204 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



with a bird far less wary than the cunning wild fowl. 

 When, therefore, he has gained a knowledge of the local 

 trading of the birds, and found their crossing-points, he 

 may comfortably seat himself, and not bother about a 

 possible change of the flight. He may, perhaps, shoot a 

 week out of one blind, and kill as many birds the last 

 day as the first. If he spends his time chasing around 

 over the prairies, he probably will not get half so many 

 in the total bag. 



It should be borne in mind that the decoys must not 

 go down upon the feeding -ground, but upon a passage- 

 way between two feeding-grounds. Such a passage-way 

 can be determined only by a study of the flight. The 

 golden plover feeds on small insects, grasshoppers, sur- 

 face worms, tender vegetation, and the seeds of grasses 

 and certain herbs. A field of sprouting oats, a green 

 meadow, or a last year' s plowing is apt to be frequented 

 by them. If disturbed on such a ground, they fly to the 

 nearest similar ground they have discovered, which may 

 be half a mile or two miles away. A good bit of meadow 

 lying between the two feeding-grounds, in a place promi- 

 nent enough to be readily seen from a distance, will be a 

 likely place to put out the decoys. The birds will not 

 observe any very definite line in going and coining, for 

 they are not so methodical as wild geese, but they will 

 pass near enough to be reached by the shooter's call -note. 

 It may be necessary to move once or twice until the right 

 spot has been obtained, where the birds most often pass 

 over when pursued from their feed. After that, you will 

 let someone else do the pursuing, while you do the 

 watching and the shooting. The golden plover is unlike 

 the wild duck in the matter of decoying. It is an old 

 saying among duck-shooters that " you can't drive ducks 

 to decoys." To some extent, you can drive golden plover 

 so, for they are a very gullible bird, affectionate, constant, 



