The New York herald., 1921-11-20
A Morning With the suipe.

Just the other night / was busy in my
study finishing up an article for the Editor
Mall when my telephone began to ring loud
and insistenty. With muttered maledlc
tion ] snatched tie receiver from the hook
and growled "Hellon 'Hello!" came bac,,
and this s me" who's me?' ] snarlcd.
remembering the unfinished work on my
typewriter. Mes BILL came back the
voice, land me wants you TO 20 snipe shoot
In tomorrow morning. | will call for you
with the car at $3.50, so as to get on the
creek bottom before any other early bird
seeks the unwary worm. VIII your" "Will
II" ! shouted back; my crouch forgotten.
+" You know me, Bill I'll be ready" SO it
fell out that the next morning found me
speeding through the silent streets and out
Into the still more silent country. propelled
along by skillfuly driven twin six" my
little 10 ga. Ithaca tucked away at my
feet.
When the flight OF jack snipe Is on the
birds come in, not In the great flocks az OF
yore. but / think I'm greater numbers than
ten or a dozen years ago, thanks TO pro-
lection and better sportsmanship on the
part Of gunners. Every marsh and creek
bottom at all adapted TO the brown clad
birds VIII supply n few 'twisters," indeed,
they are to-day widely scattered not SUI
can get them up TO better advantage with
dog. but then he can walk them up" and
while he VIII not secure as many birds, he
viii get some shooting and leave more FOR
seed" Perhaps somebody will reach the
place where we shall think IL worth while
TO limit the use OF dogs to the retrieving OF
In favor OF that n II would preserve tho
game. render better shooting and leave
something for posterity. The man who
boasts OF shooting the whole floc, should
not be countenanccd IN good outdoor society.
single brace OF birds Is more satisfactory
than half a dozen to-day and none thereafter
Every true sportsman is n preservRtionlst as
wei az n cousorvatonist.
II was iust sun-up when we reached the
little creek bottom where Bill paid he had
seen flock OF twenty-five or more tho
afternoon before aud had left them undis-
turhcd. thinking OF rae, for that ia the sort
OF fellow 1911 Us. The grass was rank. the
soil soft, with here and there marks OF
recent ,borlngs." The holes made by the
snlpe's bills as they seek carthwormg. and
plenty Of "aiEn,' tho whitcwash droppings
that always mark the presence Of snipo and
woodcock. tho two birds being very much
alike In habits and game qualities, tho lat
ter. however, being somewhat more shy and
Of the open. though at times we find them IN
typical woodcock cover, and seldom n ever
do We sec the latter out In the open marshes.
Both birds ret up with peculiar, confusing.
twisty flight very annoying 70 the tyro. and
always calling for the very bert gunman.
ship from the most experienced OF shooters.
Any gunner may miss snipe and not feel
ashnmed by the Same token he has every
right 10 feel proud when he makes n clean
XII. By the way. I have seen good ahota
on woodcocl fnl down utterly on gnipe and
I am wondering II perhaps the latter Is not
! the more difficult mark.
Mark called my companion and
heard that peculiar whistle that always ac-
companies the scared flight OF the snipe
and off TO my left | caught glimpse OF =
brown form twisting through the sunshine
| the rays of light glinting on It's wings until
| they assumed tho sheen OF silver Bang,
roarcd my right barrel. and "whang," echoed
| the second. but Mr.. Wilson sped on