9 o 



BROADLAND SPORT 



anguish, " Why, I'll be blowed if my duck ain't gone and 

 sunk." 



But, taking it all round, this, together with all other 

 methods of wildfowl-shooting, is poor indeed in comparison 

 to punt-shooting proper, for besides being injurious to the 

 " ground," the bag is invariably small, the birds are not half 

 so palatable, and the expenses attendant thereon are far greater. 

 Further, if the practices mentioned under this heading are 

 continually resorted to on good gunning estuaries, the better 

 species of fowl are apt to be irretrievably driven away for 

 the remainder of the season. Whereas, on the other hand, by 

 judicious punt-shooting on the flats, as will be hereafter shown, 

 a large quantity of birds are usually obtainable without per- 

 ceptibly breaking up or injuring their haunts, whilst the sport 

 is a thousand times more scientific, satisfactory and enjoyable. 

 But that want of skill and endurance, which so few possess, 

 and still fewer exercise sufficient perseverance to attain, pre- 

 judices the many against the few who are capable of success- 

 fully carrying it out. It is, however, to be sincerely hoped that 

 common sense and good judgment will weigh the balance in 

 favour of the much-abused and so little-known art, namely, 

 " Legitimate Punt Gunning." 



THE OLD SHIP RUN ON BREYDON. 



