Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-09
Ducks, Hot Biscuits and
Gravy With Tom Marshall

"a friend in need Is a friend In
deed" DR.. S. B. Friend of Los An
Seles, CAL, is all that the word
friend implies. so accepted by the
host of good sportsmen who sing
climatic conditions and specialize on
the Pacific coast as an ideal resi-
dence section. There Is an atmos-
pheric condition in Sunset Land"
which engenders sociability and good
fellowship. Doctor Friend and wife
are the devotees of the art of trap
shooting. On a recent visit to Ma
nilla, at a shooting tournament given
by the Gun Club. the medal repre-
senting the Philippine Island cham
pionship, was annexed by Mrs.
Friend in an open contest. AS re-
cent contestant in the Grand Amer
lean Handicap, in Chicago, she turn
ed in most credible scores.
October 16 was the opening day In
the duck shooting arena in Califor-
MIA. AS the guest of DR.. Friend
and wife, the writer visited the Cas-
tic Lake Duck Club, run of about
one hundred miles over the ridge
route road from Los Angeles. The
lake is located in the TETON Range
of mountains, in Kern county, about
fifty miles inland from the railroad,
approximately two miles long and
one wide, deep in the center and
shoal near the shores. Wild rice
and celery furnished the piece de re-
sistance, while tule, flag and reeds,
form an ideal trysting place, where
duck condolences are exchanged.
Shore blinds are scattered around
the lake, so located that the hunter
always has the advantage of wind
conditions. The hunting lodge is
spacious and convenient, excellent
beds which seem to fit ones form
after a day afield. A competent chef
who specializss on the cooking OF
ducks, with u real duck gravy and
hot biscuits, which have made the
southland famous. =.
When we arrived, the surface or
the lake was covered with mallards,
teal, spoon-bill, sprigs, while an oc-
casional flock of canvasback were
conspicuous by their flashing silver
gray color, covering the lake like a
white blanket, in limited sections.
Resting in the center of the pond,
they felt immune from danger, as
there had been no shooting on. the
grounds prior to our arrival. Live
oak trees were around the shores, up
the mountainside is seen the state
ly, towering pine and fir.
Ensconced in our blind, the first
shot was fired, which put all wild
life in motion, creating general con-
sternation. They jumped from the
surface of the water and commenc-
ed milling" We were occupying
point blind, which gave us numerous
shots as the birds circled about. We
soon had sufficient number of ducks
to make q respectable decoy display.
We staked them out by running
sharpened stick into the mud, impal-
ing the lower portion of the ducks
bill on the stick, which gave them
a Iife-like appearance as they rest
ed on the water. The decoy layout
was especially seductive, assisted by
the dulcet notes of duck call, birds
dropped in, affording most excel
lent shooting. We were soon con-
vinced that our bag limit would be
reached before the evening flight
started. Then came the shot
about" order, scoring mallard ducks
of the male persuasion only.
Old Green Heads
There can be no more attractive
bird or enhancing mark to direct