276 lewis' AMERICAN SPORTSMAN". 



the Shooter, who lay there completely concealed from observa- 

 tion by a profusion of cedar brush and eel-grass piled around 

 him. 



The numerous holes in the posts were necessary for the pur- 

 pose of raising up and letting down the framework to suit the 

 state of the tide, which was very easily accomplished, before the 

 Shooter took his position. 



This particular kind of Hind was especially adapted for this 

 river, as the narrow steamboat channel is marked out in its 

 whole course by long poles thrust into the mud on its either 

 border, each one of which was surmounted by a heavy piece of 

 cedar brush, with which the Ducks soon become familiar while 

 feeding, and therefore take no precaution to avoid while flying, 

 which also was the case with the blind ; and, consequentl}^, af- 

 forded at times most excellent shooting. 



The flats or feeding-grounds on Elk Eiver, are quite exten- 

 sive, and occasionally attract enormous hosts of Wild Fowl, 

 more especially when they have been greatly harassed by the 

 Boats and Batteries on the Susquehanna and Chesapeake, as both 

 these modes of warfare are strictly interdicted upon this stream. 

 During the season of 1850, we had considerable sport shooting 

 over Decoys off the points on Elk Eiver ; the weather being mild 

 and the Ducks, both Canvass-Backs and Red-Heads, being more 

 numerous than Ave had ever before witnessed them on this 

 water. 



STOOLING OFF POINTS. 



Another method of killing Ducks by means of Decoys is to 

 anchor them off a short distance from some one of the many 

 points along the bay or river shores, more particularly on those 

 points in the narrows of Spesutia Island. When the Canvass- 

 Backs are flying and the weather is not too severe, this plan 

 affords most excellent sport, and great numbers may be killed. 

 This kind of shooting requires the assistance of a Dog, and none 

 but a Newfoundland or other hardy Water-Spaniel of some 

 good breed will be able to stand the work, if the weather is 

 very cold ; as the frequent plunging into the Avater chills and 



