Birds of Nebraska: Newspaper Accounts, 1854-1923

November 10, 1912. Omaha Sunday Bee 42(21): 3-S.

Quail Not Very Plentiful

Hunters Not Able to Land Bags of Any Material Size.

Duck Flight is Scattered

Real Cold Days Would Set the Birds in Motion, Although it is Thought Most of Them Have Gone South.

The quail, despite the fact that they were predicted to be more plentiful this fall than in previous years, are proving to be a pretty scarce quantity, and a hunter who secures from half a dozen to ten in a day's shooting may consider himself lucky.

Duck shooting this fall has been divided into periodical spells of good and bad shooting, at times being really excellent and at tother times being exceedingly poor. At present it seems to be about a standstill, the warm days being conducive to but short local flights by the birds and not many of these. All indications seem to point that the winter will probably sweep down upon us in a day or night, and if such should be the case, a day or so of excellent wild fowling should be enjoyed.

The best results by local parties who have made expeditions, have been realized by those who have taken their outings around the sandhill lakes and marshes. Here the birds have been the most plentiful and the better bags garnered. While river huntsmen have had their share of good duck, their bags in no way compare with those of the lake shooters, either in quantity or quality. The larger birds, mallards and the like, have formed a big part of the hills sportsman's kill, while the river hunters game has been for the most small birds.

There has been any number of red squirrel in the hills along the Missouri and for the man who is fond of the little rodents broiled or in a stew, the chances are great for securing a nice mess at any time. The fact is squirrels have never been so plentiful in our wooded regions as they are this fall.

With the continuation of warm, mild weather throughout the state, has come a post season spell of good chicken shooting of which a number of hunters have availed themselves and secured very good bags. This sport, which all season has been good only in spots, had been given up by the sportsmen in general, but right now reports from the prairie country is to the effect that the birds are plentiful, has again wakened the fever and those who have had only fair success in the early fall are considering another whirl with the shotgun and hunting dog.

Quail have been bagged in small numbers throughout the central part of the state, but as yet no accounts of the limit being secured have reached Omaha. Several small coveys have been sighted near the western limits of the city, which immediately vanish as soon as a person with a shot gun starts in their quest.

Fred Goodrich and a party of St. Louis friends have returned from several days' shooting on the Iowa flats below Mondamin. They brought home four dozen bluebills and mallards.

General John C. Cowin and H.B. Peters of the Merchants hotel leave Monday evening for the quail fields below Atkinson as the guests of John B. parks, a big cattle man of that region. Mr. Parks has assured them a few days of fine shooting on quail and chicken.

Charley Cullen, the popular paymaster of the Union Pacific, with a number of friends has just returned from a week's shoot a Oshkosh, Neb. They spent several days hunting on the prairies north of town, but had little success till they came back on the river, where in little over half a day they secured a bag of fifty mallards.

S.R. Bun of the Powell Supply company got back from a duck shooting expedition nea Hyannis Monday. He brought home a bag of fifty ducks, mostly mallards and teal.

Charles E. barton of the Chicago American league club and William J. Jennings of Chicago arrived in Omaha last night from Bancroft, where they had a remarkable three days' shoot on widgeon and baldpates. Mr. Barton himself killed twenty-five in an hour's time, and the two men brought in a bag of 100, including a nice mess of jacksnipe.

Dug Welpton, local insurance man, has just got back from a week's stay out one the Platte. He secured a fair bag of birds.

Frank Burkley spent a few days on his ranch near O'Conner last week in pursuit of the elusive quack. He had no success at all, unless the wounding of one of two greenwing, the only birds he saw might be called success.

C.H. Sobotker and son, Harold, journeyed out to the Platte Thursday in their Lexington roadster and secured a dozen ducks as their reward. They killed these out of small flocks, the only ones they saw all day.

George Wendheim, Bill Herman, C.W. Bishop and Bill McDonald have been adjourning the last ten days at Hackberry lake, putting up at the old Stilwell ranch. The party did the most of their shooting on Pelican lake, however, where the wild rice is very luxuriant. They brought back to Omaha as a net result 150 mallards and a fine bag of mixed ducks. They did a little fishing on Hackberry and caught several strings of sunfish and perch.

Albert Hastings and a party of Chicago business men spent three days on the Henry Murphy ranch north of Seneca last week, bagging eighty mallards, three sandhill crane and a large number of chickens. Mr. Hastings distinguished himself by killing a coyote with a load of No. 7 shot from the wagon while driving from the station to the ranch. He has brought the pelt home and is going to have it turned into a rug.