}}*>WDPIGEON SHOOTING (PART 7) 433 



will often be at birds swerving from the decoys after 

 they have discovered their delusive nature ; and no 

 mark is more difficult than a woodpigeon that, just 

 ou bring your gun to the shoulder, suddenly 

 cants over to one side, and the same instant darts 

 away from you in a fright downwind. You may fire 

 high, low, left, or right, and yet miss him.* 



Stand, therefore, so that you obtain shots at the 

 pigeons before they have reached your decoys, as the 

 birds will fly direct and without swerving till they have 

 discovered the difference between wood and feathers ; 

 their attention will also be fixed on the supposed 

 friends which they are anxious to associate with on 

 the tree top. 



i 



OX THE POSITION OF THE DECOYS 



Fix your decoy birds for day shooting on a leafless 

 tree, such as an oak, beech, elm, or ash. Not only 

 can the pigeons then see your decoys at a distance 

 much clearer than they will on a tree of dark foliage, 

 but it is their habit to pitch on a bare tree, from 

 which they can reconnoitre on all sides, when flying 

 into a wood by day to rest, as they from time to time 



* A dodge. If you are not a good shot at woodpigeons, place your 

 gun ready to your shoulder when you obtain a glimpse through the 

 trees (as will often happen) of a bird approaching, then pull trigger 

 as he passes overhead You thus avoid the sudden movement of 

 bringing up the gun to the aim, which act is apt to scare a pigeon into 

 twisting to cce side in his flight, and hence cause him to offer a 

 difficult mark fcr a young shooter. 



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