102 SHOOTING THE DUCK 



duck-preservers, and yet looked upon as one of the 

 utmost importance by others viz. that of accustom- 

 ing the birds to the sound of gun-fire. When duck 

 are reared in large numbers and killed in a few big 

 drives, it makes no difference whether they are used 

 to gun-fire or not ; as, however little notice may have 

 been taken by them of a few shots fired near the 

 pond, the first fusillade from the blinds will set them 

 moving as wildly as though it were their first experi- 

 ence of the sound of powder. But to those who, as 

 I have said, wish to make as much as possible of 

 small-scale shooting there is considerable advantage 

 in having duck which, within reasonable bounds, are 

 not gun-shy. The owner can kill wild birds at flight 

 time near his ponds without putting his own duck on 

 the wing. He can also spring wild birds from the 

 water during daylight by firing at such a distance that 

 his own birds take no notice of the sound. Before 

 the ducklings are moved to the pond let their feeder's 

 arrival be announced by the discharge of a horse- 

 pistol, and let this be continued till they have been 

 on the water two or three weeks. Afterwards a shot 

 or two should be fired, at intervals of a few days, as 

 the attendant is leaving the pond and while the duck 

 are busy feeding. 



Duck often prove themselves difficult birds to 



