USGS - science for a changing world

Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

  Home About NPWRC Our Science Staff Employment Contacts Common Questions About the Site

Eskimo Curlew

A vanishing species?

Appendix 3


Excerpts on curlews from "The Sportsman's Gazetteer and General Guide" by Charles Hallock, 1877.

This sportsman's guide to hunting (688 pages) and resort directory (208 pages) identifies Whimbrel, Long-billed and Eskimo curlews correctly in the introduction. It then describes curlew shooting in general for North American hunters as follows: "These birds have a singular way of just keeping out of gun-shot, and rise with a mournful cry, alarming every bird within hearing, thus spoiling the sport among the Willets....The best decoy is to tie a dark bandanna handerkchief on the top of a small stick, the gunner lying concealed behind some dry drift-wood, waving the decoy and imitating their cry from time to time. It is not thought highly of as a table bird, but when properly cooked with a little lemon, and good cayenne, it is not to be despised." A dead curlew was also useful in the construction of a whistle for calling "Bay Snipe": "Carefully dry the leg of a curlew, push out the marrow with a red hot knitting needle, plug up one end and then practice."

The following curlew hunting areas are listed: Illinois River near Havana, ILLINOIS; Chatham, Nahant and Nantucket, MASSACHUSETTS; Helena, MONTANA; Watch Hill, RHODE ISLAND; Forked River, Barnegat, Point Pleasant, West Creek, Waretown and Beach Haven, NEW JERSEY; Norfolk, VIRGINIA; Galveston, TEXAS; Emporia and New Chicago, KANSAS; Lake Mills, IOWA; Delavan Station, MINNESOTA; Fargo, DAKOTA (North Dakota). Interestingly enough, curlew does not appear in the four pages devoted to Nebraska, although plover and snipe do.

In Canada, Parrsboro, NOVA SCOTIA, has "some of the best snipe, plover and curlew shooting in America"; Tantramar Marshes "abound in curlew, plover, and snipe - a magnificent shooting ground reached by stage from Amherst, Lockville, and Parrsboro." Henley Harbor, LABRADOR: "In August the curlew shooting is superb, and other beach birds and wild fowl may be had." Also "good board and lodging accommodation may be offered....Board $2 to $4 per week."


Previous Section -- Appendix 2
Return to Contents
Next Section -- Appendix 4

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/curlew/append3.htm
Page Contact Information: Webmaster
Page Last Modified: Friday, 01-Feb-2013 19:08:04 EST
Menlo Park, CA [caww54]