News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-01-22
From North Dakota

| Sportsmen find game abundant in the
hunting seasons; and many pay their fees
and take out licenses. Deer are quite
plentiful in the timber belts along the
shores of rivers and lakes. Prairie chick
ems are still numerous. These birds some
what resemble the partridge in color, size
and habits.
Every spring and fall thousands of wild
geese and ducks fly over North Dakota
on their migratory journeys. The geese
are said to travel at the rate of ninety
miles an hour, and the ducks still more
rapidly. In spring when they find the
northern regions yet too cold they 'dou-
| BILE on their course" and return about as
far as this country, until the temperature
is more favorable. Then they proceed
north ward again. SO flocks, in shape of
great fatirons, may sometimes be seen
flying in opposite directions. meeting and
passing one another.
Whichever way the olrds 20 they some
times stop to feed in fields, on lakes and
river, or in "slues," which are low, wet
spots on the prairies, and resemble New
England marshes. Coolies" deep ra-
vines, remains of ancient stream beds. or
hollows' dug by action of glaciers long
ago extinct, are other resting places for
geese and ducks; and the hunters kill
scores of them in such resorts.
However, geese are known to fly over
the country,far into the night, and some
thing about brilliantly lighted town
either bewilders or attracts them, SO that
they come down and are killed in the
streets occasionally.
But one kind OF game" is tree at all
times and in all places; for the gopher
goes with price on his head, yet he goes.
Rather the price is on his tail, which is
delivered to town officer. He pays the
bounty and the delivreer signs receipt.
Gopher Poison!' is familiar sign
about stores and newspapers of Dakota.
We rode a few miles, one day, with a
gentleman who carried little gopher
gum" Often he stopped, TOOK aim, fired,
and never missed gopher. We counted<
until he had shot tiftythree, and how
many more we did not record. Then we
took the gun, aimed, fired, and--never
hit gopher. We could not blame the
horse ;for he always stood still and enjoyed
the snap of the gun. So we charged it o
the poor quality of the powder that would
not carry the ball to the mark.
But when we left the buggy, threw off
overcoat, and squared up, the powder
worked better.
A peculiar bird called gull" stays
about the slues and coolies, all summer.
But it does not much resemble such gulls
as we have seen on the Great Lakes nor
those that we have observed on the At
lantc Ocean. The slue gulls circle over
one with wild, protesting cries, when he
approaches their homes. They dart down
as though to strike one but they never
quite hit.
A species of small duck remains all
summer in the slues.
Hawks fly low over the prairies. dart
down and rise with gophers.
The English sparrow stays in towns the
year round; and. in their season, the
same biz DIS are here as belong in the east.
TheMissouri river and neighboring lakes
are the fisherman's paradise. 1t took
long to name the kinds and recount the
qualities of fish taken from THESE waters,
Frequently we have been invited TO
"Come eat wild goose with us today
noon;" "Will you kindly honor us with
Jour presence at five o'clock dinner?
Wild duck the attraction" PLEASE come
at six o'clock and taste prairie chicken
with u.s." I'VE dine on Missouri white
fish Saturday, 1890. Come enjoy it with
us. please"
But the moss welcome invitation said,
mo style. no little, dainty dishes, but
lots of corned beef, cabbage, turnips-
an old-fashioned boiled dinner, farmers
feast. LEONARD /. COLE