El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-11-22

49, = =
eeITERE they come. down wind like
II a bat out Of perdition." A sea
soned nimrod would at once look for
blue wins teal. coming with the wind
and splitting the atmosphere. The
first migratory birds to act upon the
travelling bunch heading for the
sunny south IN the fan or their feed
ing grounds Of the north in the
spring. are Querquedula Discora or
blue wing teal They hail from the
family Of "puddlers." are about IS
inches long and symmetrical IN build.
The male, with e head OF gray. white
crescent In front OF the eve, under
parts buffy, heavily. spotted with
black, wing CoVerts blue and specu-
lum green, Is a beautiful bird The
female IS not as attractive, has a
whitish head and neck, duskily
streaked. blue wing coverings.
Teal are clannish, usually found IN
small floclls OF Z TO 10 birds repre-
senting the original brood. Having
paired. they may frequently be found
in company with mallards. They
feed in shallow ponds, marshes or
along the rush grown shores OF
creeks rivers and lakes, upon shell
Their flight Is very fast, they pos
sibly appear to be more rapid on &C
count Of their size They have given
many a scatter gun operator sud
den awakening, OF the necessity Tor
lead or daylight ahead OF his bird
when the rear bird Of a passing Iloch
was killed. when he had shot AT the
leader. Their flight IS usually near
the surface OF the water, when ready
to aliEht their descent Is very pre-
cipitous. Their call is weak, but
rapidly uttered quacklng. Nests are
made OF weeds. IN tail grass border
ing marshes or ponds six 70 ten
buffy eggs are laid during Nay or
Many. who know. claim that teal
are the acme OF table delicacies-
Their flight enroute. IS the real test
OF a sportman.s ability TO accurately
guess the distance and velocity OF
fast moving articles. II he can press
the trigger, releasing a load OF shot,
which travelling q hypotenuse angle,
viii prove q reception committee
for q feathered ace, who IS then
travelling a pace, indicative OF a star
route contract with laLe mall
he Is a cracker jack shot II he Is
able 70 stop = single, occasionally
negotiating a double, on blue wing
teal, coming down wind, he deserves
honorable mention, with release from
2 n
real wing artist A wire from ny old
friend, Jim Head OF St Louis. invited
ne 20 meet an assembled party at /
Florence, Kansas, for a blue wing
teal shoot on September 16. the season I
opening day Ed O'Brien and Fred
Clark, teImanager- OF the Pittsburg
FLratesJ with Uncle jim. Head, I
awaited my arrival. We Immediately I
wheeled south west about 125 miles, 4
TO Park Lake club, Whefe we found
sunny jim Cook and Fatty" Arm I
old, had arrived in advance. They
reported IN addition 70 the home I
grown birds, a fine flight OF teal I
were arriving from the sand hills Of I
Nebraska An arrangements had been I
made, for the shoot on the morning ]
Tight The commodious club house. ]
the old fashioned fire place. piled (
high with logs. radiating a con
versational heat, looked most invit- I
ing A few hundred targets were I
broken without scoring a single
miss.
A number OF baseball games were
played IN front Of the fire. without
the Introduction OF a 'boner.H Wonder Z
Lut bags OF game dating back many I
years, were killed. Long and difficult !
shots were mentally made and re-
cited which have never been eQualled ]
In the presence OF truthful witnesses. :
Ihe club house is located on the I
norm OF upper OF q series OF Elree /
lakes, between the big and little salt /
marshes. The three lakes have about I
90 acre area. with permanent shore I
blinds, dry and comfortable, built I
around their shore line.
was paired with Uncle jim Head. /
We we're shooting from a point blind I
On middle lake. We were shooting
over about IS wood or block teal /
decoys, with q half dozen live birds .
70 give action Returning birds from I
he salt marshes. carrying burning I
hirsts, headed for our fresh water .
axe. They came in 1oclzs. sinEly and
b pairs. A rapid overhead flight !
furnished pass shooting, yet We were
avored with circllng loops. voIplan-
nE and dipping, e was certainly di-
Fersified shooting. Difficult shots
Tere made, doubles scored. eye
TipsG- recorded, q succession Of
lgrseabls surprises and embarrassing
We completed our
lzE limit long before the luncheon
lour. on teal and wldgeon-
A delightful morning shoot with q
cracker JACK shot" and conEenial
our associate hunters all
.cored their limit, getting back 70
he club house in time for the noon
.aT lunch. me Afternoon and evening