BLUEBILLS AND DECOYS 



rel has been my load for them, backed up by 

 plenty of powder. For cripples a number of 

 shells loaded with number eight shot will 

 come in handy. When a bluebill falls you 

 can often tell whether he is dead or only 

 wounded, by his wing-action; if wing-tipped, 

 or only hard hit, he will usually swerve, or 

 sail down to the water; if killed stone dead, 

 he drops like a plummet. If wounded, slip 

 in a shell loaded with number eight, and 

 when he starts to swim off give it to him in 

 the head. 



The best way to get good shooting for 

 these ducks is to find where a flock of them 

 have been feeding, in some cove or bay. If 

 possible, find a flock that has not been shot at. 

 Paddle down to them and scare them away 

 without firing a single shot at them, no mat- 

 ter how good a chance you get. Build your 

 " blind " where they have been and throw 

 out your decoys. If there was a big bunch 

 there, say, one hundred or so birds, they will 

 afford shooting all day for you. At first, 

 when frightened from their feeding-ground, 

 they will fly out to the main waters of the 

 lake and drop down with some other big 



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