WILD-FOWL SHOOTING. 135 



your brush house within about twenty yards of the 

 pond, made by driving into the ground four stakes 

 at the angles of a square, and connecting the same by 

 a strip of wood for support. Then cut some small 

 trees and bushes, sharpen the ends, and drive them 

 into the ground, fastening them to the bars. If well 

 done, it will make a good cover, and can easily be re- 

 paired when out of order. When done the whole 

 should look like a low cluster of trees and bushes, and 

 it should not have too much the appearance of a hut. 

 Put on the floor a quantity of dry hay to sit upon. 

 Make the house sufficiently high to stand in, so that if 

 you are up and on the lookout when the fowl are com- 

 ing in, you can quietly drop down again without being 

 seen. 



Set out in the pond good wooden or living decoys. 

 The latter are preferable if they can be had, as they 

 will call the wild ducks about them. Be careful how 

 you move about in your shooting-stand when the ducks 

 are in the pond or are coming in. They are very 

 quick to notice a sudden movement ; probably no bird 

 or fowl of any kind can excel them in this. When 

 they have come down to the decoys, and are within 

 range of the gun, find some little open space in your 

 brush house. Draw back your gun and put the muz- 

 zle to the hole, but not through it, lest your motions 

 should be discovered. When you shoot, sight your 

 gun down close to the water, to avoid shooting over. 

 It is always safer, when on the lookout for ducks, to 

 sit down, with your little port-holes all engaged in dif- 

 ferent directions. 



