The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-18
RAILBIRDYIME
OPENS ON SEPT. 1
Clapper and King Inhabitants
of Salt and Fresh Water
Marshes.
MIGRANTS EASY TARGETS

Under the new Federal regulations a
uniform season has been made for sora
and other rails Except coot and gall
nules). The rail season begins through
out the United States on September
and shooting lie permitted until Novem-
Der 80, inclusive. The only exception 10
the general seas son Is that OF Louisiana,
where the season begins Noveisoer
and closes January 81. September
falling on Sunday this year, and Sunday
In most States being a dose time. the
sportsman starts hunting on Septem-
Der 2.
The United States has six varieties OF
rails. two Of which are regarded as the
sportsmans birds. They are the clapper
rail, which ffeauents the salt marshes.
and the king rail, an inhabitant OF the
fresh marshes.
The rail- Is n true migrant. usually ar
irving in poor condition. as witness the
expression, "As thin as a rail-"
The sora rail has number OF local
names. including common rail, Carolina
rail, English rail. chicken billed rail-.
Carolina gallinule, soree gallinule. coot.
little water hen, chicken bill. meadow
ortolan sora and soree.
The salt water member OF the family.
the clapper rail, Is not far behind In the
number Of local names given to IL, being
known as the meadow clapper, big rail-.
sedge hen, mud hen, marsh hen, meadow
hen and salt water marsh hen.
These latter designations tell In a
paragraph the characteristics and the
habits OF the clapper rail.
The clapper rail is found in the salt
water marshes of the Atlantic coast from
Long Island southwark and is sparingly
distributed as far north as Massachu-
sets. The bird nests upon the ground
in the marshes. and hunting naturally
is only at high TIDE. The bird is slow Of
wing averse to'taking flight and hides
with astonishing facility.
Birds Easiest OF Targets.
The start Is made for this salt water
marsh shooting as soon az the water Is
high enough to float boat. As soon as
the birds detect the gunner they stop
their callings and have an exasperating
way Of always whistling In a marsh you
have just passed or somewhere where
you are not. Shooting Is always at close
range. the flight il jerky and in any
direction. The cunning Is over as soon
as the tide subsidies. At full moon Is an
ideal time to go to the marshes for these
birds. AZ II means full tides.
The range of the king rail is the fresh
water marshes OF Ontario. the eastern
United States. northern Illinois, Wiscon-
sin and Kansas southwark. ~
Both the fresh water and the salt
water rails are the easiest Of tagets, and
to teach the young idea how to shoot
and prepare the boy for wild fowl and
shore birds there Is no better way to
break the youngster in than on rail-
birds A light load OF powder. with
No. 10 or ~ shot. is usually used. the
gun being light and smooth bored.
Hunting rails gets the sportsman in
trim for the wild fowl cunning which
comes later. Rail shooting is a pleas
urable sport. 1t requires ability. how
ever. to push the fiat bottom boa,
through the marshes, The gunner stands
or sits or kneels IN the bow waiting and
watching for the first evidence Of the
birds, which as one enters the creeks its
whistling notes indicate must be there
In numbers.
1t Is only In recent years that legis-
lators have appreciated the fact that nc
bird can stand an unlimited bag and
an open season all the year round. Old
time sportsmen were credited with TAX
ing from $50 to 200 railbirds on a single
tide. That Is why the Federal reguA-
tons now have to place n daily limit OF
nfteen In the aggregate of all kinds and
permit only three months open season
throughout the range OF the birds.