WILD WILD-DUCK 



T)ERHAPS it is a misnomer to speak of any duck as " tame," 

 A it gives a false impression ; but by wild wild-duck is 

 meant to be implied those fowl that breed in a natural way, 

 and are only to be killed with much success by artifice. For 

 instance, there are three great varieties of wild-duck shooting 

 besides the punt gunner's business. The most practical of these 

 is " flighting " ; the next often " indulged " in, if it can be called 

 indulgence, is " shore shooting " ; and the third kind is the " gaze " 

 system that is practised mostly upon the Hampshire Avon and 

 Stour. There are many modifications of this system employed 

 upon other rivers and on chains of pools. 



FLIGHT SHOOTING 



Taking these in the order named, it may at once be stated 

 that flight shooting gives beautiful sport, but has the dis- 

 advantage that it is selfish amusement, because one cannot 

 invite friends to assist in a form of sport that not only depends 

 much on the weather, as all sports do, but altogether upon it. 

 "Flighting" is the interception of the wild duck in the evening 

 when they come from the sea or other resting-places to their 

 inland feed. Consequently, the line of flight must be known, 

 and besides, this knowledge is not quite enough, because a 

 change of wind alters the course of the fowl, which may be said 

 to have a different line of flight for every wind. But even when 

 the fowler has hit off the correct land spot where the fowl go 

 over, that is not all. The weather counts for much more than 

 this ; for it usually happens that upon a still night the duck go 



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