128 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



among the corn-stalks, and it is almost impossible to find 

 them without the aid of a dog. Nearly every winged 

 bird will get away. 



When you find that the mallard-ducks are feeding in 

 the corn-fields, go out before daylight in the morning. 

 You will not need a blind, as you can get among the 

 corn-stalks. Your shooting will be about the same as at 

 the buckwheat-fields. Should the day be a cold and 

 rough one, and should there be plenty of mallards in the 

 country, your shooting may last all day. Be sure to 

 have plenty of shells and a luncheon with you, as I know 

 of nothing so provoking as to be where there are plenty 

 of ducks, and get out of shells. 



I had some experience of that kind three years ago 

 the day after Thanksgiving. My brother and I went to 

 a pond early in the morning, when the ducks had gone 

 out to the corn-fields to feed. All the ponds in the coun- 

 try except this one were frozen over, and the ducks 

 came there for water. We put out half a dozen mallard 

 decoys, and sat down on the edge of our light duck-boat. 

 Soon the ducks began to return two, four, five, or six at 

 a time. I never saw such mallard- shooting before or 

 since. In two hours we killed over 100 splendid mallard- 

 ducks, and all shot on the wing at single shots. We got 

 out of shells, were ten miles from home, and the ducks 

 were coming just as plentifully as ever. At that time I 

 would have given $10 for another 100 shells. We had 

 expected to have thirty or forty shots, and had taken 

 only a few more than 100 shells with us. 



Good duck-shooting may be had in streams and small 

 lakes; but here the hunter will need a good duck-boat. 

 He must, in order to be successful, have a boat that sets 

 very low in the water, or one large enough to be trimmed 

 with brush and dry grass. I have a boat that I like very 

 much to use in shallow water, or where the grass and 



