WILD DUCK SHOOTING ON PRESERVES 121 



British Sportsman says: "There are very few shoots, 

 possessing water in the shape of a lake or pond, on which 

 wild duck are not now reared, but we hear that trouble 

 and disappointment are caused by the duck deserting. 

 This cannot altogether be prevented with any birds al- 

 lowed the free use of their wings, but if it occurs whole- 

 sale, there is something wrong as regards management. 

 The general practice is to cram the duck with food all 

 day and leave them without any at night, which is a com- 

 plete reversion, of their habits, as it is their custom to 

 rest during the day and feed after dark. The really wild 

 duck feeds to some extent during the day, but not like 

 it does at night. If the duck are only supplied with a 

 light meal during the day, and given a heavy feed just as 

 darkness is setting in, nothing will tempt them to desert, 

 for they are only liable to fly off at flight time. 



"In a district close by the sea, or in other localities fre- 

 quented by wild duck, those hand-reared must be watched 

 closely, as it is the wild birds which decoy them away. 

 The aim of readers should be to tempt the strangers to 

 remain with the hand-reared duck, and this they are 

 willing to do if privacy can be arranged. There is sel- 

 dom any difficulty in inducing them to stay on a se- 

 questered piece of water. The really wild duck appear 

 among the hand-reared ones at night, flying down to 

 them owing to their calling, and if our advice to scatter 

 plenty of feed at dark has been followed, there should be 

 attraction for the visitors to stay. Otherwise, the birds 

 will soon leave for the feeding grounds and take with 

 them some of the hand-reared duck. Even greater care 

 must be observed at pairing time, for then the wild drakes 

 do their utmost to decoy the females away, but if they 



