Fifty-Third Annual Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries and Game for the Year Ending November 30, 1918 . not find it con-venient to do much other hunting. They are operated at con-siderable expense, and must be maintained for long periodswhen no geese are flying. A census of the shooting stands in Massachusetts made forthe year 1917 (the latest complete figures available) showed 67stands, using a total of 2,093 decoy ducks and 1,793 decoygeese. Data on the birds killed could be secured from only51 of the stands, and gave the following results: 3,495 ducksand 726 geese. It should be mention
Fifty-Third Annual Report of the Commissioners of Fisheries and Game for the Year Ending November 30, 1918 . not find it con-venient to do much other hunting. They are operated at con-siderable expense, and must be maintained for long periodswhen no geese are flying. A census of the shooting stands in Massachusetts made forthe year 1917 (the latest complete figures available) showed 67stands, using a total of 2,093 decoy ducks and 1,793 decoygeese. Data on the birds killed could be secured from only51 of the stands, and gave the following results: 3,495 ducksand 726 geese. It should be mentioned in this connection that1917 was an off season, as the ponds froze up early and re-mained in that condition throughout the winter. There werenumbers of flocks of geese flying South after the ponds froze,two flocks as late as Jan. 1, 1918. Some of the stand ownerstried to keep open water in front of their beaches, but wereobliged to give up the attempt owing to the severe cold. In the spring of 1918 the flight occurred about the usual time,though in some places it was delayed a little on account of the. Flying decoys, just released from the pens. 1918.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 25. 49 hard winter and late spring. So far as we could learn notendency was shown to stop in this State to breed. Observersagree pretty generally that the numbers were equal to theflights of recent years, and in some places, notably parts of theCape and Norfolk County, they were greater. Bristol Countyshowed a decrease. In the country adjacent to the WestportRiver on one very cold Saturday in December of 1917 the wildfowl were so unusually numerous that certain New Bedfgrdsportsmen, counting the flocks of geese as they came down theriver from the marsh country on their way to sea, noted atleast fifteen distinct flocks in the East Branch. Thomas Arnold, Esq., reported seeing a pair of blue geese onOctober 30 off Manomet. He also has in his possession two ofthese birds procured on Nantucket eight years ago
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