brings them from the open water into the flats and 

 inland ponds; and lastly, it animates the wooden 

 decoys. 



The first thing to be don^ on reaching the hunt- 

 ing ground is to decide on a good place for a blind. 

 Where clubs own large tracts of land that are 

 reserved for the members, the blinds are quite sub- 

 stantially built, and the members draw lots for their 

 positions. But if we are hunting on large, unpro- 

 tected marshes, the choosing of a blind is most 

 important. 



First, we must have water to float the decoys; 

 and also the boat, it there is no dry land to shoot 

 from. As duck, though flying high, will usually 

 follow a waterway, if is a good plan to keep close 

 to some slough that runs across the marsh. The 

 blind should be built immediately on arriving at the 

 chosen spot. It should be low, and not too large, 

 as of course the less attention it attracts, the better. 

 After placing all the necessaries in the blind, the 

 decoys must be put out; and there are many ways 

 of arranging them. Then if the blind is on land, 

 the boat must be taken to a distance, and hidden. 

 All these preparations must be completed before the 

 break of day, as the early moming and evening 

 shooting is usually the best. 



