Forest and Stream, January 19, 1888

SHOOTING NOTES.

Tourists and sportsmen -- Field sports - Hunting : Waterfowl and shorebird

Clark's steam yacht Mohican still lies at anchor off Old Point Comfort, Virginia. She has on board a party of sportively inclined Newarkers, among whom are W. Campbell Clark, Charles D. Halsey and Horace N. Conger. They are shooting sea ducks from a steam launch belonging to the yacht, getting about a dozen birds a trip. The lower waters of the Chesapeake Bay are covered with coots in all conditions of weather, and in calm times with scattering flocks of geese and blackheads. Many of the latter, under the name of "flock ducks," are netted across the Bay in Tangier Sound. The geese can be shot by running down on them with the wind, against which the big birds are forced to rise, thus affording cross or overhead shots. Years ago sailing for brant was common on the New Jersey and Long Island bays. It was found to drive the birds from these waters and was consequently abandoned. What few ducks that resorted Newark Bay six years ago were routed by small steam yachts hailing from the Bergen shore, the shooters using very heavy shoulder guns. In Long Island Sound a number of well-known New Yorkers, Mr. Howard S. Jaffery being one, follow the ducks about every week in light-draft tugs. The effect of all this, especially in small bodies of water, is to drive the ducks away. The bags are always small and only second-class ducks are killed as a rule.