Ducklegging

Wild ducks trap best on nights when a cold nor'wester blows. On two such nights Orin D. Steele, Federal Game Management Agent, and his deputy wardens lay shivering for hours in a marsh off Virginia's Eastern Shore, waiting for Trapper Tom Reed. Each night Reed approached, fled without touching his traps. At last Agent Steele realized that the trapper was warned by the absence of duck, which, once flushed by the wardens, returned no more that night. On Dec. 20, 1934, in daylight, the agent and two deputies rose up from the marsh, surprised Tom Reed in the act of baiting his traps.

Federal law forbids the trapping, sale or serving of wild duck.* On the inaccessible islands and marshes of Maryland's and Virginia's Eastern Shore dwell several hundred furtive, treacherous, half-wild natives who make a business of ducklegging. Their traps are funnel-mouthed wire contrivances baited with corn, catching up to 40 duck at one haul. Wardens have lately captured three 8-ft., home-made cannon which fire 2 Ib. of shot, kill up to 300 duck at a blast. Trappers ship out between 200.000 and 400.000 duck per year under label of seafood, are said to operate through a syndicate which smuggles the duck into city markets where they are presumably bought by individuals and clubs.

With vigorous Chief Jay N. ("Ding") Darling of the U. S. Biological Survey alarmed at the dwindling U. S. supply of wild duck, his agents have lately redoubled their efforts to smash the 'legging ring. They have got no help from natives. Eastern Shore merchants are notoriously incurious about the source of their customers' cash. But when Federal men arrested Tom Reed and one Bill Powell they were sure they had the Al Capones of ducklegging. Last week Tom Reed, a clean-cut, well-dressed young man, went on trial in Federal Court at Norfolk, Va. Trapper Reed swore that on Dec. 20, 1934 he was in Pocomoke, Md. doing his Christmas shopping. Pocomoke merchants backed him up. Despite Agent Steele's positive identification, the judge ordered Tom Reed acquitted.

This week tall, swart Bill Powell, charged with shipping 26 duck to Philadelphia, went on trial in the same court. Verdict: six months in jail, $500 fine.

*Wild species raised in captivity may be sold by permission of the Secretary of Agriculture.

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