SHOOTING (PART 7) 435 



too suspicious to do so, but snatch their meals at 

 intervals. They will constantly rise as single birds, 

 or in small numbers at a time, from the fields on which 

 they are feeding, to fly to some particular tree on the 

 edge of a wood that commands a good view, and, after 

 remaining a few minutes perched on its topmost twigs, 

 will return to their companions, who will, in their turn, 

 take a flight. The presence of your decoys on it is an 

 evidence of safety that makes the wild pigeons- doubly 

 sure of their favourite tree as a place of refuge. 



Carefully note beforehand the tree the birds favour 

 that is the one on which to fix the decoys ; then 

 when you are concealed near it, with your decoys on 

 it, the latter will have a great effect in attracting the 

 birds within shot as they rise from the adjacent fields. 

 If, previous to a day's sport, you observe the pigeons 

 perch first on one tree and then on another, select for 

 your decoys one of these that stands apart from those 

 next it, or else is taller than the others and is on that 

 side of the wood which is nearest to the fields the 

 pigeons frequent. 



If you desire to make a good bag of pigeons, choose 

 a day when they are downwind of you that is, with 

 the wind blowing straight from your tree with its 

 decoys to the fields the birds are feeding in. The 

 pigeons will then fly to the tree direct from the fields 

 as in fig. 91, without taking a wheel round to head up 

 in line with the decoys, as they would do in the case 



F F 2 



