Pueblo chieftain., 1921-02-06
By Frederic j. Haskin

Washington, D. c., Feb. ga thou
sand feet in the air a wedge of wild
geese is winging southwark over
Barnegat Bay.
Near shore a hydroplane leaves the
water with roar and begins to climb.
Having reached the level of the geese
1t drives straight after them. The big
birds are making perhaps 50 miles an
hour, but the machine Is doing twice
that. In five minutes it Is but so yards
behind them. Their steady honking
breaks into a wild medley of alarm. To
them this thing is a terror inconceiv
able. 1t is a hawk as big as a house
and twice as swift as any bird that
flies. 1t is hawk that roars like the
north wind. And then, suddenly, it be-
gins to spit fire and flame, and two
geese crumple in the air and fall to
the blue waters far below.
Tho geese have been shot at before.
In fact. they have been shot at all
the way from Southern Alberta to
New Jersey. Tho sound of a shotgun is
for them a signal to tower out of
I range. And so they tower now, climb
ing on strong pinions a hundred feet
straight into the air.
| And the plane towers after them.
roaring more loudly than ever. There
are more shots and three more geese
go hurtling toward the water. The sur
vivers. honking in hoarse terror, fly
every which way. Some tower, some
plunge toward the water, some go
north and some go south. The plane
to be in front Of It, kills him. and then
desccnds gracefully to gather its prey.
AirpIane Hunting Illegal
This is a scene the like Of which has
been enacted again and again in re-
cent months. and it is one which has
provoked the ire of game protectors.
The Biological Survey here is especial
| ~ aroused over the killing Of wild fowl
from airplanes. because the Migratory
| Is entrusted to the survey, specifically
forbids the taking of wild fowl in that
way. The survey has obtained several
| arrests and convictions. and 1t is ready
| to send men to investigate any case
| for such violations. This hunting in
the air is a new thing, and the survey
hopes to scotch it before 1t has grown
| to dangerous proportions. 1t hopes to
| do this in two ways-by arrest and
prosecution of offenders, and by ap-
peaiins to the eportsmsnship and self Z.
| interest of the hunters. For Its hardly
| fair to hunt birds by method which
leaves them no chance of escape, and
it is hardly intelligent to hunt them by
| a method which has the effect of driv-
Ing them clear out of the country.
That is the immediate and striking
| effect of airplane hunting. The birds
| are not slow to see that they have an
enemy which it is impossible to escape.
| After one experience of being pursued
by plane. flock of wild geese or
ducks will often leave that vicinity for
| good and all. A whole season Of 1esiti-
mate sport from blind and boat is
spoiled for a few minutes of spectacu-
lar slaughter in midair.
The migratory bird law. which pro-
hibits the shooting of wild fowl during
their miCrations rorthward toward
their nesting grounds. has made Amer
lean wild fowl more abundant in the
last few years than they had been for
decades before. Sportsmen in general
have come to appreciate its value. They
are now asked not to undo their good
work by the use OF new and deadly
method of invading tho air which has
heretofore been the sanctuary inviolato
Of all wild wings.
Tho hunting of birds from plane,
seems to have begun toward the end OF
| the war when some navy hydroplanes
on practice flights began chasing
/ flocks of wild fowl apparently for
lacking OF anything better to do. The
| Biological Survey ut once took tho
matter up with the navy department
and the practice was stopped. But
after the war a great many military
planes were sold for small sums and
a number of manufacturers began put