THE ANGLER AND HUNTSMAN 177 



yards away; the gunner is compelled, however, to lay flat, 

 which is necessary to effectively hide his presence from the 

 ducks. Decoys are usually anchored nearby, which attracts 

 real ducks to the vicinity and within gunshot. 



But to get back to " point shooting," as practiced in the 

 Middle West, the hunter generally puts out 25 or 30 decoys 

 near a spot where ducks are in the habit of passing, draws 

 his canoe or boat into the reeds and awaits the approach of 

 the next flock. 



One of the most essential items in duck hunting is in 

 the matter of warm wearing apparel; something not only 

 warm but waterproof is desirable. 



In the matter of guns for this purpose, give me a 12 

 gauge choke bored double-barrel gun, which is the generally 

 accepted gun for duck hunting. 



As to shells, these should be loaded with S 1 /^ drams of 

 powder and 1.14 ounces of No. 4 shot. 



Some hunters prefer the old ten gauge, because it makes 

 a better pattern with large shot, up to about size BB, but it 

 has nothing on the 12 gauge for range and in addition is 

 heavy to carry and handle properly. 



In picking up a duck or goose from the water, pick it 

 up by the head, as this will cause the water to run right off ; 

 if you pick it up by the feet, that method fluffs the feathers 

 and the waterfowl becomes water-soaked and heavy to carry. 



The ducks and geese are a very interesting family, and 

 a whole book could well be written on that subject. I wish 

 we had space to deal more at length herein on duck and goose 

 shooting, but.it is impracticable and also unnecessary, for 

 those who have hunted waterfowl full well know how and 

 where and when to hunt, and those who haven't yet indulged 

 in this thrilling sport must do so before they possibly appre- 

 ciate an article on this subject. 



One of the most interesting members of the goose family 

 is the Canada goose, scientifically known as Branta cana- 

 densis. Its summer home, principally, is the interior of 



