The New York herald., 1922-10-22
GROUSE SHOOTING
IS ROYAL SPORT
Long Island md New Jersey
Bays Are Best Nearby
Resorts.
BY WILL WILDWOOD. .

Although the wild geese are winging
their way southwark in moderate num-
bers since the recent cold wave has
tened their departure from their north
ern haunts, and recent reports Indicate
that a fair portion of the small squad
rons are lingering along the seashore
resorts not far from New York city, ex-
perienoed wild fowl shooters realize
that there is degree of uncertainty
in the pursuit. yet the lure Is great
and the game well worth seeking. or
all aquatic game birds. with exception
of the magnificent swan. now perma-
nently protected, the wild goose Is
most highly priced by majority OF
sportsmen. VITO readily concede that
the expression silly as goose" applies
solely to the domestic fowl. as the
various species in their Wild state are
among the most wary of water fowl.
Eight species of geese and brant are
identified as being entitled to classifi-
cation in North America, but the
Canada goose, or comon wild goose. Is
the one most widely distributed and
best known to gunners. It's range COW
ers the greater portion of the United
States, and during the latter part or
October and early November Is usually
the best period for the sport OF wild
goose shooting along the north Atlantic
coast The flight of the goose Is ap-
parently slow, but close observation
will show the surprising distance COW
cred in a few minutes time. really ap-
preaching the speed of an express train.
A fairly skillful shooter. however, finds
little difficulty in bringing down any
goose within easy range, but IL requires
good Judgment of both distance and
sreed when the birds are flying rather
high and favored with strong wind
+. accelerate their flight.
Two resorts long famous. within a
comparatively. short distance, lure many
of the wild FOWL shooters of this city
whenever the welcome word Is received
that wild geese are making a temporary
scjourn In the old time haunts The
nearest Is Great South Bay, Long Is
Iaand, long stretch of water partly
sheltered from the high waves and
heavy gales Of the open sea. Nearly
century ago the graphic writer and
keen sportsman William P. Hawes ("J.
Cypress. Jr.") depicted the charm Of
Fire Islands. which guard the entrance
to the bay, and although the climate Is
still saline and salubrous, as the gifted
author described 1t, needless to say the
shooting Is not of the olden kind as to
abundance of water fowl.
Even more famous than Great South
Bay is Barnegat Bay, New Jersey.
where Robert B. Roosevelt. Frank
Forester and other celebrities of a
former generation enjoyed the good
cheer Of Bill Chadwick's once noted
hostelry. apd the grand wild goose
shooting so delightfully pictured In
Forester's well remembered sketch, "A
Blaze at Barnegat." A great multiple
cation of sportsmen since that time has
resulted In not merely diminishing the
water fowl. but in fact reducing the
myriads to a vulgar fraction of the old
time abundance, yet when fortune ia
vors very fair wild goose shooting may
be had in that vicinty-there or there
about
With the passing OF the period of
plentiful Plumbers in wild go>se migra-
ticn--and fortune teiy preceding near
approach to extinction through murder
Gus methods Of shooting--the huge
swivel guns and heavy single barrel
fowllng pieces of fifteen pounds have
been discarded and the Federal game
law limiting the number of geese or
brant TO eight in one day precludes the
possibility OF bagging as many as the
gunner Of yore would sometimes kill at
single shot with his punt gun or a
miniature cannon fired from the shouI-
der. -
Shooting from a blind Is the usual
method and In recent years remarkable
success has been attained in some sec
tions by the use of tame wild geese
decoys." the cal of the 1emi-domesti-
Gated birds Turing their kindred within
range when they would otherwise pass
bJ. twelve gauge gun will do good
service, and the advantage of having an
all around fowling piece. suitable for
either duck or goose shooting by simply
changing shells TO suit the occasion, is
worth considering.
The shooting license Is. Of course. es-
sential at the very beginning, and equal
ly important is sufficient knowledge of
the game laws to avoid any violation.