Practical Game-Preserving. 



262 



reach down to the water level, but to within about pin. 

 of it, and there should be a duck-ladder for the birds 

 to leave the water (Fig. 30). The best plan to shelter wild 

 duck in hard weather is to put up a small stack of loose 

 grain in the straw. It should be set up loosely, so that the 

 fowl can work it, but it must be so set up that it does 

 not topple over. If the weather sets in very hard, and 

 it is almost impossible to keep the water open, as is some- 



Fig. 30.-Waterside Shelter for Wild Duck. 



times the case, the ducks will feed all around the stack 

 of grain, and pass a good deal of their time about it. 



Before passing to the subject of the protection of the 

 ducks from vermin, a word or two may be said on the 

 subject of killing what may be wanted for eating pur- 

 poses, and also for sport. In the first place, flapper- 

 shooting, except in the case of very extensive duck 

 preserves, should never be practised, as it is sure to entail 

 the loss of far more ducks by desertion than by the actual 

 shooting. Of course, more birds can be actually and 



