The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-04-28
wAERE SEA BOWLS REsr.

you can never get 1t into the mind
of a Maine sneak Doatman," said
County Commissioner Fred Page, of
Orland, reports the New York Sun,
chat game laws have anything to do
with the wild geese and swans that fly
north every spring and return every
autumn with augmented numbers and
Increasing noise. 1t is all right enough
to protect the tame geese and ducks,
they say. but geese Matched up in the
middle of British North America and
ducks whose mothers deposited eggs
for their rearing 100 miles from the
nearest human habitation among
Maine boys demand no more protec-
ton than crows or apple tree caterpil-
lars. When they come up along the
coast they take their chances of get
ting shot"
There are half a dozen resting
spots for the migratory sea fowls be-
tween Cape Cod and Halifax along the
eastern coast of Maine, none of which
is more famous than Marsh Bay
where Marsh Creek winds nearly fifty
miles through the salt marshes of
Waldo county in order to eXpel its
warm and muddy waters into Penob-
scot river. Because Bangor is twenty
miles to the north and Belfast is twen-
ty miles to the southeast, and there
are no large cities or towns near at
hand, Marsh Bay has never been
hunted over much, and one is reason
ably sure of capturing big bags of sen
fowl in Marsh Bay as soon as the ice
begins to break up and drift into the
muddy eddies.
Here the rare elder ducks play
about all winter. Black ducks and
whistlers never leave for a warmer
climate. Great and brilliant cock old
squaws grow fat and develop the grace
full and brilliant sickles in their tails
and even the brilliant and not com
mon wood ducks, which roost in trees
are found more commonly here thar
elsewhere in Maine.
Every spring Bucksport gunners in
white cunning floats trimmed with
evergreen boughs scull up among the
floating ice and capture from dozer
to fifty wild Canadian geese and
dozen or more of the musical little
brant geese. which seem to be hold
ing their own in spite of the heavy
shooting. Every year one or more
swans meet death from double bar
relied shotguns loaded with buckshot
Last year two fine specimens o.
trumpeter swans were captured ant
sold to natural history societies.
There are graceful and highly col
ored swimmers of the teal family
which are often in company with
draggled and storm driven Mother
Cary's chickens, while among the big
and numbering swimmers are found
two species of looms and the great and
unwieldly cormorant or shag.
Among these water birds are found
an abundance of white headed eagles
which build their nests on the granite
crags of the surrounding mountains
Great croaking ravens are as plentiful
as crows, and crows are as abundant
as English sparrows Until two years
ago ago a pair of the very rare sea
eagles had built a nest and reared
young on a crag Of Treats Mountain
overlooking the bay, for more than
fifty years. Some six or more pairs OF
fishhawks build in tall trees among
the surrounding woods.
The killing of sea fowl in Marsh
Bay is nothing less than crue'
slaughter of birds. It is just ques
ton of sculling along the muddy wa
tiers. concealed behind brush blinds
and then rising and blazing away with
both barrels at close range MANY
gunners are fond of this kind of sport
however, and as Marsh Bay is the
only spot within 800 miles of New
York where it can be enjoyed, the
opening of the shooting season among
the ice cakes usually calls forth many
boats and large number of well-to-do
but not very critical gunners.
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HELPI PoLIcEl