Telegram-herald., 1889-10-21

There are mum berlesS places 20 which
3 man may GO and hire boat, and with
10 a man, and a "sink-bOX, man who
knows the ways ana haunts Of the birds,
who Is able - call them, and II tho
sportsman has the necessary faculty Of
holding his gun straight and is favored
with decent weather he may have
fairly good sport. There are many men.
however. who prefer 20 post themselves
upon the details and make their bag by
their own efforts. The best plan for
these Is TO 60 one season with a profess
sionsl hunter. note his methods, and
try ''single-handed" another season
The bag may not be as great but the
enjoyment will be one hundred per
cent. greater.
There are few details that can be given
in print, practice is the only teacher. A
few hints worth remen bering are, that
strict silence IS necessary, that ducks
feed at night and rest by day and have
an undoubted preference for lee shore.
Never fire at ducks caught sitting IL
their breasts are towards you, for
unless hit in the head they will probably
escape without serious injury; put
them up and catch them under the
wings. IL birds are on the wing, as
when hunter lays in the ''sink-bOx"
for them, remember the slightest
movement viii turn them rom their
course. Avoid all use Of perfumes or
clothes that smell of perfumes Uhis
may sound ridiculous, bat it is sound
sense) and never 90 out without having
good feld-glass or telescope with you;
1t Will save you many long tramp5 on
land and tiring rows on the water.
1t viii be found necessary when birds
Ill .
shoot at least three feet ahead of them,
for the wild duck on the wing travels
sixty miles an hour end has been known
TO reach one hundred an fifty miles an
hour. wide Thomas Alexander's Birds
OF United States.
The most popular way TO shoot ducks
is from battery" or "sink-bOx." This
is the exact size of a coffin when in
| tended for one person) and nearly the
same shape IL intended for two men,
being simply made double the width.
This box is water-tight and Ia set into
the middle OF pine board platform about
seven feet by eleven feet in size. The
top Of the box is nearly level with the
top of the platform and is secured there
ey knees and braces underneath.
Around the outer edge of the platform
are secured wings made like a n1osq uito
bar door. but covered with stout blue
drilling. These frames are fastened to
the platform with hinges, SO that they
flop up and down with the waves and
send the rollers slipping under the plat
/ form instead of over 1t and into she
/ box where lays the sportsman. The
whole battery is painted a dingy blue
/ grey, and so is rendered nearly invisible
| TO the ducks. Around this are deposited
| from ninety to one hundred and fifty
| decoys representing various breeds Of
/ brant, broadbills, mallards and wood
/ duck. Most Of these are rudely whitfield
out of Pine, and although very different
70 the trim ones Ia the stores, they are
very satisfactory. The deCoys are ball
I lasted with lead, and anchored by sus-
pending a rock attached 70 six or eight
! feet OF cord. from thoundcr side II the
/ sportsman can call duck he IS left n
/ the battery by himself. asd II not, he has
/ . man who can call " them and thon
| the other men, in small sail boats, beat
/ ND and down the waters endeavoring 10
| drive the ducks In the direction of the
/ box and its occupants. The capital in
vested in these uipments on Chesa :