GAME CLUBS, PARKS, AND PRESERVES 29 



ground, and to feed and care for the game, and renew 

 it when necessary. 



On these preserves, of which there are several, there 

 are no club-houses. The members drive out from 

 Newark and the other cities and return at night, or 

 perhaps find shelter at the farm-houses on the club- 

 grounds. Other upland clubs in the Middle and West- 

 ern States pay a money rental for the shooting, usually 

 sufficient to pay the taxes on the land. 



Since all game-preserves in America are new, many 

 of the older methods of pursuit still prevail. There is 

 a tendency, however, to imitate foreign ways. Sports- 

 men who a few years ago rowed their own boats, set 

 their own decoys and carried their own game, are more 

 often nowadays accompanied by a punter who punts 

 the boat, places the decoys, carries the game and in 

 many ways lightens the burdens of the sport, and 

 sometimes loads the guns and even does the shooting. 

 In England the duck* have long been "disturbed" by 

 keepers or beaters and driven to the guns. At many 

 of the American clubs the ducks are " disturbed " by 

 punters, who punt or sail a boat and drive the birds 

 from the open water. The birds are usually baited 

 with corn or wheat at given points where the blinds 

 are erected, and often when the season opens are very 

 tame and afford quite easy shots. 



In England, a few years ago, much of the upland 

 shooting was done over dogs, the setters or the poijit- 

 ers. It was in England that these dogs were brought 

 to the highest state of perfection, and all the best dogs 

 in America are descended from this English stock. On 

 the preserves to-day in England the pointers and the 



