WILD GEESE 149 



was about to shoot, since I was afraid he would bag 

 me with the geese. 



When the geese come in to the decoys it is possible 

 to get several with one shot on the water, shooting at 

 the heads which are close together, or nearly in line, 

 and another bird with the second barrel as they take 

 wing. I was once shooting ducks from a shore blind 

 on one of the Long Island bays, and a market gunner 

 was out on the open water in a battery with a flock of 

 live wild geese as his decoys. A flock of seven geese 

 appeared far out over the beach, honking as they 

 came, and the decoys soon answered them from the 

 water, when they turned and sailed gently down to 

 join their friends. The market gunner waited for 

 some time after the birds were on the water, and then 

 fired two shots from one gun and two more from an- 

 other before they were out of range and only one bird 

 flew away. This went off a mile or more and then 

 circled about and returned again to the decoys and 

 was shot as he approached. 



The geese have apparently a slow flight, but as a 

 matter of fact they move with great rapidity, and it is 

 therefore necessary to shoot far ahead of them when 

 passing. They are fond of sandy bars and beaches, 

 and when they are discovered using such places a 

 blind is made by sinking a box or barrel in the sand, 

 and when the birds return they are attracted by de- 

 coys and often come within easy range. 



They have a habit of resorting to the fields to feed 

 in the morning and evening, returning in the middle 

 of the day and at night to the lake or river, and they 

 are often shot from a blind placed on their line of 



