The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-12-05
GAME NOTES FROM
 H0USATONIC RIVER
(Communicated.A

Thanlsgiving day will be renem- oered for long time because Of the 1 1nelement weather. and to those com swirling snow and listening to the noises of the east wind, they could not have believed that there were those who for their holiday had braved the storm and were out on the shore or water in pursuit of the wild duck, their faVorOte sport.
 Quite likely there never were so many hunters the marshes and shore bordering the Housatonic river and the breakwater at it's mouth as on Thursday morning. Every nook and vantage point had it's quota of men. hiding in the grass, behind i'm proVEsed shelter or, among the rocks, waiting for the ducks to fly their way. At the breakwater among the mas sive rocks, was sight that those who saw it will long remember Every lit tie way 8. head would bob out from among the rocks, while shot after shot rang out as duck would fly over the brea kwater.
 One man who had shot ducks on the river for many years said that he had never seen so many men on the break water before and that he had not put out a decoy, for The could not find place to set one," meaning that all the available places were taken.
 County Warden Wilbur Smith and Deputy Warden Parrott of Stratford were on the river from six o'clock till noon, and interviewed forty-eight hunters, all but one of whom had the necessary hunting license, the one claiming that he had left it at home.
 and his identity having been learned,
 he was allowed to go home and prove his story. #
 Men with the hardihood to follow their favorite sport on a day like Thanksgiving, should have been re- warded with good luck, yet the war
 dens did not see any of the hunters with a very fat bag, and good many several shots that did little more than make holes in the air
 The wardens were pleased to note
 that there was a large number of gulls on the river, and those beautiful birds
 seemed less afraid that formerly, and
 that while many of them sailed over
 tance, as far as he could see they were
 not nO1eSted.
 The sea gull, or herring gull, is pro
 tected at all seasons and are more
 plentiful than formerly and add
 touch of life and beauty to the rivers and harbors all through the winter.
 how 8 well known hunter coming up
 the river espied number of nice fat ducks and rowing carefully toward them and picking out fine bird fired,
 barrel, when a hunter raised his head
 from among the rocks and shouted:
 Stop filling my wooden decoys full of
 lead" Needless to say he didn't shoot
 the other barrel.
 The statute relating to the taking of
 ducks says that they shall not be talk en ''in the night season from an hour after sunset until an hour before sun rise,' yet there are some hunters who have been taking their chances and
 shooting way into the night. on the lower Housatonic river and on knells Island. County Warden Smith. who
 has jurisdiction on both sides of the
 Housatonic river, is looking into this
 complaint and learning the creeks
 through the Island. and Wednesday
 night with Deputy Warden Parrott of
 Stratford, was on the ducking grounds
 and among the creeks in the island
 until twelve o'clock. While at one end of the island at about e:3o there was shooting at the
 other end, and before the .wardens ar rived at that place, the hantar had
 moved away. little thinking that the wardens were coming his way, and his sense of security would no doubt have been very much disturbed had the wardens found him.
 of channels running through the iS- land the warden will be able to know the approach to the different shooting places better and will no doubt be able to appear at the right place at the right time, and Is determined 10 stop this night shooting, because 1t is a law, q good law meant to allow the wild fowl a time to feed in security,
 and which tends to keep them in the vicinity, and in justice to those who like to hunt and live up to the stat