CHAPTER LIV. 



WILD-FOWL SHOOTING ASHORE BY NIGHT. 



" The air was dirkit witli the fowlis, 

 That cam with yammeris and with yowlis, 

 With shrykking, screeking, skrymming scowlis, 

 And meikle noyis and showtes." 



Dunbar. 



It will sometimes happen, during' long and severe winters, that there 

 are many days and nig-hts when it would he imprudent to venture on 

 a punting- excursion, and but little sport can be indulg-ed in by the 

 wild-fowl shooter, except by ranging- the shore at night with dog 

 and shoulder-gun, beside lakes and rivers, inland and near the sea. 

 This may arise from various causes : either the frost may be so severe 

 as to blockade the waters with ice, so that it is impossible to stir 

 with the punt ; the wind may be too high ; or the night unpropitious 

 for any other adventure than a stroll ashore with dog and gun. 

 There are some men who prefer this sport to any other, and who, by 

 long experience, become highly proficient in it ; as it is one which 

 improves immensely with practice. 



In the neighbourhood of inland rivers or lakes where the tide ebbs 

 and flows, the time chosen by the midnight sportsman for this 

 diversion should be an hour or two previous to high-water ; when 

 wild-fowl, which may not have gone to the fens at flight-time, 

 are busily feeding on the ooze and saltings ; and if not disturbed 

 by the punters, they will gradually approach towards the shore 

 as the tide flows and brings them on. In some seasons, when 

 wild-fowl are abundant, an experienced shore-gunner is enabled to 

 kill moi'e than a bad pimter. Notwithstanding that it is the nature 

 of wild-ducks to seek fens and moors at evening-twilight, there are 

 many which remain in salt-water rivers all night; for they find 

 abundant feeding in such places. 



