THE PLOVERS 311 



three, more often one, or one with each barrel, and it 

 was not long before I had a very fine bag of birds. 

 My shooting companions, when we met at the vil- 

 lage hotel, expressed surprise that I should have so 

 many plover. They knew I had no decoys and was 

 a poor hand at calling. They, too, had tried for the 

 birds all day with no success, having endeavored to 

 stalk them. When I explained my method of letting 

 the birds come to me on their line of flight, they 

 determined to try it, and had no trouble in getting 

 some excellent shooting. 



Upon another occasion, when out for snipe, I ob- 

 served as I walked down a road that the plover were 

 crossing it at a certain point, and stopping in the fence 

 corner with little concealment I had some very good 

 shooting. 



In Texas and some of the other prairie States these 

 birds are shot by stalking them in a vehicle or on horse- 

 back in the same way already described for taking the 

 upland plover or Bartramian sandpiper. On the vast 

 prairies where there are few fences this is very good 

 sport, but a horse which can jump a wire fence is bet- 

 ter than a vehicle, which must often necessarily make 

 a long detour to follow the birds to an adjoining field. 



Since I have joined the ranks of those opposed to 

 spring shooting I do not expect again to shoot much at 

 plover. In September, the prairie-grouse, the snipe, 

 the wood-duck, and teal are more inviting, and I then 

 have no time to learn to whistle the golden plover or 

 study the setting of the decoys. 



Hough well says that to be successful you must be 

 an expert plover-shooter, and to be an expert you must 



