16 INTRODUCTION. 



The ornithological descriptions of wild fowl are taken 

 from Audubon and Wilson, but comparatively few 

 sportsmen care for these scientific portraits of the birds, 

 at the same time they are handy for reference, and, as 

 a sportsman friend says, " there is no one thing that 

 I affords the same satisfaction to a hunter, after he has 

 fallen over a brush pile^ while chasing a crippled duck, 

 as to be able to express his opinion of that duck in 

 correct ornithological language." 



Wild fowl shooting is a science ; and when one con- 

 siders how little it is understood by those who think 

 they are experts, it is surprising. Many hunters of 

 means give it no especial thought, although they are 

 excellent shots. They have stated times of going, and 

 certain localities to go to; when they arrive at their 

 destination some local hunter takes them where the 

 birds are and their joy is complete. No need of especial 

 thought on their part, for wealth carves the way to 

 success with them. But to the average hunter, his 

 success depends on his knowledge of the habits of the 

 birds, and unless he is skilled in his calling, he is apt 

 to be disappointed over the day's hunt. There is but 

 one remedy for him, that is, study and observation. 



The sculling of wild fowl is a science of itself. . This 

 method of hunting seems confined to a comparatively 

 small territory of the vast West. In this volume it is 

 explained in its many forms. Possibly the reader may 

 think there is mentioned with great frequency the 

 handling of decoys, the building of blinds, and proper 

 aim, — ^but they are the primary studies, the reading, 

 writing and arithmetic of scientific wild fowl shooting, 

 and must be thoroughly understood before one can 

 think of graduating. They cannot be learned too weU, 



