Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-02-17

obtained. And hunters assert this. to
De literally true times without num-
Der.
Think. again, of ducks settled on
the lake in such numbers that q
masked canoe. pushing in amongst
them, finds itself In a very tangle
of live creatures and you get yet
another angle OF the question of how
many, and also some impression Of
how tame they become after filing
themselves with the @duck grass"
seed which abounds there, and even
in spite of the constant fusillade the
hunters keep up.
It is out of such a conglomerate
of ducks as this that the hunters
bag their 5000 a day for the mar
kets. And it may well be stated here
that 5000 is considered a conserva-
tive estimate. Many hunters put
the number as high as 10000 on the
"bie days"
AS much as $1,000 has been paid
out in one day for ducks at Manila. a
town of about 800 people. At Para
gould. it is not an uncommon thing for
150 barrels, each containing rs NAL
lards, to be sent out at one shipment,
and 20 and 100 barrels are to be ex-
pected every good day during the sea-
son. All of these ducks come out Of
the sunken lands to the east Of Para
gould. and an enormous number from
Big lake. In addition. Paragould Is
only one. althotgh probably the prin-
cipal, Of the shipping points.
One hundred and fifty barrels OF
ducks would mean more than 1000
individuals in one shipment. All the
rest of the shipping points must GER
tainly average as many as Para
gould, and on that basis many days
see more than 10000 ducks, as a
conservative estimate, shipped out
of the sunken lands country of
northwestern Arkansas and South
eastern Missouri This would mean
an average of 5000 daily for four
days in one days shipment 1t is
asserted that run of as few as 20
barrels from Paragould during the
season is extraordinary.
Market hunters among the swamp
angels dispose of these ducks to buy
ers at various points. chiefly at Ma
nilla, for from IL to- 16 cents per duck,
according to their size, condition and
breed.
Buyers ship them to dealers, most
of them going to Chicago The ex-
press and icing charges average
about five cents per duck. The buy
er gets about 35 cents each for them
on an average. Attempt In Chicago
to buy brace of mailards and you
will find them priced at from 81 up,
s1.50 being, perhaps. an average price.
Get them in fashionable cafe and
you will pay from IS cents up per por-
ton.
Arkansas has strict game law,
providing that no hunter shall ship
game out, and, indeed. prohibiting
hunting by non-residents except on
their own land. The kill is limited
to 25 ducks per day, and 1t Is un-
lawful for anyone to have more than
so ducks = two days KILN his
possession at one time.
Here. however, comes In an ex.
ception which makes Big lake the
crying evil it is in the eyes of game
protectionists. -Four townships in
Mississippi county. into all of which
Big lake extends, are exempt from the
non-shipment clause Of the Arkansas
game laws.
Swamp angels operating around
Big lake live in the swamps. Their
places they call home
according to hunters who have visited
them, are usually miserable places.
Mere shacks made of logs or rough
boards, with cracks in sides. floor
and even the roof big enough to
throw a cat through. are located on
the ridges found here and there in
the swamps.
Out Of the price he receives for his
ducks the swamp angel" must cay
for his shells, and this reduces his
profits, but practically every shell
he purchases means large fat duck.
To miss more than one shot out of
25 is considered "a disgrace"
Although malaria is rampant in
the Big lake country. the swamp
angels" are for the most part i'm
mune from it. Hunters coming in
from the outside soon catch 1t, how
ever. and thus the swamp angels.
lind an ally In the natural conditions.
and the shooting of ducks continues
merriIy In spite Of all laws and pro-
tests.