OUTDOORS 



gang. But after a while, say, in an hour or 

 so, they will begin to yearn for the flesh-pots 

 of Egypt, and will get up in small bunches 

 five, three, and even pairs and singles and 

 start back for their former feeding-ground. 



As they see your decoys they will set their 

 wings and come in bravely to your " blind." 

 Now is your time. For doubles, let them get 

 well in before you rise to shoot, for it is sur- 

 prising how quickly a bluebill can get away 

 from a dangerous spot when he sees and real- 

 izes the necessity for so doing. He is a 

 winged athlete, and the way he will whirl 

 away as you stand up in the boat will make 

 you hustle to get him. 



Sometimes a pair of suspicious bluebills 

 will anchor off your decoys and browse 

 around for awhile. Let them alone. The 

 chances are good for their eventually giving 

 way to their curiosity and swimming in close 

 enough for you to get a shot. They are in the 

 habit of giving a curious purring, chuckling 

 noise as they feed or float about, and some of 

 the hunters imitate this sound so exactly that 

 the deluded birds will come in readily to their 

 decoys. 



66 



