Page 173 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2022

ABUNDANT BIRDS OF THE MARSH OFFER GREAT SPORT
A pair of common gallinules found a place they liked a vegetation clump in a large, grassy bay in a river delta marsh.
slow ker-whee whistle or a descending whinny. Sora rails also prefer freshwater wetland systems with tall reeds and canes, although they sometimes venture into brackish marshes or even wet crop fields.
Another common and widespread small rail, Virginias resemble half-scale kings with dark brown heads and backs, orange legs and long, curved bills. Patches of gray splashing on their cheeks distinguish these rails from their cousins.
Rails and gallinules typically run from danger rather than fly. They can disappear easily into thick reeds. With their long toes, gallinules deftly walk across floating grass, lily pads or other matted vegetation. Sportsmen might spot rails or gallinules searching for insects, small crustaceans and other morsels on mudflats at low tide.
Sportsmen don’t need to hunt rails and gallinules at daybreak. In addition, the birds do not respond to decoys or
calls, so sportsmen must go looking for them. Since these birds live in thick, soggy vegetation, use a small boat to hunt them.
Hunters cannot shoot migratory birds from boats under power until the engine stops running and the forward progress ceased. However, people can hunt from human-powered craft like canoes or kayaks. During the September teal or regular waterfowl seasons, some people paddle for rails and gallinules after the morning duck hunt ends.
Many people hunt alone, but others hunt in teams. One person in the bow remains ready to shoot while another person paddles, positions the boat and acts as spotter. This type of hunting offers an excellent way to introduce children to the sport.
For more specific details on season dates and limits, see www.mdwfp.com.
A drake purple gallinule tiptoes through the reeds.
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living | www.smliving.net September 2022 | 173