STUBBLE SHOOTING. 4^1 



against the wind, it is possible sometimes to sail down 

 on them before the wind, and to get so close to them be- 

 fore they take wing that when they rise a shot is of- 

 fered. Most birds will not permit so near an approach 

 as this, and those chiefly killed in this way are the salt- 

 water scoters and old-squaws. At the same time, we 

 have seen geese and swans sailed up to, and occasionally 

 killed. But this is quite unusual. 



The practice is a very evil one, since it amounts to 

 chasing the birds about continually, and after a certain 

 amount of this pursuit, they become exceedingly wild, 

 and are likely to desert the waters where this is prac- 

 ticed. To my mind, there is no sport in this, and it de- 

 serves mention only as one method by which ducks are 

 killed. In certain waters of New York, and some other 

 States, birds are approached somewhat in this way by 

 steam or naphtha launches, and some shooting is had ; 

 but this method of killing ducks is open to the same ob- 

 jections as sailing, and ought not to be practiced or to 

 be permitted. Any method of shooting ducks which 

 gives them the impression that they are being chased 

 about is open to objection and should not be practiced. 

 The results can never justify the injury certain to be 

 done to the shooting. 



STUBBLE SHOOTING. 



In portions of the Northwest, such as North Dakota 

 and Manitoba, and in fact in many wheat-growing 



