310 SHORE BIRDS 



before I came within range and seemed to estimate the 

 distance to a nicety, continuing to run about and feed 

 until the last safe moment. 



The sportsman going out to shoot golden plover 

 should observe, like the duck shooter, what the birds 

 are doing. Upon a careful survey of the ground it 

 will be apparent often that the birds are moving in 

 certain directions, flying from one feeding ground to 

 another and passing over certain fields, and it is on 

 the line of flight or on some favorite feeding spot 

 that the decoys should be set out. The decoys may 

 be had at the gun stores and are usually made of wood 

 or tin, with a peg to stand them on in the mud ; the 

 dead birds can be used to advantage, standing them 

 up among the decoys by means of sticks, as the duck 

 shooter often sets up his ducks. A few sticks carried 

 in the shooting-coat for this purpose will be found use- 

 ful on the prairie where it is impossible to find any. 



I have more often shot these plovers from a blind, 

 getting under their line of flight and without decoys, 

 but much larger bags can be made with decoys — espe- 

 cially if the sportsman is skilful in calling or whistling 

 the birds. 



I was once shooting snipe in Northern Indiana and 

 finding but few birds, I decided to devote the day to 

 the golden plover, which were exceedingly abundant, 

 flock after flock crossing the same field in rapid suc- 

 cession. Taking my stand at a fence with a few 

 bushes and small trees as a blind, I ordered the dogs 

 down and soon had some rapid shooting. 



The flocks were not large and at no time did I kill 

 many birds at a shot, but I repeatedly killed two or 



