Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-29
Cunning Season on Marshes
About Washington Opens
Wednesday.
ALL THE LOCAL EXPERTS
PREDICT GOOD SEASON
Fine Crop of Oats in the Feeding
Grounds, Is the General
Report.
"Reedbirds on toast

Long before noon next Wednesday.
September the opening day of the
cunning season on the marshes-the
foregoing sign will be displayed in
many of the restaurants and cafes. 1t
is certain to appear. it is stated, be-
cause birds promise to be fairly plentl-
full and an early morning attack upon
them is assured. Gunners have visited
the marshes the past week to get an
idea of the condition of the oats and to
ascertain something of the prospects
for sport.
Many sportsmen discussed the condi-
tions yesterday and suggested pos
sibility that the cool and rainy weather
would drive the "reedies away, but
boatmen about the marshes were con-
fdent the weather had not interfered
with the birds. Ortolan, it is stated,
are particularly plantiful on the
marshes about this city, but reedbirds
are probably not as numerous as they
will be September l.
Practically every boat that is small
enough to use in a marsh has been en-
gagged. There is practically no demand
for pushers, however. few gunners be-
ing willing to pay the price charged,
50 a tide. In Maryland a nonresident,
even if he pays his license tax. is not
permitted to shoot without paying a
licensed pusher. and the law fixes the
pay at 81 a tide.
Predicts Good Season.
Will Reynolds, one of the older gum
ners, who has done shooting on every
marsh within many miles of the city.
said he thought this season would be
a good one. Ortolan are on the marsh
back of Analostan Island in large num-
r hrf no jclx
that it will be difficult to get boats
through them Wednesday morning.
Large quantities of sand have been
dumped on the marsh, he said, that will
make 1t next to impossible to get boats
through the oats. especially early in
the morning, when there will not be
a high tide.
IN the afternoon" in his opinion,
there ought to be good ortolan shoot
ing, for by that time the oats will be
trampled down enough to enable gun
ners to make their way through them"
John A. Rupert was on the Patuxent
river, near the big marshes. the latter
part of the week. The oats, he said, are
very thick, but not ripe. and until the
feeding grounds improve the birds will
not show a great increase.
Birds travel at night he explained.
so that they may be scarce one after
noon and plentiful the next morning. Two
days that / was on the Patuxent the
birds were not very numerous, but Fri
end were very much in evidence Satur-
day morning"
Crop of Oats Large.
1t is said that there is the largest crop
of oats in the marshes that has been seen
in many years.
"a large growth of OATS said w. T.
Bailey, one Of the best known gunners
in this city, lis suggestive of a large
humber of birds. and I believe we will
have the best shooting this season that
we have had in long time.
Gunners have polished their guns and
put in supplies of ammunition to be in
readiness the morning of the opening day.
Most of the sportsmen probably will go
to the Eastern branch marshes. although
many will visit the marsh in Little river
and along the river shore as far as Four
Mile run. Some of the more enthusiastic
sportsmen will camp about the lighthouses
or elsewhere along the shore in order to
be on hand at the break of day to begin
the slaughter. Others will go later in
the morning, while still others will go
for the afternoon shooting.
Warning Signs at Protected Areas.
Lieut.. r A Dean of the harbor pre-
cinct will have members of his force go
on the river tomorrow and erect warning
signs 200 yards on either side of the
several bridges to advise gunners Of the
protected areas.
when the cunning is in full blast it
seems as if thousands of the birds under
stand the meaning of the signs and keep
between them and the bridges" remarked
one of the officers.
1t is thought that dealers will get 81
dozen for reedbirds, s1.25 for ortolan
and about 40 cents a dozen for black
birds the opening day of the season.