The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-31
CROW SHOOTING
 BROUGHT UP TO DATE
Hunting Birds With Noise
 less Rifles Maxim Si-
 lencers Used with Effect.

l0uCoTS USSQ WlGU Elll0Cts
 The sport, or perhaps better, duty of orow shooting is not new art. especially throughout the farming districts of this and other states. It awaited the adaptation of one of the the most modern of fire arm inven- tions, Hiram Percy Maxim's gun si- lencer. when this war against the ra- ven bird was lifted into the class of mere sports. That part of Connec- ticut's population that is grouped by the census taken under the title of agriculturalists will without question rank MT. Maxim among the benefac- tors of the human race when they learn the part his nofSeless guns have been having in the lessening of the crows.
 Sometime or other before the French Revolution, 1t is related, the French aristocrats kept the peasants on their country estate beating the ponds all night through so that the turb their own slumbers. In Ma pie Hill some time ago in the sum- mer months the inhabitants were so disturbed and distracted by the caw- ing of thousands of crows in the neighboring woods that a vigilance
 
 them out of the place. The mem- bers of the committee went forth in the evening with shotguns and brought down hundreds of the birds. Of course what they killed was only a. small part of the total, but for a cry wherein to pass the hours from sunset to dawn. The committeee's plan was to come upon the rookery as quietly as possible and all would fire off their guns at once into the trees where the birds were. The noise of the guns would frighten away those who were not hit, and so the actual shooting would soon be over. It is a much different thing when MT. Maxim goes crow hunting.
 The Crow Rookery.
 Perhaps few people in Hartford know that within five or six miles of the city is a crow rookery, where have spent the nights for years and years. Early in the morning they fly forth to their feeding places. North and south and east and west say, although it is safe to presume that many of them fly ten or twenty miles in search of food. They are said to be the worst enemies of game birds we have. eating the eggs and young birds from the nests during
  CT birds. Of their food habits the most pronounced is the eating of carrion. So they feed all day and in the afternoon they begin to return to their rookeries, flying in constant ly increasing focks as they come ing the air with their hoarse cries and making the air black with their numbers.
 The Party of Hunters.
 It was early in the afternoon that MT. Maxim's latest trip was made. There were two in the hunting par ty beside the inventor and his young had rifles equipped with silencers. A double barrel shot gun, similarly pro- vided, was also taken.
 The road lay down the Berlin turnpike. Long before the rookery, or rookeries, for there are two patch were reached, long lines of crows were seen flying high overhead, com ing from the southeast. It was ear Her than they usually came, but the air, was already darkened with snow and their instinct that a storm was coming had doubtless started them for home ahead of time. The avia- tor and the bird would rather be somewhere else than in the air when there is a good storm on.
 The Crow Call as a Lure.
 Securing cover in the midst of some trees and brush beneath the l path of the birds, preparations were 1 made to lure them to their destina- ton. For this purpose especially | made whistles that give a very real l istic crow call are used. These arc | of what is supposed to be events when they hear it the crows are at once thrown into great ex- citement and they come closer to the earth and try to find the place the noise comes. But the snow made a poor sound conductor and the birds apparently failed 10 hear the caws that the mechanical ,hroats gave forth. Their eyesight was not affected, apparently, for in spite of the cover they seemed able height, and made sweeping detours o avoid passing near enough to af- lord good shot. One or two other places beneath their line of flight were tried with the same result. Crows have been taught to talk and nan attribute they possess. Few birds are more wary. and they seem o have 8 second sight that tells hem what objects beneath them must be avoided. It was finally de- .iGed to invade the rookery.
 Click of the SiIencer.
 From a hill at some distance the crows could be plainly Seen on the ,round. Few of them had as yet llighted in the trees. They were walking about evidently trying to ind something to eat. A rifle shot vas fired among them. There was no ound in the hunting party save a light click, but with a whirr and lamor hundreds of crows suddenly ose into the air and went flying bout
 A small grove in rather boggyl ,iece of land is the spot most select d by the crows. It was still too ear y in the day for them to have Llighted there to any great extent ut they were circling about in the .ir, and on hillside at some dis ance the ones that had been disturb d by the rifle shot Joined by many 'thers, literally made the ground black.
 The air was now thick with the Iaml snow. but the birds were near srEs aA---.-