IV 



HOW TO MAKE A WILD DUCK PRESERVE 

 SAFE AND ATTRACTIVE 



A LTHOUGH many wild ducks can be reared in a 

 ■*^" farmyard where there is no pond, lake or stream, 

 provided they have access to a water trough or pan of 

 water at all times, it is evident that they will do better 

 provided they be reared under more natural surround- 

 ings near a good sized lake, pond, stream or slough. 

 The place selected for a preserve should, if possible, 

 have several waters at some distance from each other, 

 either a number of ponds or a pond and a small stream 

 or slough, since the shooting will be best where the 

 ducks can fly about from one water to another. 



In England there are some small shoots where there 

 is very little water, but the shooting under such condi- 

 tions is often too artificial to suit our American taste. 



There can be no doubt that large numbers of duck 

 can be reared and that they will thrive about very small 

 bodies of water, mere puddles in fact, and on one of the 

 largest preserves in England, where thousands of ducks 

 are shot annually, the little ponds are artificial. 



Captain Oates, who owns a small preserve in England, 

 says wild fowl can undoubtedly be reared far from any 



23 



