69 



to make quite a creditable appearance. In cold 

 weather, when there was no danger of the ducks 

 being spoiled by keeping a few .da^rs, 1 used to 

 often leave fifty or sixty, when I had them at 

 night, covered up with leaves and brush, near 

 my shooting-place, to use for decoys next day, 

 and these, with the wooden decoys. I usually carried, 

 were generally sufficient to allay all fears enter- 

 tained by the suspicious ones. 



Live tame ducks make probably the best decoys 

 to- be had for mallard and black-duck shooting, 

 but they are such a nuisance to take care of 

 and transport that they are seldom used in 

 the West. It would almost seem as though they 

 took an especial delight in seeing their kindred 

 killed, from the continuous calling and quacking 

 they keep up whenever a flock of wild ones come 

 in sight ; and they seldom call in vain, for on the 

 wild ones hearing them they immediately turn 

 and come in. The young wild-fowler, when shoot- 

 ing over live decoys, should learn to imitate their 

 notes as nearly as possible, an accomplishment 

 which will prove of decided benefit to him 

 when shooting without decoys or over wooden 

 ones. 



It is often a great advantage, when shoot- 



