Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-04-26
Tom Marshall Goes ON Seal
Shoot With Sailor "JoCkO'

Where and how do they get
them!" This is a query mentally and
publicly launched as we pass hun
dreds of the gentler sex, wearing
seal skin coats which are real evi-
dence of thrift. Your inquiry 1 am
going to slip into the none of my
business discard" Where and how
the seal are originally secured and
the part they have taken in round
ing out one of the most expert trap
shots in America, is the object of this
article.
Every trigger ticker, who has
been in the game any length of time,
has heard of Jack Tanning of New
York. Chief Bull Seal' is his tribal
name in the aggregation of expert
shots. The Okoboji Indians. Fan
ming was also n member of the un-
defeated All-American team, when
they were abroad, shooting the In
ternational races in 1901. "Jocko the
Sailor" is one of California's native
sons and has held all shooting hon.
ors in his home state. He is now a
recognized authority on guns, am
munition and the correct methods
of shooting, a professional shot at
the present time. A born shooting
instructor. For many years Jack
SillCu Oul VI lhS pun VI Ctlll l. isliA-
cisco, to the sealing grounds at Pri-
biloff Islands, discovered in 1856 and
transferred by Russia to the United
States in 1867. During the interim
1S7O-1SS0 the Arctic seal herd was
at it's maximum, the Pribiloff herd
was conservatively estimated at g.
100000 animals. The Commander
offski Island herd at one-half that
number. Since that time both herds
have been materially depleted. Jack
claims his unusual accuracy with a
scatter gun is entirely due to his
extended seal shooting experience.
While seals are not blessed with
wings, they are with "foppers, !"
which enables them to split the
water" while the choppy seas and
undulating swells require the lead
ing of game and inserting" of day
found requisite in wing shooting.
Tanning says every shot was placed
after an instant mental calculation
of velocity and distance of the
quarry. The work was freighted
with danger and excitement. Accu-
racy, good eye, experience, level head
and courage were necessary in KILL
ing the slippery animals from a NOV
ing boat on q rocky sea, as seal
swims with only his head above wa
ter Every shot, if possible, was
made to count as a bonus of 81 to
Sc was paid to the occupants of each
boat for every seal killed in addi-
ton to regular salary. A sailing
cruise, usually extended over a
period of ten months, netting an an
nual catch of $500 to 5000 skins,
with a limited number. of polar and
brown bear, lions, walrus and fox
skins A seal shooter was equipped
with a small four-bore cannon, load
ed with IL drains of black powder
and 3S number one buck shot, this
gun was utilized for pot shooting
in the rookeries, with this charge
of buckshot hurtled into a colony of
seal many were killed, others stun
ned and wounded, which were i'm
mediately dispatched, by the small
gauge auxiliary guns, rifles and buck
shot loaded scatter guns. This meth
cd of skin procuring was later known
as pelagic sealing, which was ta-
booed by the United States govern
ment. Canadian sealing vessels in
dulging in a little pelagic capturing
were seized by Uncle Sam in 1886
which complications seriously
threatened international trouble with
Johnnie Bull, to be avoided by q
treaty in 1892, which put a close
season on sealN hunting during the
months of May-June and July and
establishing a protected area of sixty