The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-29
THE: GUN AND ROD PROMNF
THE FINEST TYPE OF MIN
y. . ihese PURSUITS Akin To Mastery Of SOLE and
1.ose Relation of Man To Nature-Bepet Tha

eaose or the birds. the woods -
waters and fields ""d
Wno would stand sponsor ror Nth.
Nature? i"f Mother
is the sportsman, who
iifliia IN hand with her walks
race to face with her talks
Fdrt and parcel OF her joy"
his knowledge of the finer or.I;+;a.
u lie are never lost or foreoft., ~,
comes more distinc, and nar,na,an
WITH the lapse of years. II shanas H.
sell into pictures OF old farD;E.r
scenes and gives to the lana,,isbing
world their fullest peneft NM
most men close their eyes they 400
hctnihS but darkness, but the snorte-
man vision engulfs q series of nan
raui views mat make him young
ana Vlrile and hopeful again.
~ IS the same amidst the storms of
winter as IL the Gains Of summer. The
man who loves to hunt finds pictures
unsurpassed in beauty in all the sea
sons. All are worshipful to him.
NOW hat u duck shooting is So
rapidly ndl to little more than
pleasant recollections of the past. |
feel that the recomiot of the history
OF 4 couple OF days I spent one Sep
telnber, out on my-in those fine old
. days-favOrite b~lue-wing grounds the
- PoAAo Otl II T 1tIIIiOfc tttOn-
ty, will be enjoyed by every wild bow
Ter In the State. w. A.. Pixley. q be-
loved old pal OF the marsh, was with
me, and the first evening out we both
got the limit-fifty ~bluewing teal. let
me tell YOU. is d royal bag. While he
birds were there by the thousands.
our grand old friend of the locality.
George Carson, told us that the
northern birds were just beginning to
cone in. The wind blew hard until
sunset. when it began to moderate.
After S o'clock the birds kept us busy.
While the vino was strong and full
of sudden puffs and guests we had to
shoot with extreme care. / was very
irregular at first in my work. The
high wind drifted the shot a good
deal, and Bill repeatedly cautioned
me to pull farther ahead OF my birds.
Then, when h next bunch came
along. the wind, in all probability.
would ave lain, and I would pull SO
far ahead as to miss the whole flock,
Being a more han ordinary duck
shot, / got excited and mao. 1t CALLED
me to see Bill knocking down his
birds right and left with such IN
swerving regularity. l did not ap-
preciate hat the best shots have
their off days. I knew as well as
Bill about shooting ahead. but it was
just one of those days when I Shot
either too far in advance or dragged
behind. There is no fixed rule Or
shooting ahead Of a flying teal. His
speed varies. It is simply a matter
Of instructive calculation with the
gunner. His decision must be arriv.
ed at intuitively and in an instant
and only long practice, combined
with good shooting sense, will give {
man the promptness to success.
With a steady wind, howeve'
strong, the right plan is to keel
drawing farther ahead with ever.
, shot, until you find you are KILN,
: your birds clean. and not merel,
; winging them. l have shot passin!
. teal and bluebills from dead center t
, twenty-five feet ahead. When a Dir.
: is flying as fast as it can fly. up wind
! at say forty yards distance, the fore
: of the wind giving a lateral to tn
; shot, added to the speed of the bird
= it demands a good deal 0. allowanc
on the part Of the shooter. On tn
: day in question. however, I didn't &c
: my good eye" to working properl
r until after the wind went doWr
Then 1 made some corking shots. Tn
birds kept up a lively flight. Floc
after flock came in from the sout
: off toward Fralley's, some passin
out Of shot. but the most coming u
our way, flying very low down, jus
over the tops OF the tules. At time
e they came in SO fast that we had t
9 cool our heated barrels in tn
water Of the lake. We shot until
was so dark that we couldn't see a
r object only against the dim lemon c
e the western sky. and we did our re
a trieving the next morning.
= I used to think teal a hard bird I
:. shoot. but I have changed my mind l
, recent years and now consider the
about the easiest prey Of all the d.;
family. They only become cas-.
= however. after one has studied the
many peculiar characteristics. Fc
: instance: There Is their mode
flight, which l have often commente
on. They generally come III sna
flocks, or singly, or in pairs. II
= large flock appears, it has most like
Nv been scared up from somewhere, {
= else consists Of strangers coming
Z for the first time. They often fly
= La line abreast. and that is really a
= adyantage to the gunner II he De