INLAND DUCK-SHOOTING. 137 



We had in all 250, and over seventy of them were canvas- 

 backs, the balance being red-heads and blue-bills. 



I once had very fine shooting at the Spirit Lake Pass, 

 in company with my brother, Mr. Nicoulin, a gentleman 

 from Dubuque, Iowa, and one from Burlington, Yt. I 

 never saw two men more delighted than were the gentle- 

 men from Dubuque and Burlington. They had never 

 seen such shooting before. Both were very poor shots, 

 but they had just as much sport as anyone. I think it 

 cost them forty shells for each duck they killed. They 

 were fair shots in the field, but the pass-ducks were too 

 fast for them. 



There are many different opinions regarding duck- 

 guns. Some sportsmen think that a 12-gauge is large 

 enough for any duck; but that has not been my experi- 

 ence. I prefer a 10-gauge gun for deep-water ducks, 

 and it must be well loaded. I think a 12-gauge gun 

 will do for mallards, teal, and wood- ducks; but when the 

 sportsman has to kill most of his ducks outside of forty 

 yards, he will need a 10-pound, 10-gauge gun a gun 

 that will take 4? drams of good powder and not recoil. 



The shot to use for deep-water ducks is from No. 3 to 

 6; other ducks, No. 6 to 8. I would use from 3 to 3 

 drams of powder in a 12-gauge gun, and from 4 to 

 4 in a 10-gauge gun. Put two or three good wads over 

 the powder, and one over the shot. I use 1-| ounces of 

 shot, but 1 or 1 ounces may be used, and will shoot 

 well. 



The duck- shooter at a pass, or in a blind, should 

 always dress warmly, but his dress should not be cum- 

 bersome. He should wear two good flannel shirts, good, 

 heavy woolen drawers, thick woolen stockings, good, 

 stout woolen trousers and vest, and over his vest he 

 should wear a dog-skin shooting-coat. That will keep 

 all the wind away from his body. If the morning be 



