The Washington herald., 1920-09-01
Enthusiastic Gunners Wend Their Way to
Anacostia Marshes Before Daybreak to.
Enjoy Sport on FirstD of Hunting Season

]
gray body. with a short chicken
like bill and feeds chiefly on the
seeds of wild rice. oats and other
reeds. BY the end of September or
the first part of October il is in
1 prime condition for the table and
is considered excellent eating.
Quite a number of ortolan are
killed by the hunters wading the
marsh and compelling the birds to
ny. but the most successful way.
! however is to await a food tide
sufficient to permit a skiff beins
/ pushed over the marsh. The gun
ner stands in the bow Of the boat
astraddle the front seat while the
man in the stern propels the boat
, through the "birdy spots" of the
( marsh. The pusher must not only
be an adept at handling his craft.
J but must be a first class mAr,isr
in order to recover the game when
| killed. Unless the ortolan is killed
outright the average sportsman is
very apt to lose his quarry. because.
/ II able. the bird will dive. cling -
a root under the water and then
come to the surface some distance
away from where he disappeared
from view.
! The open season extends from
| September l to November 80 and
the bag limit is fifty birds per per
| son a day.
| The black breasted, golden and
yellow leg tOr yellow shank)
| plover visit our marshes. true not
/ in large numbers. but enough of
them to make It worth while. The
: n
] her l to November 80 and the bag
limit is fifteen per day.
Jack Snipc Good sport.
! BY the time November rolls
around. reed birds. black birds and
: ortolan have practically all mi
! grated to the sunny South, but the
! sportsmen are tubilant. knowing
: that the season on jack snipe is
3 now open. For real excitement and
| sport, a day with the Jacks" is a
1 most desirable one. Its manner of
flushing so Unexpectedly and its
livery peculiar zigzag fight makes
The Jack anything but an easy
!, marx; day on this little game
bird will prove most fascinating
The season runs from November
Ito January 81. and twenty-five
/ birds a day is the limit
November l also marks the open
I inE of the season on ducks and
i gees. The writer has seen many
! HOOKS of geese pass over the
1 Branch en- route to Southern waters
| but In recent years has not heard
| OF a single bird being killed. With
I tht ducks, however. 1t Is a different
stsrty Contrary to the general be-
ltef- the marshes of the Anacostia
I htcer and on the Virginia shore Of
the Potomac afford excellent feed
ins grounds for many species of
dWSks. Canvasback. red-head, NAL
{ as. black duck, blue and green
wac teel scaup Cor broad bin.
roiaeneye Cor whistIer)), and but
/ tefeell Rave been killed each year.
iaat season being no exception.
Branch Favorite SPOT.
} There is one little point. entirely
overlooked or possibly forgotten bv
the average sportsman. which seems
: 70 make the Eastern Branch a well
/ come haven for the duck family. In
( the lead of winter. when the To-
tens River and Its other triLu-
taf ~ are frozen from shore TO
sasr@ there Is always open water
fpa tue Branch. This unusual con-
eIttsA Is due to the hot water cut
lei rom the power house at Ben
mugs The open water is soon To-
4 eftee by the advance guard Of
aucks, and ideal shooting is had
0uek shooting has its hardships. |
! and one should go warmly clad and
PREPARED to brave the strong north
I West winds which sometimes gain
the force of small hurricane-ac-
s cpfnpanied by binding snow or
+ stset The old saying that the T.
5 &c ukher the weather the better the
dacs shooting Seems to hold good.
tne riverfnen say that the crop of
Dats ana rice is far heavier this !
1 year than fora number of years /,
pas This generally means a big |
hight of birds. so the sportsmen will |
ao1htless enjoy one of the best sea-
suIas IN recent years
In ifyFk season runs from November |
iFts anuary 81. and the limit is 25