JVILD GEESE AND BRANT. I99 



the Wild Goose is that generally in vogue along the South Shore 

 and at Currituck, two of the best shooting grounds on our Atlan- 

 tic seaboard, viz. : over live decoys from sink boxes. Sink boxes 

 are oblong water-tight boxes about six feet in length by two and 

 one-half wide, and eighteen inches deep. These boxes sunk in the 

 sand until the tops are just flush with the surface of the ground, 

 constitute the sportsman's blind. A spot is chosen on the sand- 

 bars of the bay where the geese are wont to resort for purposes ot 

 resting or feeding. Here the boxes are sunk and the live decoys 

 are fastened to stakes in shoal water. The hunter lies upon his 

 back in the box, and watches for the approach of the flocks of 

 geese. It is customary to allow the birds to alight with the decoys 

 and to give them one barrel on the water, and the other as they 

 rise. In some parts of the country live dedoys are said to be 

 used with success, on land, calling down their wild brethren 

 from on high .as they pass to and from their feeding grounds. In 

 such cases a blind of corn stalks is placed near the decoys and 

 from this place of concealment the sportsman levels his deatl^ 

 dealing tube. 



During the summer months, large numbers of geese hatch 

 and rear their young in isolated parks and valieys of Western 

 Colorado, where white men have rarely hitherto been seen. Here, 

 where they are undisturbed, they become almost as tame as do- 

 mestic geese. One July afternoon we suddenly came upon a 

 flock in the Little Canadian river. We dropped behind a bluff", 

 discharged our rifle, and tumbled over one of the flock. To our 

 surprise, they did not fly away, but appeared to be more con- 

 fused than alarmed. We loaded and re-loaded several times, 

 killing four geese, before the flock finally rose. 



