Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-01-29
SHOOTING WILD DUCKS ON BACK BAY

ny FREDERIC J. LASH

hNCk BAY. VA. January 2S.-Thc
sportsman from New York was puttinr
~ III III" damp, fuzzy dawn for his
BAY VIZ VI" '"cH
what ~ that laud over there" bc
askc" one OF the guides. pointing to -
'"hE low black mass that lay vaguely
upon the horizon
That amt land" explained the
guide. that's ducks" which STATE
ihcht the wild fowl proceeded IN nrov.
nF rising with Il million pinioued ro, p
'hat could he heard for half a mile.
rms niue anecdOt" may he Il lie "a
was told by Il hunter. but il will
'"Ncr'hci"ss serve to give a non-tuck
Shooilng reader vcracious idea or ,ho
numbers Of Wild ducks geese mud SWIM.
mat haunt the waters Of Back I,av ~
TINS time OF the year
h''ch Bay is narrow. pointed strin
OF water that iuts up from Currl,uce
sound across tho line into Southern
virginia Sheltered. and rich in allu-
vial deposits. it's shallow waters sun.
port heavy growth Of the wafer
grass known as wild celery. which il
INC greatest wild duck food i'm tho
world and gives all wild fowl an cs-
pc''"'F delicious flavor Because its
""'''S are always unfroZen and food
Is abundant. Back BAY has become ono
VI 'h' winter gathering places of wild
'"wi from all over the continent ana
especially famed for the great num
"crS oil canvas back which appear thcr.
az TINS time OF the wear
TOT couple of centuries Back Raw
''' "'ch Il piac" Of fame among duel,
shooters. who nave come IN !, 60,
year in greater numbers rh.
"'r!"' par' OF II is that the ducks TOO
,"ht'hu" 10 come in undimini shcJ
ho'kS year after year. despite the f.,c,.
n'. 'h"iF beloved range is sown with
mSa'h' ana that they fan by thousands
This year the enforcement OF ,hn ~
Sratory bird law has incrcassd IT,
supply Of Wild fowl all over North
america. and tho result is that there
arc more duck in Back BAY at nrcs-
eht man any or the natives can re.
'nemher having seen before There are
49,, ''''.,,.i'Sr hocks of Canada geese
ana Il sprinkling Of white swans
Lined with Shooting Clubs.
The shores Of Back Rav are lir.d
with duck shooting establisbments
M"S' "i these are private clubs with
members from all over the limited
states Thcr" are also some public
places THAT will accommodate as MAN.
shooters as they can in season ana
fcw desirable points and hits ~ .hnr.
ar" sun held by market gunners. al
'honsh III" destructive activities of
'h.s" gentry are being rapidly cur
Jared hE laws which prohibit the in
'erS'aN" SHIPMENT OF wild fowl Al
ready ~" New York and Philadelphia
markets ~" closed to the glnuers az
Back Bay. ana II no longer paws 10
io!I"r snnn!n as business
WatchiuE tn" preparations tina, ~
forward III Back BAY on Il good morn
ins FOR ducks. YOU are led To wonder
THAT even enough ~ them cscape to
Keep their kind in existence
The water lies gray under q thin
mist. ana Is surrounded by land aS nal
as IN" sea, SO TINT the pine groves and
iaimhouS"s seem to noat in the air
lik" miiag"s In Ii desort lust before
sunrise. from many rickcty piers tho
u"t"rooats put out with mun,"d en-
gin"s. Each of them contains "a sink
box great n"cc OF wooden dccovs
two guides and TWO sportsmcu Also
on every point of land and every island
YOU see dark figures moving about and
ittle boats setting out decoys soon
the deadly sink boxes are all lowered
and invisible among thor d"coys The
hunters on tn" points and islands
crouch in their blinds: the mutorboa;s
Withdraw: tho stag. is get
Circuit Fforks Soon Appear.
Meantime there is not a duck In SIGH,
except tn" wooden ones. But some one
soon disturbs the great RATS Of them
IN the lower BAY. over III. horizon
Trey appear in long wavering clouds
i'k" wind blown smoke AS they come