Maryland Ducking

STOCKTON, Md., Jan. 3. -- At last, after waiting all through November and December, the wildfowl are coming in on the shoals, and they seem to be all redheads. In all the years I have been here, I have never seen so blank a fall. Plenty of geese and brant, but no ducks, that is, deep-water fowl -- canvas, redheads and blackheads. It has been unusually warm here, with very little blustery weather, and what few fowl were on the feeding grounds would not decoy, as they could not be broken up in small bunches.

I was out yesterday, and once more it looked like old times, with plenty of fowl in the air, and beds feeding as far as I could see. We did not lay the battery, as it was calm, and I had gone out more to look than try for shooting. I think we will have plenty of fowl from now until April, unless cold weather should set in and drive them further south. Every week now lessens the chance of their being driven off, unless the principal destroyer of wild fowl shooting everywhere should put in his appearance -- I mean the night shooter, with his firebox. No State seems to have a law, or warden, man enough to stop them.

O. D. FOULKS.