206 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



the easiest thing in the world to make a mistake in set 

 ting out the decoys which shall cost you half your birds. 

 You do not want the wind to blow across your blind to 

 the decoys, or across the decoys toward your blind. The 

 decoys must be at one side of the blind. Suppose the 

 wind is blowing from the east to the west, you put out 

 your decoys to the north of your blind, and not to the 

 east or west. 



The decoys should be set out in a longish line, rather 

 wedge-shaped, point down the wind, and all at easy gun- 

 range not too close. Hearing the call, the birds swing, 

 cross over, and come up-wind to alight among the decoys, 

 drawing to the encouraging low "whit, whit" of the 

 gunner. By no means shoot when the birds are crossing, 

 or skimming the ground on any side but the decoy side. 

 They will swing and draw in obliquely toward the blind, 

 and the fire should be reserved till then, if the most mur- 

 derous effect is what is desired. Even when the point of 

 the flock is well within range, do not fire at the leading 

 birds; aim at the middle oblique of the flock; the charge 

 will then rake the flock. As the remnant double up and 

 rise, the second barrel, held till the right time, goes 

 far toward completing the work. The flock passes on, 

 depleted. The low, deceitful, bewildering whistle still 

 assails their ears, and they see still the likeness of their 

 friends standing unmoved amid the confusion. Again 

 they swing, their own notes now half -frightened and half- 

 plaintive. If you have the heart for further slaughter, 

 your chance has come again. Twenty, thirty, or forty 

 birds may fall to your gun from one flock. If you got 

 only six or eight, your friend, and possible companion, 

 the market-hunter, would laugh at you. Two hundred 

 in a day, 1,000 in a week you can do this in Northern 

 Illinois, even to-day, if you have the natural heart for 

 butchery. 



