The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-05-10
GOING HUNTING
IN MAY
The Liberalized Sportsman
ship = May One of the
Best Months for Observa-
ton.

1t is now May, one of the very best
months for hunting in the whole year.
The old cock partridge is drumming
from his log in the woods. 1t is more
for a supporting stunt to creep up and
watch him in the act than to bag him
In the fall, and even more yet to
photograph him. The quail are whis-
thing and mating; who can trace them
to their nest at the edge of the pas
ture a little later? The male wood
cock has been going through his mat
ing antics near the nest, and in the
evening twilight performing his
strange circling and twittered song;
who has been enough of a prowler
to witness this performance, and to
find on her nest in the swamp the
bird that matches so wonderfully with
the dead leaves that it takes the
sharpest Of eyes to discover her? Black
ducks and wood ducks have eggs now
have you discovered their secret, and
learned how the latter gets it's brood
down from the hollow limb of the tai
tree?
Birds that are not in the game
class are exactly as interesting to
the outdoor men of brOadened mind.
The hawks and owls now have eggs
or young in secluded woodland haunts;
are your woodcraft and physical ener-
gy adequate to searching them out,
after miles of tramping and the climb
ing of hills and tall trees? The won
derful migratory movement of the
birds is at it's height: can you in a
days tramp, with field-glass in hand
and notebook in the pocket, ferret
out and identify the forty, sixty, eigh-
ty species of binds and recognize them
by their notes and songs? Warbler
gems, of thirty odd species will in
few days be fitting and singing
through the blossoms and tender TO-
liage; how many of them do you
know? By June a host of birds will
portunities with the camera. To pa
tiently trace out the carefully hidden
home OF some rare warbler, and out
wit the little dodger with the camera
is far more of a triumph, more real
fun and sport than to creep on a flock
of ducks with gun.
For fifteen years I tried hard each
Spring to find the nest of a black
throated green warbler, that sedate
little fellow that sings his song from
the upper stories Of the murmJring
pines and the hemlOcks. Late last May
I found it, Saddled in a crotch In the
forest, with four dainty eggs. Delight
ed I spent days there watching the
ways of those fascinating birds. In
time they knew me so we'll THAT they
would perch ON my hand, and feed
their young in the lap and on the
hat of a lady who shared with me this
pleasure, giving me a fine series OF
photographs of all these remarkable
performances. I had just as real ex-
element with these warblers as with
amy shooting Of game birds that I
have ever done. This is only one il
lustration out of hundreds that I
could give Of the spirit demanded in
the new craftsmanship.
We are face to face with the prac-
teal determination of most of our
upland game birds, shore birds and
various waterfowl, and a general de-
crease of our birds-a calamity which
is saddening to the lovers of wild
life. It is time to call halt before
our national domain is stripped Of it's
bird and animal life.
The type Of craftsmanship that we
need now is the sportsman-naturali
who shoots lawful game only in great
and cares more to know
all the wild creatures in their native
haunts than to further reduce their
pitifully small numbers. We need to
educate the new generation to go
hunting in May, and throughout the
year, in the manner above described,
and we shall see great changes for
the better.
HERBERT X. JOB,
State Ornithologist.