South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-30
BY TOM \. MARSHALL.


a bat out Of perdition." A seasoned
nimrOd would at once look for blue
wing teal, coming with the wind and
splitting the atmosphere. The first
migratory birds to act upon the
travelling hunch for the sunny south
in the fall or their feeding grounds
OF the north in the spring, are Quer-
quedula DisOOrs or blue wing teal
They hail from the family OF "pud-
oilers" are about Is inches long
and symmetrical in build. The male,
with a head OF gray, white crescent
in front OF the eye. under parts
buffy, heavily spotted with black,
wing cOverts blue and speculum
green. is a beautiful bird. The fe-
male is not so attractive, has a
whitish head and neck duskiiy
streaked. blue wing coverings. Teal
are clannish, usually found in small
fiOcks of 4 to 10 birds. representing
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 riv-
ers and lakes. upon shell fish, in
sects, aquatic plants or seeds. Their
flight is very fast they possibly ap-
pear 20 be more rapid on account of
their size. They have given many
scatter gun operators a sudden
awakening. Of the necessity for lead
or daylight ahead of his bird when
the rear bird Of passing flock was
killed, when he had shot at the
leader Their flight is usually near
the surface of the water. when ready
cipitous Their call is weak but
rapidly uttered quacking. Nests are
made of weeds, in tall grass border
ing marshes or ponds, six 10 ten
buffy eggs are laid during May or
June.
4 Table Delicacy.
Many who know, claim that teal
are acme Of table delicacies. Their
flight en- route. is the real test of a
sportsman's ability to accurately
guess the distance and velocity of
fast moving articles. If he can
press the trigger, releasing a load Of
shot. which travelling a hypotenuse
angle will prove a reception COM
mittee" for a featured ace. who is
then travelling a pace. indicative of a
star route contract with a late mail.
He is a cracker jack shot If he
is able 20 stop a single, occasionally
negotiating a double. on blue wing
teal.-coming down wing.-he de-
serves hOnOrab BILE mention, with re-
lease from a postgraduate course.
He is then a real wing artist.
A wire from my old friend jim
Head OF St Louis, invited me to
meet an assembled party at Flor
ence. Kansas. for a blue wing teal
shoot on Sept. 18th. the season open
ing day. Ed O'Brien and Fred
Clark Cex-manager of the Pittsburg
Pirates) with Uncle Jim Head,
awaited my arrival We immediate
" wheeled southwest about 1875
miles TO Park Lake club, where we
found sunny Jim" Cook and
Fatty" Arnold, in advance. They
reported in addition TO the home
grown birds" a fine fight of teal
were arriving from the sand hills Of
Nebraska.
All arrangements had been made.
for the shoot on the morning flight.
The commodious club house. the old
fashioned fire place, piled high with
logs. radiating "a conversational heat
looked most inviting. 4 few hun
dred targets were broken, without
scoring a single miss A number of
baseball games were played Ia front
of the fire, without the Introduction
OF "boner" Wonderful bags of
game, dating many years. were
killed Long and difficult shots
were mentally made and recited,
which have never been equalled in
the presence of truthful witnesses.
Built on Three Lakes.
The club house is located on the
north or upper of a series of three
lakes. between the big and little
salt marshes. The three lakes have
about 4O-acre area. with perman-
Z tAlA S4l0At DAA1uos--0AN anu AOlllLuIA-
able-6uilt around their shore line.
was paired with Uncle Jim Head.
we were shooting from a point
blind ON middle lake. We were
shooting over about IS wood or
/ block teal decOys. with a half doz-
en- live birds 10 give action. Re
turning birds from the salt marsh
/ es carrying burning thirsts, head
I ed for our fresh water lake. They
came in hockS, singly and in pairs
I A rapid overhead flight furnished
/ pass shooting. Yet We were favored
with circling loops. volplaning and
dipping. il was certainly diversified
shooting Difficult shots were made
/ doubles scored, "eye-wipes" record
I ed. succession Of agreeable sur
prises and embarrassing disappoint-
ments We completed our bag limit
7 long before the luncheon hour. or
I teal and widgeon. A delightful morn
ing shoot with cracker taCk
/ show" and congenial companion
/ our associate hunters al scored
4 their limit backing into the club
house in time for the noon day
lunch The afternoon and evening
were devoted TO the All-Ame-icar
/ game. wherein contestants are FIRE
| queutIv found out on a limb" at