WILD-GOOSE SHOOTING 159 



return by the same route to their nocturnal haunts in 

 the evening as that which they follow in the morn- 

 ing, local information on this point should be sought. 

 The rules to be followed when shooting grey 

 geese are briefly these : First, let it be remembered 

 that it is absolutely necessary to keep your head well 

 down and out of sight of the approaching geese, and 

 that by no anxious movement should you give them 

 the least chance of detecting your presence. By con- 

 tinually bobbing your head up and down, in your 

 desire to see exactly where the geese are likely to pass 

 over, you will most certainly cause them to break 

 away ; and the same result will follow if you expose 

 your head too high above the shelter whilst awaiting 

 their approach. Then, in the next place, take care to 

 let the geese come in close before you present your 

 gun to fire at them. To the eyes of a novice these 

 great birds appear much nearer than they really are, 

 and one may thus be tempted to shoot at them before 

 they are within the deadly range. At thirty yards, or, 

 with a heavy shoulder-gun, even at thirty-five yards, you 

 should be fairly sure of your game ; but at any greater 

 distance your chance of killing them diminishes with 

 each stroke of their powerful wings. In taking aim, 

 the most vulnerable part of the goose should be 

 selected, which is the head or the wing, the breast 



