Evening star., 1909-08-27
SEASON IN LOCAL MARSHES
Birds Plentiful and Feeding Grounds
Stocked With Wild Oats.
CUNNING ON PATUXENT RIVER
MARYLAND Marshes Available Sep.
tember 2, Day Following Dis
trict Opening.

of the Eastern branch persons living In
| the eastern section of the city and county
will have reason to believe that q de-
| layed detachment of Gen. Harries' Ma
tional Guardsmen is bombarding the
institutions along the water front. But
there need be no fears entertained be-
cause of the sound of powder, for the
! shooting will be done by the vast army
of sportsmen which has been making
preparations for more than a month to
attack the reedbirds, ortoIan and black
birds the opening day Of the season. and
he who has not already engaged his boat
and pusher will do we'll to make a move
at once in that direction.
very few possessors Of guns and money
with which to purchase ammunition have
falied to do something toward making
the preparations which are so necessary
to make marsh shooting successful, no
matter If 1t is only to get out the gun
and clean 1t or to purchase a quantity OF
ammunition. 1t is certain that nothing
snort OF a severe storm will prevent
scores OF men and boys from visiting
the marsh the opening day and taking a
shot at the birds. all of them willing to
run the risk of being shot and a trip to
hospital for the pleasure there is in
the hunt
The trouble about waiting until later
In the season, 1t is explained, is that the
Dlrds become wild and separated after
the first day, and sportsmen find it more
oilncuit to get share of the game. The
chanse IN conditions however. does not
mean a great decrease in the number
Of gunners after the first day, there be-
ing many who get enjoyment out OF
nothing but marsh shooting" and they
are Wiling TO visit the range as long
as there is bird i'll sight. There are
| others, too. who. unable to get 10 the
marsh the first day. are satisfied to 20
iater even If the, birds are wild and
scattered.'
Opens September /.
While the local season opens the first
day OF September. marsh shooting in
Maryland is not permitted until the fol-
lowing day, giving many gunners an op-
portunity to enjoy the opening on both
the Benning and Patuxent marshes.
lhert arc not the clubs along the East
ern branch there were years ago, only
Two or three of the many being left
ana the members, 1t is said. do not pay
the attention to shooting they did former
~ On the banks Of the Patuxent river
however, there are several clubs. the
members devoting much of their time
to fishing and cunning, more especially
the cunning.
But remarked a member of one OF
the clubs to Star reporter. 1t will
/.
qulries about the law and obtain the
necessary licenses before attempting to
do any shooting on the Maryland marsh.
es There is singular provision In the
Maryland law which is intended to make
non-residents employ residents Of the
state to do the pushing for them. the
law licensing the pushers and requiring
the sportsmen to hire such persons while
on the marshes. There Is no provision
Of the law favoring the nonresident
put there is every provision protecting
the BIRDS
In order to have an enjoyable time on
any marsh 1t is absolutely necessary to
employ an experienced pusher or to be
accompanied by some person who under
stands how to handle a boat, the work
there being much more difficult than the
mere rowing through water Pushers
usually make a charge of 81 for tide,
which means about two and one-half or
three hours work. while for "mudding''
at low tide 81 is the charge 1t some
times happens that a southeast wind will
extend the tide over as long time as
three and one-half hours, and the pusher
is expected to remain until the last OF
the tide.
Two Requisites.
Not only is it necessary to get pusher
who is able to get the boat through the
water" said an expert shot to Star re-
porter. but 1t is a good thing to have a
man who knows how to get the. birds
after they are shot,
There are twa expert shots. Andrew
Byer and George Dyer. who spend the
first Of the season on the niars.i w.thuu,
employing pushers. and, they say. their
being good shots they know how to ham
die a boat and they take turns in pushing.
Their plan Is worked so that one pushes
the other until a shot is missed, when
no. iy, tha nd
as rule each gets plenty of shooting be-
fore he has to put down the gun and take
up the pole.
Discussing their plan one OF the broth
happens that the first shot misses, and
then the sport lasts only the few minutes
for the one who fails. They confine their
cunning to the early part of the season,
however. and make only a few trips about
the marsh. preferring to wait for larger
game later on.
Wild cats on the local and Patuxent
| river marshes are In splendid condition
and we'll advanced. and there are birds
about them In focks that are large enough
son opens. Ortolan came early in the sea-
| son. blackbirds coming with them, and
reedbirds came later. Reedbirds arc SELL
dom plentiful early in the season and
there are many sportsnlen who want moth
| ing else. The killing of from IS to 100 or
| tolan or from eight to fifteen dozens OF
reedbirds is considered good days sport,
while blackbirds are usually so plentiful
that no estimate is to be placed on the
| number.
Condition Of the Birds.
! The opening Of the season usually finds
reedbirds fat and heavy. while ortolan are
usually thin and hardly worth killing
| They fatten as the season advances, how
ever. as do the blackbirds. although the
| slaughter of both will begin the opening
| day Of the season and continue until the
last bird has disappeared from the
| marshes.
| 1t is lawful to kill ducks September L
and number of summer ducks have al
ready been seen about the river, but good
shooting will not be had until about the
/ time the shooting Of small birds ceases
Then the big army Of shooters will have
decreased. The good duck shooting begins
about October I. Last year many kins
| section and sportsmen think they will be
| plentiful here this season.
! Those who spend time on the marshes
| early in the season find it almost abso-
/ lutely necessary to use ice In order tc
| keep their game from spelling before they
| reach home with 1t. The small birds
spoil in remarkably short time. and
many gunner has had the disappointing
| experience of losing the result Of his days
| sport because of his failure to protect the
birds with ice.
| Under the law in the District no license
is required for the privilege of doing
| marsh shooting, and the result is that al
| most every man and boy owning gun Or
musket appears OH the marsh the opening
| day, increasing the danger of the sport
and sometimes making it necessary for
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