BLINDS AND OTHER DEVICES. 563 



then rest on the water as that of a Uve duck does, and after hav- 

 ing smoothed the feathers nicely. It is best to keep on setting 

 these decoys until you have seven or eight, and if you increase 

 the number it will be all the better. 



Stools for Snipe, etc. — Stools are made of wood in imitation of 

 the birds to be decoyed ; or dead birds may be used as above. 

 They should be placed at a proper shooting distance from the 

 blind where the shooter is concealed. 



Live Geese Decoys. — In bar shooting they should not be staked 

 out, for the following reasons : Very few Canada geese or brant 

 used for decoys become properly reconciled to their captivity. 

 They remain more or less wild, and when fettered, are apt to lose 

 their footing, on account of sudden frights, etc., and fall forwards 

 all in a sprawl. There they remain prone, tagging and straining 

 for hours until relieved. If wild geese are in the vicinity where 

 this occurs, good-bye to the game ; it will not be deceived. More- 

 over, the gunner should retain control of his decoys, in order to be 

 able to get them away, when necessary, from the spot towards 

 which the wild birds are heading. No one wishes to shoot his 

 own birds, and many a time have I seen my decoy brant completely 

 surrounded by the wild ones. In such emergencies, a strong line 

 running into the box or blind is the only means of extricating the 

 decoys from the line of fire, and with me it was always successful. 

 To prevent twisting up and other entanglements, put a strong 

 swivel at the junction of the two leather fetters. To the other end 

 of the swivel attach a piece of cord, say six feet long. Fasten 

 your geese in pairs to a third swivel, to which attach your decoy 

 line, which must be large and strong in proportion to the size of 

 the decoys. In bar shooting always locate your sunken box, the 

 only admissible kind of ambush, within easy range of some tongue 

 or spit of sand extending into the water, and forming a natural 

 landing-place for the fowl to get their footing. Then give your 

 decoys just scope enough to keep them well short of the spot where 

 you are morally certain the quarries will land. If two pairs are 

 worked, which are quite enough, place one pair to the right and 

 the other to the left, when practicable, and keep them there. The 

 fettered geese, as a rule, prefer to stand just at the edge of the 

 water, and get as far away from the shooter's position as the line 



