Luke Sultenfuss

David Harper
English 101-104
February- 27- 2015
The old days on the Chesapeake
Definitely many hunters recognized few laws but their own;
Chesapeake Bay had always been their outdoor supermarket.
These man were born to hunt in an area where more ducks were
killed my more hunters for a longer period of time than in the
vicinity of any other body of water in the world. Spending an
afternoon with an age old waterman and seasoned hunter,
resulted in an education on previous hunting methods,
adventurous stories, and the desire to not take natural resources,
like the Eastern Shore, for granted. I was able to further
understand the importance of preserving wildlife through
responsible hunting, land conservation, and ethics.

In a tributary where abundant waterfowl filled the creeks and

rivers to overflowing, market gunning served as an economic tool
for native Eastern Shore men. For many men on the Chesapeake,
wildfowling provided a profitable source of income, Before the
Migratory Bird Act of 1918, market gunning had been a necessary
and respected profession (Walsh, 1). Interviewee William Denny,
a Kent Island native, often helped his great uncle shoot unlimited
bounties of ducks for their livelihood. It was a way of life, just
how we earned our living. Looking up from his breakfast plate,
Mr. Denny explains that outlaw gunning proved to be more
profitable than farming. Men like Mr. Denny witnessed the change
in the legal landscape of the eastern shore in several areas. One,
being that it was legal to shoot untitled waterfowl. A quote from
the book laments this to be true, law enforcement came slowly
at first, but later with a vengeance and a roar (1). In a span of

decades not much has changed as the Chesapeake still serves as

a highly regulated home to many species of waterfowl.

Mr. Denny and I compared notes about how hunting has

changed on the Eastern Shore in the last 60 years. One of the
most significant changes Mr. Denny noted is the drastic decrease
in waterfowl population. Harry Walsh, author of The Outlaw
Gunner remarks, The hunter marveled at the fowl now visible
before him: thousands of birds were silhouetted along the path of
the gibbous moon. It was like a glimpse of Eden and there was no
sign that man had walked here since the making of the world.
(109) Moreover, he also elaborated on the lack of food sources for
the waterfowl that one time abundantly covered the floor of the

bay. Mr. Denny lamented that the food is gone, all the grasses
and good things to eat are just plain gone. The decrease in
waterfowl and the lack of food sources for waterfowl are two
major changes on the Eastern Shore in the last half century.
Like many Outlaw gunners who faced confrontation with the
Department of Natural Resources (DNR) MR. Denny was full of
thrilling stories that included the DNR. One of the most intriguing
stories he talked about was a time when he was all but nearly
caught by Mr. DNR Officer, but got away only by quick thinking.
This was the closest call I had ever had to getting in serious
trouble stated Mr. Denny as began to tell me the rest of the
adventure. It started out with he and two friends of his who he
considered to be his hunting buddies named Jonny and Burl.
Apparently the three of them had had quite a bountifully duck
hunt during one morning in December, to the point where Jonny,
Mr. Denny and Burl used up every last one of their shot gun
shells. They spent the morning shooting at all the ducks that had
kept coming into the decoys without hesitation, all morning long.
We couldnt keep them away chuckled Mr. Denny. After
collecting all the ducks they headed back towards land,

unexpectedly to find two DNR officers waiting at the boat ramp,

eager to question the boys about all the shooting they had done
during the morning. Alright boys, lets see your ducks one
officer yelled. Mr. Denny who had seen the officers at the ramp
as they approached the scene quickly stashed the illegal ducks
that had been under the seat of the boat and down his boots.
Where are all of your shells? Said one officer. Burls worry filled
voice softly said back we shot every last one of them!!! Mr.
Denny showed all the ducks to the officers, looking at Jonny and
Burl hoping they wouldnt cave under the pressure and give up
the rest of the ducks they had hidden, while wiping sweat off of
his brow. The officers looked all through the boat, questioned the
boys a few more times but were unable to find anymore ducks
then the boys had shown and allowed the boys to leave. As the
boys started off, one officer rolled down the window of his squad
car and with a disgusted voice barked, I know you boys think you
got away with something, but dont think I dont know what you
kids did, well get you! and sped off. Burl, Jonny and Mr. Denny
breathed a sigh of relief as the officers drove out of sight and

soon realized how hot they were even though it was it was 14
degrees.
My morning with Mr. Denny took me back to the days of the
Outlaw Gunner, when the Chesapeake Bay region supplied
abundant waterfowl and a different way of life. A way of life where
men lived off both water and land, making a decent living but
exploiting our natural recourse. Mr. Denny remarked on this way
of life by saying, Sometimes you gotta do according to what you
gotta do even though it might not be the best in the long run, but
just a short fix
I took away from this project a great example of how
humankind can easily destroy a beautiful thing if ethics, wisdom,
and responsibility are not maintained. The Bay is a perfect
example. Most of our waterfowl numbers have decreased
dramatically due to the market gunning period. Age old wisdom of
a man (Mr. Denny) who has experienced and been a part of the
generation that caused a rapid decrease in resources and
waterfowl, If you have any respect for nature at all, you wont kill
everything. Concluding my conversation with Mr. Denny, I walked

away with a piece of history and wisdom. I suddenly had a greater

understanding of hunting methods in decades past, the
importance of ethics, responsible management, and conversation.
I also walked away with a desire to never take the Eastern Shore
for granted to treat it with the utmost respect and responsibility.