
We're rewarded for their gameneSs by
running into one Of the biggest flights
of the season, as the southeastern kept
the game constantly in motion.
LOCAL HUNTERS IN LUCK
Every member of the party brought
down at least % ducks and some got
limit bags, consisting largely of can
vasbacks, J. Peltier getting 50 birds
bagged We're in the best of condition,
the cans" being plump and averaging
three and half pounds in weight. The
other members Of the party We're DR..
Hopkins, ]. c. Sims, Milton Pray and
w. O. Cullen. Judah says that at least
20 have announced their intention of
visiting the preserve today
While duck hunters enjoyed excellent
| sport during the greater part of the
season, those sportsmen who make a
speciality of going to the uplands in
quest or quail nave little or nOlnlnS
to enthuse over. Except in a few
isolated Instances the efforts of fol-
lowers of this form of sport have been
almost barren of results since the sea-
SON opened.
Experienced hunters. who have been
out time after time in quest OF quail,
have met with poor or indifferent sue
cess. and all of them agree that the
results during he current season were
the poorest known in years. The long.
spell of dry weather, which lasted until
toward the close of the old year, made
conditions bad for the sport, particu-
larly around the bay counties, and
hunters were wishing for heavy rains
to drive the game from the cover
of the heavy timber to the open spots
in the valleys and canyons The stormy
weather which followed put shooting
off altogether, and it was not until the
sun made its temperance last week
that interest in the sport was revived
1t is feared, however .hat there will
be no real good shooting. even though
the weather is ideal, for the remain
ing two weeks of the season. for it is
improbable that game will become
plentiful enough between now and the
18th of the coming month to afford
much sport; and, besides, the number
Of hunters who can afford to abandon
business cares and spend other DAYS
than Sunday in the quest of game is
limited.