Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
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DUCK IletS'IlSt..
SOME Notes ana Obseryatiops on Sea-
sonabtr sport.

DUCK NtNIlSG.
SOME Notes ana Obserya,ions on sea-
sonab1r Sport.
The month Of November is the best month
in the year for shooting wild ducks. They
are then on their way southwark in immense
hocks, following the main water courses, and
ottcA s.olftHS for, dsys and weeks IN the
vicinity Of good feeding grounds. Lake
Champun has always been favoritc tarry-
ing place for wild fowl in their annual mi
g,aions It's numerous bays tributaries and
marshes, with their shadows abundantly
with Will celery aud bthcr succulcnt
aquatic plants, afford convenient and com
piratvcy SECUTED stopping places for the
southwark bound illcks All along the
Vermont shore OF the lake, from tic famous
Mssisuuui marshes at ilighgate, to the mar
row channel at Whitehall, are wcll-known
bays and Swallows where spOrtsmcn from this
vicinity, and from New York and other
large citics, are accustomed during October
and November, to set up their blinds and
enjoy the exciting sport of shooting these
fnc game birds, as they fly to and from
their feeding grounds at morning and
evening.
Some account of the method Of shooting
wild fowl, us generally practiccd on Lake
Champaign, may be Of interest TO our read
ers, and the writer will describe visit to one
of the hundred OF blinds which dot our
marshy shores duipg the shooting season.
The blind itself was a neat little affair-a
house in miniature. Built of matched
boards, with tight roof and floor and a win
dow in one side, and all covered over with
cedar trees and branches to conceal it from
the birds, this novel dwelling stood q few,
rods out from the rcedy shore, id the midst
of one Ct the favoiite feeding grounds of the
ducks. 1t could not have been more than six
feet by eight and yet in this cosy. "place of
business" as he termed it, ate and slept and
lived the proprietor during the whole Shooting
season. A bunk across one end, supplied
with mattress, blankets and pillow, furnished
him the accessories of repose; little oil
stove in one corner, surrounded with pots,
pans and kettles, comprised his cuisine, and
q large chest nearby represented the all
important commissarY department of the
establishment. Besides these, there were
shelves and camp-chairs, and all manner OF
miscellaneous furniture and tools arranged
about the walls, and in one corner stoedihe
formidable armory of the sportsman, con-
sisting of four doublc-barrcl guns, kerrtI
always loaded and in readiness for immediate
use. In front OF the ''shanty" proper was
little platform, all hcdged around with cednr
to about the height of a mans shoulders.
Here the sportsman stands while the birds
are flying back and forth in the early
morning or evening, and shoots such as come
within range. The manner OF decoylng
them is us follows: Ten or twelve wooden
decoys are anchored fGw rods in front of
the blind, AID with them are tethered Que or
two live dccoya, which, by their continual
quacking and moving TO and fro attract the
attention Of passing flocks, and lufc them In.
A pen across the front Of the platform con-
tains six or light of these live decoys, which
have their wings clipped TO prevent escape
by flight. When Il flock appcares in the
distance, these dccoys are taken from the pen
one by one, and tossed high in the air, when
they fluter down and settle among the
wooden lures, thus apparently intmating to
their wild cousins that it is ''all right" and
that they had better stop and have some
breakfast, too Some of the ilocks have
"bccn there BEFORE and are too wise aud
wild to yield 10 the seductive tricks OF the
concealed sportsman, but others will turn
Immediately, and come sweeping in, the
whistle of their rapidly moving wings max
ing deloctablc music to the ears of the c. ouch
ing shooter. Our visit to the blind aforesaid
was, fortunately in the carly morning, and
We had an opportunity not only of learning
how the sport was conducted, bat OF seeing
it illustrated in the most practical
ly light enough to Distinguish the
water from the shore, the ducks began to
move In the perfect Stiffness of the early
morning we could hear them rising from the
water on every side, aud quaCking us they
rapidly moved from place TO place. Pres
emily, through the gray light a flock ap-
pearcd, healing in the direction Of the blind
The live dccoys were thrown out, aud we
crouchcd low to wait the success Of the ruse.
Soon the whistling sound OF their wings told
us that the ducks were approaching. In
another minute there was Il loud splash in
the water, and looking out through our
loopholes, We saw that the entire flock
had settled some rods outside of the de-
coys. Gradually they swan nearer and
nearer until they were within easy range Of
the large guns of the duck shooter. We rose
to our feet and fired al the same time, and
as the birds got up in confusion, we gave
them the sccoud barrel. Siz or seven of the
flock were floundering about, or lying on
their backs, in the water. Recoycrin + the
dead birds and piling them up on the plat
form, we waited for another flock, but the
noise of the guns seemed to have frightened
the ducks from the vicinity. One or two
single birds came swimming, past the decoys,
and were shot at long range, but
the large flocis all passed by out of gun
shot. When the sun was fairly up, the
flight ceased, and the dccoys were taken
in till the evening flight should be-
gin when The saia0 ! aeties -rwealel I've re-
peatcd, with less satisfactory results, proba
bly,, rs the birds are much harder to dccoy
in the evening than in The morning. Some
times, when there is q strong wind blowing,
and the noise and smoke of The guns arc car
a Of vyi ho At
ed by the decoys during the morning flight,
and the shooter will have very exciting sport
for short while. One man in the vicinity
OF Grand Isle, says that he shoots between
four and five hundred from his blind every
season, add this is probably small number
compared with that secured from blinds at
more favored parts of the lake, such as the
Missisquoi marshes. Many spor,smen shoe,
from their blinds until the lake closes IN.