Evening star., 1936-11-15
More Than 100 Clubs Serve
Gunners Who Share in
! Enthusiasm and Are
Ready for Season.
Near Capital.
Bv Gene 4. Day.

~ LATANT honking these murky
K misty mornings, as challeng-
ing flocks of mallards and
~ pintails arise from the RATED
eontentment of nocturnal security to
wing their way to favorite feeding
grounds, brings its message of assur-
ance to an army Of District gunners,
who have been waiting 13 long
months for the advent of another
fascinating chapter of happy ducking
days. Once again the chaps in WOOL
ems, hunting togs and hip boots of
rubber, who say it with 10-gauge shot
guns, are accorded ample opportunity
to test their shooting skill against live
targets which duck and dodge, feint
and flee with the wisdom and syn
ehrony which nature alone can evolve.
Along the Potomac and its tributary
marshes astronomical delicacies
which would intrigue royalty fly in
military alignment, the vanguard of
she migration from the breeding and
feeding grounds of the now frozen
North to their sunny Southern rem
devious, where June weather Is perpet-
ually on tap. 1t is a rather erratic
migration, with plenty of stopovers
along the route. During the last two
seasons, Washington hunters, who
confined their shooting trips to the
Potomac duck grounds, bagged but few
scalps, largely because the mallards
and pintails and other sporting varie-
ties were not available in anything like
normal numbers. The supply was
but q faint shadow of the wild duck
crop of a decade ago. This year con-
ditions are better, and the crops Of
young ducks reared on Canadian
breeding grounds are larger. This is
welcome news to the management and
hunters who belong to the more than
one hundred duck clubs that maintain
blinds and shooting accommodations
hlong both the Maryland and Virginia
shores of the Potomac River between
Alexandria and Colonial Beach.
I'm THE average year a satisfactory
range of wild ducks, including
n1allards, black ducks, baldpates and
pintails, is found along the marshes of
the Potomac; scaup also are abundant
On the lower river between Colonial
Beach and Point Lookout. The Guns
ton Cove neighborhood is particularly
popular for shooting. All water 'front.'
age in that sector, especially the
points which jut out into the Potomac,
A. a., y,o vfir,,1or lopoopd II ic q y,rcfit =
able business for the owners of farm
bottoms and river marshes, who are
thus able to gain an attractive revenue
from lowlands which they otherwise
have little use for, as the ground is
generally too wet for farm crops.
For example, one Virginia farmer,
with q goodly stretch Of river frontage,
leases the ducking privileges to three
Washingtonians who have built per-
manent blinds for $500 o year.
From $500 to $1,000 is fairly average
price range which the District gunners
are willing to pay for desirable sites.
Usually several Washingtonians will
club together and lease q desirable
waterfront situation for one or more
seasons. The permanent organiza-
tions with club houses either pur-
chased their sites or have negotiated
long.term leases.
The many duck clubs along the
Potomac prove that the hunting flame
still burns strong among the ten thou
sand or more duck hunters who now
receive their daily mail through
Ina~
This flair for field sports, although