Wild Pigeons
A propeller which arrived at Detroit on the 13th inst. had on board 17,000 live pigeons, recently caught near Frankfort, of Benzie County, Mich. This is the largest shipment of live pigeons ever made at one time in the State, and 11,000 of them are to be used at the approaching New York State Convention of Sportsmen, which takes place at Oswego July 25.
June 24, 1874. Knoxville Weekly Chronicle 5(13): 4.A propeller which arrived at Detroit on Saturday morning had on board 17,000 live pigeons, recently caught near Frankfort, Benzie county, Mich. This is the largest shipment of live pigeons ever made at one time in the State, and 11,000 of them are to be used at the approaching New York State Convention of Sportsmen, which takes place at Oswego July 25. The Detroit Tribune says: "The pigeons this year about Frankfort are more numerous than they have ever been known before. Mr. D.C. Whitwood, of this city, who returned from Frankfort a few days since, reports that over an area of some three or four miles square the trees are literally covered with pigeons, and about 200 men have been engaged for ten days or more in catching or killing them. Every day from ten to forty barrels of dressed pigeons, packed in ice, have been shipped from Frankfort, besides hundreds of live ones in coops. The roost is in the vicinity of Crystal Lake, a few miles from Frankfort, in a forest of beech trees, the pigeons seeking this place because of the beech nuts, which they feed upon. This flock, previous to roosting her, stayed in Oceana county some ten days or more, and there afforded work and amusement to several hundred men, and thousands of pigeons, dead and alive, were sent to various sections of the country from that point. There are men among the pigeon catchers who have followed this flock from Arkansas and Missouri, and who make pigeon-catching a business, being supplied with nets and all paraphernalia necessary to entrap and catch birds. They get track of a flock of pigeons early in the Spring in the South, and, being acquainted with their habits, are able to follow them the whole year. They generally find men at every place ready to buy their pigeons, and pay the cash for them, the price being from $1.50 per dozen. The pigeon-catchers thought this flock, when they left their roost at Frankfort, would start for the Lake Superior country, thence into Wisconsin, and thence west. Some of the party were getting ready, when Mr. Whitwood left Frankfort, to start for Mackinaw by boat to keep on the track of the pigeons, as they gave indications of being about to take their departure.
July 2, 1874. Wild pigeons. Stroudsburg Jeffersonian 32(7): 2.