Goosing on Sinepuxent Bay
FROM NOTES BY THE EDITOR.
BERLIN, WORCESTER Co., Maryland, Nov. 18th.
Worcester county comprises a large part of the peninsula that lies between the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Its seaward boundary is skirted by Sinepuxent Beach, twenty-five miles in extent, which incloses Sinepuxent Bay, and extends to Chincoteague Sound, of which it is really a part. Here wild fowl resort in immense quantities for food. Snipe and beach birds in great variety also abound, and there is fine quail shooting on the main land. The locality is easily reached by rail from Wilmington to Herrington station, and thence by either of two railroads, via Georgetown or Salisbury, to Berlin. From Berlin there is rail communication in summer to Ocean City, a delightful resort on the beach, six miles distant; but cars are not run in winter except for the special accommodations of chance shooting parties, whom the railway officials are always ready to favor. The hotel at Ocean City accommodates some 400 guests, and is largely patronized by visitors from Baltimore and Philadelphia, who prefer it to Cape May and Atlantic City. The railroad was only opened last year; but, now that access is made easy, Ocean City will hereafter be more largely patronized than ever, and a second hotel is being built in anticipation of increasing numbers.
Capt. Ayres keeps a small hostelry open all winter to accommodate sportsmen, whom he provides for sumptuously. He can lodge a dozen very comfortably.
During the past few days the bay and sound have been filled with ducks and geese, and sportsmen are here in force. Gentlemen of means have their private sailing smacks fitted up with decoys, skiffs, and all appliances for pursuing their vocation, in which they cruise about the bay, taking the upland, beach, and bay shooting at pleasure. This is a luxurious and engaging method to those who can afford the time and money; though I take occasion to say here that comfort, and success in shooting, would be much increased if a model of vessel could be introduced into these shallow waters similar to that in vogue on the Florida coast. The topography and conditions of the coast and channels here and there are much alike. The water in all the bays and estuaries is seldom more than four feet deep except in the main channels, and the usefulness of the round bottom craft in service here is therefore very much limited. They serve chiefly as portable shooting boxes, while skiffs must be continually in readiness for work; and as constantly resorted to. It is not pleasant to be obliged to come anchor in mid-sound, two miles from shore, and weather a storm of several days' duration when the skipper could run in under the land with a flat-bottomed craft and be happy. The jib-and-mainsail boats built at St. Augustine, Florida, by a Polander named A. Iwanowski, are models of beauty, and when in the water show lines as graceful as the handsomest round bottomed keel-boat afloat. Indeed, for what hull they show above the water line, they might be taken for round-bottomed boats. An idea of their model might be conveyed by imagining the section below the water line sliced off parallel therewith. The chief desiderata for a gunning craft in these waters, and indeed in all waters along the coast, are light draft and plenty of cabin room.
Several gentlemen on the bay have built snug shanties or shooting boxes at eligible points, or on the islands, which are supplied with all requisites for comfort and enjoyment. A sneak boat or skiff, and several dozen decoys for geese, ducks, and snipe, are indispensable. Hon. Stephen Taber, who owns some twelve miles of the beach and the main land, maintains two dozen live geese, which have been domesticated and take especial delight in luring their credulous kindred within gun shot, when their services are brought into requisition. Capt. Stokes, of Philadelphia, with a party of friends, is now on the bay off St. Martin's river, with his gunning smack, doing a good business. Messrs. Johnson and Sclee, of Poughkeepsie, are also cruising in the smack "Chatham," owned by Capt. Coffin, who keeps a good hotel six miles below here. The bunches of wild geese triced up in the rigging, and the miscellaneous lot of ducks, quail, plover, snipe, and rabbits, on deck, show that they have put in their time with profit. Mr. Johnson owns the Isle of Wight, above St. Martin's river, where he has a snug farm and shooting box. Messrs. Fasitt, father and son, of Philadelphia, went home yesterday, with 10 quail, woodcock, plover, etc. Mr. Charles Hallock, Editor of FOREST AND STREAM, has been the guest of Mr. Stephen Taber, for four days, occupying the shanty at Hammock Point, opposite Ocean City, always one of the best thoroughfares for wild-fowl on the coast. Two sides of the building, at last accounts, were covered with a miscellaneous lot of feathered game, which had been hung up on nails for future disposition. Every train to Wilmington carries home a score of gunners well loaded, chiefly with quail and woodcock, which they have picked up on the farms adjacent to convenient stations on the railroads. Favorite points of departure for the field are Canterbury, Herrington, Farmington, Greenwood, Seaford, Georgetown, Salisbury, Pittsville, and Berlin. As a rule, the farms are all posted, as a protection against market gunners, but gentlemen sportsmen can almost invariably obtain permission to shoot over private territory. It is better, in all cases, to obtain letters of introduction to land owners. There seems to be no obstacle to beach or bay shooting. Efforts are about to be made by Dr. H. R. Pitts, President of the Wicomico and Pokomoke Railroad, B. Jones Taylor, R. J. Henry, L. Showell, Dr. Dennis, and other prominent citizens of Worcester county, to organize a Game and Fish Protective Society, to prevent present abuses, which are serious, not only with respect to game, but fish. Seining and netting is practised by residents and non-residents, not only at improper seasons but with one-inch mesh nets which destroy small fry in innumerable quantities. Sinepuxent Bay and Chincoteague Sound both abound in oysters, blue fish, striped bass, weakfish, perch, terrapin, etc., which, with the products of the land, make the stated bill of fare very attractive and replete.
"Goosing," in its various methods, is an art which requires much study to acquire, and patience, judgment and endurance, to bring into successful practice. The adage, "Set a thief to catch a thief," does not apply to this business. "Set a goose to catch a goose" holds good only as to decoys; and these must be properly set in suitable locations. The gunner must learn not only the habits of wildfowl -- their flight and feeding grounds -- but he must be able to distinguish at sight the several varieties by their peculiar cry or note, their movements through the air, and their general appearance, at whatever distance. He will not mistake a loon for a goose, or a flock of geese for brant, or black ducks for red-heads, or red-heads for canvas backs. He will never waste powder on coots, old squaws, or sheldrakes, when better game is afloat or aloft, or throw his shot away on dippers and divers. He will lose no precious time by watching chances at high-flyers and "travellers," when great masses of birds are pitching into the bays where decoys can be set with advantage. He will determine at all times whether it be better to place his decoys out from blinds on shore, or from his sink-box in mid-water; for sometimes, for various reason, the fowl feed far out and at other times close in shore. He must understand the numerous artifices to be employed to circumvent his wary customers, and determine promptly when and where to bring them to play. The gunners must be serene in rough weather, and learn to
The geese that have been passing over the past week have been chiefly high-flyers -- most of them "travellers" not tempted to tarry by luxurious feeding grounds, but bound for far distant regions in lower latitudes. It required the "tallest" kind of shooting to reach the nearest of them, and scarcely one known to have been killed, has dropped at less than 100 yards! [Just here we have assurance enough to predict that the time will come soon when the sporting rifle, under the skill acquired by practice at our Rifle Ranges, will become the chosen weapon of sportsmen for shooting geese. And we believe, now, that an expert rifleman would save more game than the man with the shot gun, who cripples or wounds nine out of ten that he shoots at. We know this to be true, for any one can hear the shot rattle against their bodies - not always harmlessly, we are positive.]
The ducks, too, were driving birds, and expert pigeon shooters might have had their best skill brought into play to drop them within bounds. No doubt it was a great aggravation to the individual goose, hastening on with the rank and file, in full blown anticipation of speedily reaching the objective point for which he had started -- very discouraging, indeed, to be suddenly halted on his melodious flight by a pellet of lead, and tumbled headlong to earth. Quite likely the rest of the "honkers" wondered why he had so suddenly taken sick and dropped out of the ranks; but they never paused to inquire. Pat Mullins' famous five-bore guns never did nobler duty than on several of these occasions. No ordinary bird gun, of whatever pattern, could have done execution. No. 2 pellets would have rattled harmlessly against their armature of feathers and quills. The early breakfast at the shanty was often abruptly interrupted by the signal of the lookout seated at the cabin window that a flight was approaching; knife and fork would drop instanter, and rush be made for guns, as in the primitive days, following an alarm from Indians; then a furtive reconnaissance from the gable ends of the building, and possibly a fusillade, presently answered by a fluttering corpse dropping to the ground with a thud, almost into the cooking-pot. These interruptions were intermittent. And after the spasmodic meal there followed two-hours bivouac at the blinds, where the rain pelted and the chill air made the teeth chatter.
At times a resort to the outer beach, or a cruise down the bay, would vary the programme. Very exciting it was to see the dark lines of geese in the distance, like low clouds on the horizon, gradually approach, and resolve themselves into squads and platoons as they drew near to the decoys; the suspicious file leaders with outstretched necks, sounding their horns, sheering off momentarily to the westward and southward, then hesitate, wheel, and finally pitch into the waves with a splash that made the salt spray fly. Then the great guns would thunder, and the vast living mass rise with a tumult of wings and din of trumpetings and screams, leaving many behind, and more to fall as they flapped in disordered flight to the upper air. How complacent the live decoys seemed as they triumphantly surveyed the havoc they had helped to create! and with what a self-satisfied air they settled down to business again and awaited the coming of the next reinforcement! The keen observer could almost fancy he detected mutual congratulations among the flock and saw, as in the historical olden time
"The old gray goose a smiling at the gander."
It was rare sport, too, for the gunners who harvested the plunder, while visions of roast goose and apple sauce filled the "mind's eye, Horatio."
Nothing like goose shooting to whet the appetite and woo sound slumber! What larder can excel that of Sinepuxent? Luscious oysters and fresh fish to alternate with roast goose and duck; fresh eggs, rich sausage, and potatoes from the farms? One can live royally at the shanty, and every hour of rest and sleep after eating adds an ounce to a man's avoirdupoise and a steel spring to his lifting power. Soon the red-heads will come in force, and then there will be fresh fields for sport. But these I must now leave to others less trammelled with business. "Dido et dux." No wonder! Nath'less the editor must stick to his quills. Alas! that poor editors, like swine, should be driven to a pen for a living! Nevertheless, his brief holiday at Sinepuxent will be remembered when many others are forgotten.
I volunteer the information here that a large tract of land of many miles in extent, embracing some of the best grounds for upland, beach and bay shooting, is available here at a low lease for a party of gentlemen who wish to organize a Club similar to those at Currituck and elsewhere. I shall be glad to further any movement of the kind and to place proposals before the parties in interest.
HAL.