A Trip for Quail in Maryland
A recent trip on the Maryland peninsula, though not compensating in the way of game on account of contingencies that all hunters experience, may have yielded a point or so to interest sportsmen. The peninsula is wonderfully well supplied with railroads most of them of recent construction -- so well supplied that a drive of no more than ten or fifteen miles is required to reach any part of the Delaware or the eastern shore of Maryland. The Delaware Railroad divides that State and terminates at Delmar on the border, where it is joined by the Eastern Shore Road which continues on to Crisfield, Maryland's extremity. Four roads branch from the Delaware and Maryland. For availibility they unquestionably open the best territory in the country for quail, English snipe, woodcock, and wild fowl, and it is without question more resorted to than any district in this country. It is the main out-look for Baltimore, Philadelphia, and a good many New York sportsmen. I have no means of estimating this kind of travel, but as a sample, a friend reports from his own count, seventy-four dogs on one train of the Delaware Railroad three weeks after the quail season had opened. Regular and reasonable dog fares are charged on this road -- seventy-five cents a head to Delmar, or about half a cent a mile -- with the privilage of taking the dogs in the smoking car. Our party started Dec. 13th, or about a week after the severe cold snap and snow storm, and stopped first at Princess Anne, Md. The weather was pleasant, but the snow and frost had left the level, light soil in a four inch mushy condition, and the quails having taken to the woods and swamps during the cold snap, still stuck to them, ramaining in the dense cover, and only feeding on its edge. Before the storm they were located in the fields chiefly, and the covey shot could be had, with a fair average of open shooting in the first break. Some veracious hunters (non-residents) reported from twenty to forty covies a day as the raise from day to day, during a hunt of two weeks; and from the "signs" I saw, I should not question their statement. We (two) shot about two dozen birds in a day and a half, not wasting much shot, and not getting more than one fair snap shot out of a half dozen rises. The dense second growth pine undergrowth and greenbriars effectually protect birds that take to it. But the clearings out-acre the woodland, and I should judge before rough weather drives the birds to timber, that a fair shot could readily bag two scores a day any where in this locality. Rider, at Princess Anne, keeps a middling good hotel, but his charges are too airy for the country. His tariff, as far as I could cipher it, was $3 per day for board, and $5 per day for a team, and $1 to $2 additional for drive. This is the hightest rate in my gunning experience for country quarters. If he wish to encourage gunning patronage, it would be politic for him to conform to usual rates, which rarely exceed $2 per day. Most any farmer in this locality, I was told, would board respectable gunning parties for $5 a week, or $1 a day, for less time. This is better than in a town, for you can locate right in good hunting ground. There are fine meadows hereabout for English snipe, and they and woodcock are said to be very plentiful in their season.
On Saturday we took the back track without a point decided upon for locating at, but resting between New Market on the Dorchester & Delaware Railroad, where it is said you can get comfort (at Bramble's house) and good shooting combined, and the Virginia peninsula. At Salisbury, the junction of the Wicomico & Pocomoke Railroad, Ike Mill's car was hitched to the train. It had come from Ocean City, where he and a friend had been ducking. I had heard much of the Mr. Mill's prowess with a gun, and did not hesitate to intrude upon him, and met with a kindly reception. Being a keen sportsman and as Superintendent of the Delaware Railroad, commanding special facilities for moving from point to point, he is probably the best posted man on hunting on the peninsula. He stated that quail had been and were still unusually plentiful, and that you could scarecly go amiss from them in either State. He said if we would stop at Seaford he would show us as good quail shooting as we would wish for. We so arranged for a few days before our return, having decided to look at the ducking qualities of Chincoteague Island and the quail ground in Accomac and Northampton counties, Va. So we bade Ike Mills good bye with the expectation of a pleasant hunt with him. (Everybody knows "Ike" Mills about there, so he puts it, but "Mr." Mills is a stranger. We went over the Pocomoke Road to Berlin, where we heard something of Mr. Hallock's late shoot therabout. This is the second time I have chanced upon his route (and he has the knack of getting upon good ones.) The other was in the Neosho Valley, Kansas -- a district running on that meridian south -- which I do not think is excelled, if equalled by any in the country for game. At Berlin we took the Worcester railroad, which since spring was extended to Franklin on the shore of Chincoteague Sound, where a small steamer plies to and from the island in connection with trains. Owing to extreme low water the little steamer was seven hours making her seven mile trip, and did not reach Joe English's until after 1 o'clock Sunday morning. He has built a new house and it is a decidedly comfortable place for hunters in winter, both in table and rooms, and it has a tempting summer look too. His rate is $3 a day, and gunner with outfit charge from $2.50 to $3 a day. We had trouble enough to get on the island, and our next anxiety was to get off. It grew very cold on Sunday and threatened a "freeze up," which means imprisonment upon the island until the "thaw out."
On Monday a couple of plucky and enduring young men got us to the main-land in a yawl boat by cutting through ice and going some fourteen miles roundabout. Other parties decided to take chances with the steamboat, but as the "freeze up" was accomplished the next night I judge they may be enjoying themselves upon the island yet. A party of two New Yorkers that had just arrived at Franklin, were patiently waiting there for the steamer to take them to the Island. Judging from their commissary they were out for a campaign. They had three trunks, 200 pounds of shot, ten gallons of whiskey, and other stores in proportion. We next went to Tom Pettit's at Horntown, Accomac county, whom we found to realize the standard of what a good landord ought to be, well posted, and his guests interest and pleasure at heart rather than his own. We liked the appearance of the grounds we passed through to reach his place better than any we had been on. There were good thick stubbles and cornfields and brushy fence rows and much of the timber was the original growth, not matted with undergrowth, and practicable to shoot in. Birds were said to be plentiful. One farmer told us he had three large flocks in one small stubble, besides several other flocks, and invited us over. Some of the New Jersey dog trainers are located there with their kennels. One of them told us a dozen birds a day was a big bag for that locality. This was "business," for if true they had better stay in Jersey, in any part of which they could do that well or better. On Monday evening the rain changed to snow, which fell some four inches deep, thus effectually putting an end to any hope we may have had of field shooting, for a week at least, so on the verge of success, we had nothing to do but to debit our trip to profit and loss and disappointment, and take the next morning train for Philadelphia. But I feel satisfied that there is good field shooting to be had in the vicinity of Horntown, and from what disinterested residents told me it is better farther down the peninsula, about Bellhaven, and the late Henry A. Wise's locality. Tom Pettit's place is seven miles from Stockton, from which a stage runs. He has plain comfortable quarters, ducking outfits, boats, team, oyster beds, &c., and voluntarily and heartily does every thing to further his guests pleasure and comfort. His terms are $1 per day. I have struck upon so many cheerless, unhomelike hotels, when on hunting trips that I always like to hear of good places and to let others know of them. Railroad fares are not exorbitant as they are further south, but range about the same as they do north. Not traveling directly I cannot give through rates, but the fare from Philadelphia to Princess Anne, 144 miles, is $4 30, and from Stockton to Philadelphia, $5, or averaging three cents a mile.
The quail shooting in the northern parts of these states where the land is nearly all redeemed and under fine cultivation, is good enough to satisfy any sportsman at the opening of the season.
Before the Maryland & Delaware Railroad opened up its district to the sportsman, when shooting there, I was struck with the large proportion of old quail bagged. The explanation given by old residents was that covies were not much thinned by hunters, that they were large and often two or more together, and in the spring instead of quietly pairing and rearing broods, the cocks were perpetually at war, and the hens would scatter their eggs along the hedges and fences, where they were gathered in quantities by the negroes. The increase consequently was nominal. The fact shows Natures law to guard against excessive increase, and also that the judicious thinning of a covey to two or three pairs, or to the point where they will mate and brood will insure an increased instead of a decreased stock of these birds.
B.