December, 1917 
FOREST AND STREAM 
627 
in those days) at the landin’ and I’ll take 
care of him.” 
Mike and I waded the creek at the land¬ 
ing carrying the “stool” on our backs, and 
walking across the meadow, were soon on 
the north side of the “Crab Pond” where 
he had seen the ducks feeding. Here he 
arranged a blind for me while I placed the 
decoys, then he left me, with the assurance 
that I would have good shooting at black 
ducks, etc., with a chance or two at shel¬ 
drakes, which he said were also feeding 
in the Pond. Nothing came my way until 
after sunrise, when suddenly from behind 
me, with a loud “swish” of wings a large 
duck was over the decoys, and at the crack 
of the gun fell a clean kill. I waded out 
and picked up a “red footed black duck,” 
an old “rouser”; now be it known, there 
are two varieties of black ducks, just as 
surely as the Almighty makes little apples. 
HE red-footed bird is 
at least a third larger 
than the dark-footed 
variety, and is called 
by the baymen a 
“goose black duck” 
because they “trade” 
with the geese. I 
have shot them 
weighing four pounds 
“picked.” The small * 
dark-footed ones will 
dive and sneak like a 
broadbill. I placed 
the duck beside me, and awaited further 
developments. Soon another rush of wings 
and a pair of the small black ducks 
splashed down among the decoys. I killed 
one on the water and the other as it rose, 
then a short time later from up the shore 
came a soft flute-like whistle. Slowly I 
turned my head, when around from behind 
a bunch of rushes swam the cutest, dainti¬ 
est, little duck that flies, a drake green 
winged teal. Lightly as a thistledown he 
floated on the water, his chocolate colored 
head looking like a piece of velvet, and as 
he edged in toward the decoys he quickly 
jerked his head from side to side, and then 
again came that elfin whistle, the sweetest 
note uttered by any member of the duck 
family—“Pholey Phe U—Pholey Phe U— 
Phe U.” Slowly the gun came to my shoul¬ 
der, but at the first movement he was going 
like a flash, with the “zigzag” flight of the 
jack snipe; however, I kept cool and 
brought him down nicely at about thirty 
yards. This made me four ducks straight 
without a miss, and I felt quite “puffed 
up,” but pride goes before a fall. A short 
time after this, I saw a large duck coming 
to the pond across the meadows from the 
south; when it reached the pond it fol¬ 
lowed the shore line in my direction. As 
it came nearer I saw T it was a drake mal¬ 
lard, the sun shining on his green head 
until it glistened like an emerald. It was 
my first chance at a mallard, and I wanted 
him the worst way. He decoyed beauti¬ 
fully and as he poised before alighting, I 
rose and gavq him the first barrel. He 
sprang in the air, and I gave him the left 
barrel and still he flew on faster than be¬ 
fore. “Tell it not in Gath,” I had missed 
clean, and an easy shot at that. It was 
my first bitter disappointment in wild fowl¬ 
ing (but not my last), and boyish tears 
ran down my cheeks. It completely took 
(continued on page 635) 
NAID SPRINGS—One of the Many Beautiful Ponds and Waterways of St. Vincents 
AN IDEAL GAME PRESERVE 
-► FOR SALE ( IN ° AN E ESTATE LOSE ) ^ | 
ST. VINCENT’S ISLAND, FLORIDA 
1 he only perfect and complete hunting and fishing preserve left in 
this country. Situated in the Gulf of Mexico, eight miles from Apalach¬ 
icola, Fla. Contains 11,290 acres. It is nine miles long, and four miles 
wide, about one-half covered with original forest, grand pines and pal¬ 
metto. 1 here are five large fresh water lakes, connected by deep creek, 
which flows by manor house to sea. A dozen other ponds afford fresh 
water for deer, wild boar, wild cattle, turkey, Wilson Jack snipe, great 
numbers of all species of duck, and some alligators, as well as great 
quantity of large and small fish. Contains at a low estimate 1,000 deer, 
400 head of cattle (wild), perhaps a thousand wild pigs. There are a 
half dozen bungalows, a yacht, vehicles, mules, milch cows and decoy live 
duck go with the place. Address V. M. Pierce, 663 Main St., Buffalo, 
N. Y. 
Send for Descriptive Booklet. 
