The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1940-12-18
Upland Bird
Shooting Good
Duck Pursuers Not
Favored This Yeor
By ELLIOTT METCAif


The 1910 hunting seasons have
come and gone.
And looking hack good reports
can b. made relative 10 upland
bros.
Bat only ordinary reports are
IN order when band-tsiled pigeons
and ducks are concerned.
What happened to the pigeons
N this district is something some
one else will be obliged to ex-
plain.
There were some, Of course,
bat in the usual spots fire.
auented by the flights Of past
years the birds. As a whole,
we're scarce.
In fact, more scarce than
m any season since the fed
eral ban was lifted on the
fast little flyer.
u may have been the weather.
It may have been the production
of natural food. Whatever it was
the birds We're not in this district
In numbers that begin 10 compare
with the flights of other seasons.
However, 1e4t is coming and
hunters always live in hopes.
The waterfowl season here also
was a bloomer. az whole.
The birds were here in great
numbers, more than in many
years. you can safely say.
PROTECTING WATERS USED
But the weather was too sum-
merry and when the guns began TO
bark the first few days of the
season the birds sought refuge in
the great salt waters or protecting
fresh waters of the section.
American lake. Steilaeoom lake
and other lakes and ponds of this
area that are included in closed
territory were safe Ravens for
thousands of birds
There were times when widgeon
flights were heavy, but such
flights were spotty.
The home crop of malIards
was good, but not a. large
as the last few seasons.
This was found out quickly
by Nisqually flats nimrods
and hunters of other duck
lands and marshes.
Gsdwalls appeared in larger
flocks than in years. A choice
bird, the Gadwan is none too
clever. He bolts into decoys with
an extreme willingness.
SCAUPS SCARCE
There seemed noticea BILE lack
, ~ lesser and greater scaups. Or
II may have been they chose
habitats where hunters guns were
not barking.
The widgeons this seasons were
fat and large. Never have they
been larger, more particularly, it
seemed, the brakes.
And, strange as il seems. the
widgeons were choice eating.
Usually the bird feeds on kelp and
other salt water foods that gives
them rich fishy flavor.
But not this season. They were
grain fed birds that evidently
came from grain districts farther
north.
Many hunters will tell of how
huge flights took place at shoot
ing time or Just prior TO the zero
hour each day. How they climbed
high and disappeared To return
only after darkness.
MANY on FLATS
Shipyard and Tacoma tideflat
workers reported flights of thous-
snds Of ducks, many species, each
morning from that district. And
81 incoming flights after the
shooting hours had closed.
Hunters will still tell you that
wild ducks wear wrist watches.
Anyway. 1871 is coming.
The old scatterguns have
been laid away except those
owners who enjoy the great
trap shooting sport.
But hunters Will use
memory a. medium of going
back over the 1910 trail.
They'll Kill many times the birds
they missed.
They'll kill many times the birds
they bagged
They'll wait and dream Of 1871
=. and hope for the best.
That's one OF the big reasons
life is worth living.