SHOOTING MALLARDS IN A SNOW STORM, 75 
around younow. Have plenty of shells in your pockets. 
Never think of hunting ducks in a snow storm, or, in 
fact at any time, without using water-proof shells. In 
spite of your cautiousness—and you won't as a beginner 
be overly suppled with it,—snow will get into your 
shell pockets and melt ; your coat will be wet, your 
shells wet. It is utterly impossible to keep things dry 
at such a time. Many and many’s the time I have 
plunged my hand into my shell pocket and found shells 
dripping wet, covered with seeds, dust and crumbs. 
Being water-proof, they worked all right, after wiping 
them hastily on my coat. Were they other than water- 
proof I could not have used them, and a whole day’s 
sport would have been spoiled. Be vigilant and on 
the alert, constantly turning your head, that the duck 
may not approach you from any direction unseen. Un- 
less you are thus always on the watch, some lone duck 
will quietly fly over your head unperceived, while you 
are carelessly fingering your gun, or idly staring at 
your feet. You suddenly come to yourself, and hastily 
bring the gun to your shoulder, but too late, for as he 
gracefully rises over the trees, you perceive he is just 
out of range. Disgusted at what you choose to call 
your ill luck, you mentally resolve it shall not occur 
again, neither does it within the next half hour, but it 
does again later in the day, possibly several times. 
You relax you vigilance as the flight decreases, and 
with thoughts in dreamland, at least far away, your 
carelessness loses you many good chances for a 
shot. 
Decoys should be used in this kind of shooting, placed 
out in such a manner as to attract the attention of the 
passing birds. Wooden ones, very natural and lifelike, 
