With Gun ^ Rod in Canada 



least amount of labour. This light weight combined 

 with an exceedingly shallow draught is responsible for the 

 canoe's unstability as well as its fragility. A sportsman 

 should remember to wear rubber-soled shoes, or mocca- 

 sins, out of respect for this very frailty that makes a 

 canoe so desirable in shallow waters and over long 

 portages. When stepping in, be sure that the canoe 

 is resting upon the water and not upon the rocks, as a 

 sharp stone or snag can easily puncture the canvas and 

 light sheathing of the hull. When once in, keep down, 

 keep in the middle, and keep as quiet as possible. So 

 much for embarkation. 



Stow the guns forward with the butts in the bottom 

 of the canoe and the barrels pointing over the gunwales 

 forward. Never stow a gun so that the muzzle points 

 either at the bottom of the canoe or at its sides. Do 

 not stow the gun behind you so that you have to pull it 

 forward by the barrel, with the possibility of the lock 

 or trigger catching on some of the duffle and perhaps 

 discharging it inopportunely; nor so that you have to 

 pull it toward you by the stock, with the chance of 

 shooting your guide. Do not hold a gun in your hands 

 with the muzzle pointing into the bow or bottom of the 

 canoe. Accidental discharge when held in this position 

 means at the very least the thorough wetting of the cargo 

 and a possible swamping far from shore. 



In making side-shots at flying birds, do not attempt 

 to swing the whole body towards the birds, but only 

 the trunk from the waist up, turning as on a pivot and 

 keeping the centre of the body exactly over the canoe's 

 keel. It is easier to fire a shot to the left than to the 

 right without upsetting the canoe. When right-hand 

 shots have to be made, the guide should swing the boat 

 sharply towards the birds, thus enabling the sportsman 

 to take an easier and more natural position than would 



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