Nov. ii, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
703 
DUCK SHOOTING. 
Down from the north in the first chill 
November days come the wild fowl, flock on 
flock. Duck shooting is at its best*. Once a 
duck shooter, always a duck shooter. The sport 
has a fascination, which, once it has been ex¬ 
perienced, never loses its hold. There are few 
sections traversed by watercourses where this 
sport cannot be enjoyed to a more or less 
limited extent. Indeed, the scarcer the game, 
the greater the skill necessary and the keener 
the enjoyment of success. Perhaps of all the 
duck tribe there is no shyer member than the 
black or dusky duck, whose distribution is over 
such wide range. A lover of the night is he, a 
feeder in the moonlight, coming with the 
shadows that steal out from the shore as the 
setting sun drops below the horizon. 
There is a charm about the hunting of this 
wily fellow which, whether the bag be full or 
empty, makes an evening spent in the pursuit 
of this royal bird one to be jotted down in the 
calendar of pleasant experiences. Before sun¬ 
set you take your stand in the wild rice and 
sedges along the river edge or in the blinds on 
the broad marshes. Slowly the sun drops to¬ 
ward the distant hills. Royal sunsets are these 
in the crisp, cold November days! All the west¬ 
ern sky is painted in glorious color. The hills 
gradually become silhouetted against the orange 
of the sky. Blacker and blacker they grow, and 
the shadows stealing out from the opposite 
shore make seemingly strange and fantastic 
shore lines, with bays and curves of measure¬ 
less depth where but an hour before the willow- 
lined bank stretched straight and unbroken. 
Hark! Back of you is the shrill whistling of 
wings. Lift but a finger now and your chance 
is gone. Over you they swing, and out across 
the river, circling warily. How big they are! 
And what a temptation to shoot, even when 
the knowledge of large experience teaches you 
that they are not yet within range. . Now they 
swing in with wings set to drop into the familiar 
feeding grounds. It is the golden opportunity! 
The leader with the right, the second bird with 
the left, and if you have scored a double you 
have occasion to accept of self-congratulations. 
Now a single bird comes in. Again a pair of 
“travelers” speed past, nor pause. The night 
settles down and the moon drifts through the 
western sky. Out of the blackness beyond 
comes a subdued quack. There are birds out 
yonder, and a barely perceptible silver line on 
the black water signals to you of their approach. 
In the stillness the barking of a distant dog 
rings far across the water. An owl sweeps out 
from the marshes on silent wing nor makes his 
presence known until he brushes your very 
head. Thus the evening wanes amid surround¬ 
ings which make powerful appeal to the imagi¬ 
nation. 
Wisely, in most places the law forbids the 
pursuit of ducks with power boats. Black ducks, 
mallards, redheads and canvasbacks, where they 
are found in the North, can rarely be ap¬ 
proached by boats. The bluebills, being of a 
less suspicious nature, will often allow rowing 
or paddling within shooting distance. The 
geese are on their southern migration, and if 
chance brings the opportunity of a successful 
shot, then, indeed, is the cup of the hunter full 
to overflowing. 
The Canadian goose is of the royal blood, 
and the successful stalking of a happily dis¬ 
covered flock resting in some quiet pond or 
marsh is an event in any sportsman’s life. 
Heavy storms are almost sure to drive some 
ot these big travelers inshore, weary with long 
struggling. They are less wary then and more 
easily approached, a fact which leads every 
gunner of the sea coast to carry a few heavy 
loads of No. 2 or BB shot in a handy pocket.— 
Brooklyn Eagle. 
SPORTSMENS BOOTS 
Half the pleasure of shootingand fishing and 
most of the comfort depend on the kind of boots you wear. Above all 
else, you want a pair you can depend upon, and that’s exactly what you 
get when you buy 
WOONSOCKET Elephant Head 
ROBBER BOOTS 
We have been making rubber boots for 45 years and have the only mill 
in the United States making them exclusively. Our output runs as 
high as 10,000 pairs a day. “Woonsockets” are built for hard wear. 
Our Sportsmen’s and Fishermen’s Boots are especially noted for 
their fine finish and perfect fit. 
Get a pair for this Summer’s outing. A11 dealers—always 
Look for the Elephant Head Trade-Mark 
All our shoes also have the Elephant Head trade-mark. 
WOONSOCKET RUBBER CO. Woonsocket. R. I. 
Elephant Head 
Trade-MarK 
The “Game Laws in Brief ’ gives ail the fish and game laws of the 
United States and Canada. It is complete and so accurate that 
the editor can afford to pay a reward for an error found in it. “It 
the Brief says so, you may depend on it.” Sold by all dealers. 
Price , 25 cents. Edition for season of 1911=1912 just published. 
FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 
127 Franklin Street, New York. 
Mulile Velocity is what Counts 
Give more thought to your ammunition and you’ll come home 
with a fuller game bag. The initial explosion of the powder is not 
the important thing; it’s the manner in which it is followed up that’s 
vital. 
In the ordinary “quick explosion” powders all the force is exerted 
at the start. And right here lies the superiority of the progressive 
combustion powders used in 
AMMUNITION (S- 
OT MADE 
BV A TRUST 
Robin Hood smokeless powders do not really explode; they burn , and 
produce an ever-increasing velocity from breach to muzzle—the maxi¬ 
mum speed as the load leaves the gun. That’s why Robin Hood 
quicker and kills further. 
No wonder the “quick explosion” kinds kick—and no wonder 
Robin Hood Ammunition reduces the recoil to a minimum. 
You can get Robin Hood shot shells and metallic cart¬ 
ridges from your dealer; and be sure to send for our cata¬ 
logue, full of interesting information for gunners. 
ROBIN HOOD AMMUNITION COMPANY 
O Street, Swanton, Vt. 
