# Opening Day Report - 1904



## High Desert (Sep 25, 2007)

"No, brown canvas suits are not the fall style for men's wear. A stranger in Salt Lake yesterday might have thought the male population of Zion had adopted a new style of clothing consisting of a brown canvas cap, coat and trousers and rubber boots. Hundreds of them were seen, but if one had observed more closely he would have seen that the wearer of this uniform invariably carried a gun over this shoulder. . . The hundreds of citizens clad as above were all headed toward the the setting sun, and all day long and up until an early hour this morning parties of twos and threes were travelling toward the shores of the Great Salt Lake.
The reason for all this is the opening of the duck season.
For the past month Salt Lake's large colony of hunters have been preparing for this date. Just as the small boy awaits the Fourth of July, so does the duck hunter await with impatience for today, the time when the law says he can go out and kill forty ducks every day for the next three months.
Ere the first streak of daylight finds its way through the night's darkness, the sounds of thousands of guns will be heard and a bright streak of red will illuminate the heaven between this city an the shores of the Salt Lake. 
Rigs of all kinds were pressed into use yesterday afternoon and last night carrying hunters out. Many went early to pass the night in some blind or secluded spot to be on hand before the late arrivals. Others left the city as late as 4 o'clock this morning content to take chances in getting within gun fire of the much sought after ducks.
The prospects last evening for a good opening day were not very bright. the clear weather will cause the ducks to fly high."
Salt Lake Herald October 1, 1904


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

40 ducks?:shock: 7 a day is plenty to take care of. 

"Many went early to pass the night in some blind or secluded spot to be on hand before the late arrivals. Others left the city as late as 4 o'clock this morning content to take chances in getting within gun fire of the much sought after ducks."

Some things haven't changed much have they? 1904 was long before any WMA's or Federal bird refuges were established. Can you imagine what the Salt Lake valley looked like in 1904?


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## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

Great read! this just gets me even more excited :mrgreen:


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

40 duck limit, but just imagine what the bag limit was on COOTS!!!!!!!! :grin:


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

utahbigbull said:


> 40 duck limit, but just imagine what the bag limit was on COOTS!!!!!!!! :grin:


I like the way you think!


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> 40 ducks?:shock: 7 a day is plenty to take care of.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> Gotta feed all those sister wives somehow. :mrgreen: I think 1904 is when polygamy was finally abolished for good. Not like when they pretend abolished it in 1890.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

colorcountrygunner said:


> Fowlmouth said:
> 
> 
> > 40 ducks?:shock: 7 a day is plenty to take care of.
> ...


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Hell, there are plural marriages still happening today. I could care less, at least baby know who der daddy be.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Fowlmouth said:


> Hell, there are plural marriages still happening today. I could care less, at least baby know who der daddy be.


 They just might not be able to remember who their mother is, that's what could get confusing. :?


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

utahbigbull said:


> They just might not be able to remember who their mother is, that's what could get confusing. :?


Now that's some funny $hit right there.


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> Hell, there are plural marriages still happening today. I could care less, at least baby know who der daddy be.


Who be needin' a daddy? Dat's what section 8 and foo skramps are fo gnomesayin?


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## colorcountrygunner (Oct 6, 2009)

johnnycake said:


> colorcountrygunner said:
> 
> 
> > close...pretty good documentation of plural marriages occurring in utah through 1916 (some less supported evidence in the 20s)
> ...


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

colorcountrygunner said:


> johnnycake said:
> 
> 
> > haha "plural marriages." It sounds so much less egregious when you word it that way. Like the whole, "when she was several months shy of her 15th birthday," instead of just saying she was 14. You'll make a fine lawyer, johnnycake. I know that you weren't the one who coined that term, I'm just playin.
> ...


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

:focus:

Great article from over a hundred years ago. I can't imagine hand plucking 40 ducks a day.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

dubob said:


> :focus:
> 
> Great article from over a hundred years ago. I can't imagine hand plucking 40 ducks a day.


That's what the 10 wives and 37 children are for. :shock:


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