136 BROADLAND SPORT 



Having completed the decoy pool, attention is turned to 

 the more interesting process of working it to advantage from 

 a sporting point of view. 



A fair-sized duck pen is made in one corner of the pool on 

 the shelving shore, so the birds confined therein can use the 

 land or the water at their pleasure, and rush tufts are allowed 

 to grow in this enclosure in moderation. Half a dozen or 

 more wild ducks are procured and properly pinioned, and are 

 placed in the enclosure with one or a couple of tame drakes. 

 They must be well looked after, carefully fed and tended, 

 so that when, a fortnight or three weeks later, one side of the 

 pen is taken down and they are left to their own devices they 

 will prefer to stay in the sheltered waters of the pool rather 

 than stray further afield, where they would certainly fare 

 worse. During this time in fact, all the year round an 

 abundance of food must be supplied to the fowl, which should 

 be thrown into the water over the top of the feeding screen 

 [marked on the Ground Plan], so that rats, crows and other 

 vermin cannot get at it and eat it up so easily. 



Should there be any wildfowl in the neighbourhood the 

 ducks will not be there many days before they attract the 

 attention of drakes, which will immediately pair off with them ; 

 and on ascertaining the fact that their ladyloves are unable to 

 fly they will be quite contented to remain and enjoy connubial 

 bliss within and around the limited precincts of the decoy 

 pool. 



In the early spring ducks are in great request by mallard, 

 and the offers placed at the delicately-webbed feet of the 

 lonely widow ducks in the pen will be not only numerous but 

 demonstrative and noisy. In peeping through the screen it is 

 no uncommon sight to see close on half-a-score of handsome 

 young Masher Mallard " doing the polite " to one bashful 

 duck, whilst the tame drake has been edged quite out into 

 the cold. 



The birds, as is customary with wild duck, pair off and 

 nest very early, and when the months of August and 

 September arrive the heart will be gladdened by the sight of 



