3i6 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



their other flank against the wind, and will always get 

 within fair, often easy, shot." 



Pigeons 



Pigeon-shooting from traps hardly comes within the 

 scope of a keeper's duties, but a few remarks may be 

 made as to the killing of wild wood-pigeons. A few 

 head may be obtained by simply beating a wood. When 

 this is done, great care must be taken that the guns are 

 placed a considerable time before the beaters enter the 

 wood, as on the first crackle of a broken stick the pigeons 

 will begin to leave the covert. The keeper should take 

 care to note the customary flight of the birds, and place 

 the guns accordingly. Pigeons generally fly from covert 

 to covert, and as a rule take the shortest line to get out 

 of a wood. The question of wind, of course, is important. 

 In leaving covert pigeons seldom fly against the wind, 

 but almost invariably do so when returning to it. But 

 to obtain any large bag of pigeons in a short space of 

 time, decoys must be used. These may either be stuffed 

 pigeons or birds just shot. In the former cases, the 

 decoys should have copper wire passing from within the 

 bodies of the birds down the legs, with, say, some sixteen 

 inches projecting from each foot. In the latter cases, 

 thepresentwriters have long found the folio wing method 

 efficacious : Pieces of wire-netting are cut so as to fix 

 the fresh-killed birds with their wings clasped to the 

 sides, and their heads erect, on to branches of trees. 



