SHOOTING MALLARDS IN A SNOW STORM. 75 



around you now. Have plenty of shells in your pockets. 

 Never think of hunting ducks in a snow storm, or, in 

 fact at any time, without using water-proof shells. In 

 spite of your cautiousness and you won't as a beginner 

 be overly supplied with it, snow will get into your 

 shell pockets and melt ; your coat will be wet, your 

 shells wet. It is utterly impossible to keep things dry 

 at such a time. Many and many's the time I have 

 plunged my hand into my shell pocket and found shells 

 dripping wet, covered with seeds, dust and crumbs. 

 Being water-proof, they worked all right, after wiping 

 them hastily on my coat. Were they other than water- 

 proof I could not have used them, and a whole day's 

 sport would have been spoiled. Be vigilant and on 

 the alert, constantly turning your head, that the duck 

 may not approach you from any direction unseen. Un- 

 less you are thus always on the watch, some lone duck 

 will quietly fly over your head unperceived, while you 

 are carelessly fingering your gun, or idly staring at 

 your feet. You suddenly come to yourself, and hastily 

 bring the gun to your shoulder, but too late, for as he 

 gracefully rises over the trees, you perceive he is just 

 out of range. Disgusted at what you choose to call 

 your ill luck, you mentally resolve it shall not occur 

 again, neither does it within the next half hour, but it 

 does again later in the day, possibly several times. 

 You relax your vigilance as the flight decreases, and 

 with thoughts in dreamland, at least far away, your 

 carelessness loses you many good chances for a 

 shot. 



Decoys should be used in this kind of shooting, placed 

 out in such a manner as to attract the attention of the 

 passing birds. Wooden ones, very natural and lifelike, 



