SEA-DUCK SHOOTING 167 



one since the birds are flying slowly and have spread 

 their tails as a brake, and with lowered feet are flap- 

 ping to alight. At the report of the gun, however, the 

 ducks spring high in the air and are soon under full 

 headway. The second shot is often missed by reason 

 of under shooting. The gun should be aimed well 

 over the rising birds, and far in advance of them, if 

 they are going off to right or left. It was formerly 

 the practice to aim at the flock when the birds were 

 closely huddled together, in the hope of killing a num- 

 ber at a shot, but such is not the better way. The 

 sportsman should select a bird for each barrel and try 

 to kill it instantly — " clean," the gunners say. The 

 dead birds are easily recovered, the wounded, unfortu- 

 nately, often get away. In shooting into the flock 

 many birds besides those killed will receive a part of 

 the charge and, wounded, get away. 



In North Dakota and other States where the legal 

 bag limit is twenty-five birds or less per diem, two or 

 three double shots at the hovering flocks will put an 

 end to the day's sport, so that it is no longer to the 

 sportsman's interest to take the pot-shots in the air or 

 on the water. 



A retrieving dog is always used. The best dog for 

 this purpose is the Chesapeake Bay dog — a strong 

 water-dog, able to stand the roughest weather and the 

 icy waters of the bay, and to find the birds in the heav- 

 iest sedge. Such dogs are owned by sportsmen who 

 shoot on the Chesapeake, and at the clubs at Curri- 

 tuck, and they may be found here and there through- 

 out the West. The dog is trained to remain motion- 

 less in the blind until ordered to retrieve. He will 



