GOOSE SHOOTING FROM A STAND. 



GEORGE G. REED. 



From coast to coast, all over our vast 

 country, there may be seen each spring and 

 fall the great migration of wild geese. 

 Though they may show preference for cer- 

 tain lines of flight, I doubt if there is a 10- 

 mile strip between Maine and Oregon, 

 outside of the mountain districts, over 

 which wild geese do not semi-annually 

 pass. 



In Massachusetts there are generally 3 

 great flights every fall; one in October, one 

 in November and one in December, and 

 known to sportsmen as the early, the No- 

 vember, and the late flight. 



Of course, from the time the goose starts 

 from his Northern abode, until he reaches 

 his final destination under the Southern 

 skies, he is constantly alighting in some 

 sheltered 'bays and ponds. Some people, 

 however, have <tihe idea that the birds make 

 the trip with hardly a stop. 



More geese are killed by stand shooting 

 than in any other way, although it is a 

 most expensive kind of sport. It necessi- 

 tates the maintenance of a large number of 

 live decoys. Oftentimes these decoys are 

 so numerous that they require the entire 

 attention of one man all the time. 



Living as I do in Abington, Mass., I am 

 in the heart of the goose shooting country. 

 Within a radius of 10 miles of this town 

 there are probably 3,000 decoy geese. 

 These are bred down from wild birds and 

 kept for decoying purposes and nothing 

 else. They are in use at 44 stands, situated 

 on 29 ponds. The number kept at each 

 stand varies from 5 to 350. 



The stand is built on the shore of a pond 

 or lake, generally on a point of land. It 

 must be in an exposed place, that the de- 

 coys may show plainly ; yet the buildings, 

 etc., must be wholly concealed. The place 

 generally selected is on a point where the 

 beach is sandy and the land near the water 

 is flat, with a small hill a few rods back. 

 Two or 3 rods from the extremity of the 

 point a board breastwork is built, ;and back 

 of that a small living house is erected. The 

 house usually contains 2 or 3 rooms. 

 Everything is thoroughly covered with 

 either pine or oak branches ; pens are built, 

 lines are rigged and all is ready for the de- 

 coys to arrive. 



Inside the stand, that is, behind the 

 breastwork, the old mated pairs are kept. 

 On the hill in the rear arc the fly-pens. In 

 these pens are the goslings and year olds ; 

 one brood in each pen. On the front of 

 each pen is a gate, so arranged that it can 



be opened from the stand with a rope. On 

 the beach in front of the breastwork are the 

 pinners, or staked geese. These are un- 

 mated birds and are staked there through- 

 out the season. Now we have mated pairs, 

 flyers and pinners in their respective posi- 

 tions. 



A flock of geese is sighted by the man on 

 the lookout in 'the stand. He pulls a rope, 

 perhaps 2 or 3 at once, and out come the 

 flyers. He may have to let out 10 or 12 

 broods of flyers before the wild birds take 

 notice. 



He also rings a bell that the sportsmen 

 in the house may know 'there is a flock of 

 geese about. They stealthily open the door 

 and creep out. The air is alive with geese, 

 and the noise they make is terrific. The de- 

 coys are flying about, each marked by a long 

 strip of leather attached to its leg. The 

 geese on the beach are making all the 

 noise they can, and the mated pairs are 

 honking to their young. 



Far out in the pond the wild birds are 

 alighting near the wooden decoys anchored 

 there. There are fully 50 of die wild geese 

 and they are drinking and washing 

 themselves, having just come from the 

 salt water. 



Then the mated ganders are put on the 

 lines and driven out through an opening in 

 the breastwork to the beach, whence they 

 honk to their mates. The wild geese cease 

 washing, form in a platoon and start toward 

 the stand. The shooters peek through port- 

 holes and over the top of the breastwork, 

 always careful not to be seen. 



When the birds are within range, the 

 word is given and the men behind the 

 screen jump up, guns in hand. The old 

 gander who leads the flock Stops at once 

 and his followers huddle about him. For 

 a moment they are too amazed to fly. As 

 they bunch together, someone cries 

 "Fire!" A report follows and then a clat- 

 ter of second barrels. The geese which are 

 lucky enough to escape circle about the 

 pond and foolishly alight again near the 

 wooden decoys. They seldom leave the 

 pond at once, being loath to abandon their 

 luckless companions. 



Then the dead birds are brought in. 

 sometimes by a dog, but oftener with a boat, 

 and everybody goes back in the stand. 

 Sometimes the remainder of the flock will 

 return to receive another volley Tf there is 

 more than one stand on the pond a flock is 

 often shot into a second and even a third 

 time before 'they leave. They sometimes tly 

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