The Columbia evening Missourian., 1920-10-23

With the opening Of the quail shoot
ing season, November 10. sportsmen are
looking about for bird dogs. Well-train-
ed and well-bred settlers and pointers sell
for price that the average horse brings.
the figure ranging between $50 and
$500.
/ E. Sidney Stephens. who owns five
bird dogs, says that last year he sold
five puppies, four months old. for slS5,
at an average price Of $37 apiece. and
that the figure this year has doubled. Six
week 10 two-month-old puppies are sell
ing for from $50 to SIS. The demand
this year is especially large, according
to Mr.. Stephens, since there seems TO be
an unusually large number Of birds
C. c. Bowling says that farmers are
sending in encouraging reports. Hunt
ing fever is increased all the more due
TO poor seasons the two previous years.
QUAIL SEEN IN COLUMBIA
'-The birds get a rowing disposition in
late September and early October said
Mr.. Stephens. Il even used TO see quail
in town on the top Of the old Harden
Building before it burned, or near the
courthouse this time of year.
Mr.. Stephens said that many people
have come to him for dogs. and he has
been unable to supply the demand.
Hunters around here do not use the
best class Of dogs" he said. Even the
most enthusiastic will wait until two or
three weeks Of the season, then get ex-
cited and want a dog. The season is
so short that many people do not care to
keep dog the year around"
Quail and bird doge are hobbies Of
Mr.. Stephens. Local sporismen say that
he keeps up with field trials and pedi-
grees.
DOGS NECESSARY IN QUAIL HUNTING
Not over twenty people in Columbia
really hunt quail with bird dogs" he
said. 'And you can't hunt the birds
without them. Quail are
such wary birds that you can walk with
in ten feet Of covey and never see
them. You may see them light and un-
less you have dog to point them FOX you,
you will never find them.
TO me three-fourths of the pleasure
Of hunting is the dogs. A dog that has
training does things that thrill you. If
you cripple the bird without killing it.
a good dog will follow il half mile TO
retrieve it. A good retriever sometimes
brings back two dead birds at once and
pfien will point live on. for his master
while he still has the dead bird in his
mouth Ii is not so much getting the
bird. but the intelligence of the dog that
| enjoy.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO MANAGE DOCS
a man who values his bird dog high |
y will not lend him. A dog gets famil- |
ar with the traits and peculiarities Of
MS master the same as the master does
with his dog and a change in masters
nay spoil its pointing. No two men
handle dogs in the same manner. Some
Seep them under control. some give them
oud orders and some caution the ami
mails too much not TO spring at the
quarry. Cautioning dogs gets them in
he habit of false pointing. The good
,ointer or setter should be left for the
most part to his own purposes. Some
logs will not cover field unless their
Master is with them bad dog once
sho would not hunt with anybody else.
/ was useless to borrow him.
There are few kennels al Higgins
ille, one at Kansas City and one at
'pringfield but most bird dogs are rails
d in the south. the principal kennels
cling in South Carolina. North Carolina,
Georgia, Tennessee and Mis-
issippi.
Ten or fifteen birddogs could be sold
ere now, If they were available, accord
lg to J.. E. Higbee, Of Hockaday and
Iigbee Clothing Co. In the opinion Of
zeal sportsmen. Mr.. Higbee and Fred
!. Brown. sheriff-elect. are the best quail
hots in the county. r. B. Price, presi-
ent of the Boone County National Bank,
no celebrated his eighty eighth birthday
gently, shot birds until he was eighty
We years old. C. c. Bowling and II. B.
rice, Jr., are also quail shooters. DR.. !