228 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



pigeons could alight o'n the ground, for if trees, bushes, 

 or twigs were near, the birds would light on them. The 

 shooter, therefore, picked out an open spot near the 

 woods, from 100 to 200 yards, built him a small house of 

 boughs, just large enough to hide him nicely, then 

 paced off about thirty long steps and placed his first poles; 

 these were nearest him, and a foot lower than those the 

 farthest from him, the idea being that from the bough 

 house the shot might follow an upward flight; the charge 

 also had a chance to scatter, for the parallel poles were 

 gradually separated, being perhaps a foot apart nearest 

 the shooter, then from three to four feet at the other end; 

 the result was, that the whole charge of shot was fired 

 into the fluttering birds with great effect. A ten-gauge 

 gun was usually used, loaded with an ounce and three- 

 quarters of shot. As many as three dozen birds were 

 killed, at times, at a single discharge of one barrel, one 

 party telling me that he once killed seventy-one birds in 

 two shots. After the place had been selected for a stand, 

 around this spot grain was scattered to entice the birds; 

 but the most effective way was to coax them down with 

 stool-pigeons. These stool-pigeons were known as flyers 

 or hoverers. When a flock was sighted coming toward 

 the stand, the shooter selected one of the flyers, and tossed 

 him into the air, his feet tied to a long string; the bird 

 flew until the end of the string was reached, then, feeling 

 it could go no farther, gradually lowered, settling softly 

 onto the ground. At this time, from the bough house, 

 there was called, rapidly, "keek," "keek," "keek," 

 this cry being the kind the bird made when feeding or 

 closely searching for food; then another flyer would be 

 thrown up, then another. By this time, the attention of 

 the incoming flocks would be attracted. To interest 

 them still more, the strings attached to the hoverers 

 would be pulled, their pedestals jerked from beneath 



