The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-01-05
DECOY GEESE.
1.-Two Birds That Lead Their kind
to Death.
A Novel and Effective Way OF capturln.
Wild Fowl-Great Ground for
sportsmen In North
Carolina.

II there is another place within any
kind Of accessible distance from New /
York where the sportsman can find |
moro abundant and varied use for his |
gun than along the recdy shores Of |
Hyde county, North Carolina, ON the |
many inland lakes and In tho dense |
woods In that country, would like TO !
know where IL Is, said an enthusiastic
and travelled sportsman, according to
the New York Sun. AS soon as the
rigors of the northern winter set in,
wild swan, wild geese and wild ducks
--canvasbacks, mallards, redheads and
all the choice varieties-begin 20 drop
down in thousands In the Hyde county
and adjacent waters, and for months
delight the gunner by their persistent
presence.
Especially do those waters seem 20
be an attraction for wild geese, which
arc the smartest, widest and most sus-
picious of all the wild fowl that con-
gregnte down there. Even in spite Of
their numbers, and with the novel and
effective way geese are hunted on the
Hyde county waters, n man mustn't go
there with the idea that all he has to
do Is to squat in his blind, blaze away
and gather in his game, for II he does
he will be disappointed. The novelty
In wild .goosc hunting 10 that locality
is the use of live dccoys, the actual
training Of wild geese TO lure as cap
tives their FREQ kind 90 destruction.
Years ago, so many that no ono can re-
member the time, some Hyde county
x..~,..s1.@I Los mild rufafnra1
IL and took IL home alive. IL recovered
md began TO lny eggs. After 1t had
ibid n couple of dozen or SO of eggs the
goose wanted TO set, and they set her.
She Matched out big brood Of goslings
and they were genuine wild ones.
Then the owner of this brood of wild
uoslings got the idea that when the
younc geese were large enough he
might utilize them as decoys for wild
aecsc He gave his idea trial. The
result proved that it was q great idea,
md ever since then the raising and
training of wild geese 10 be used In
making tho goose hunt more successful
has been regular industry Cd that
part OF the North Carolina coast
Tho bottom of Pnmlico sound, along
in IL are the nutritivc roots of the
Wants on which the wild geese feed.
THO shores themselves are vast tangles
ct roedy marsh. The reeds are very
tall md the hunter does not have To
k,riid his blind for wild-fowl shooting.
Ho simply makes n space In the reeds,
close TO tho water, and lies there, with
me natural surrounding growth OF
reeds as his ambuscade. When the
rcose hunter goes out 20 lie in wait for
his pamc he takes with him as many OF
his decoy geese MS he wants TO use
These arc easily obtained, for in every
locality there are one or moro persons
who have from ten To fifty geese that
arc at the sportsmans service, either by
Miro or purchase The goose yards,
whcrc these decoy geese are raised and
s~ninod, arc familiar portions OF the
rrcmises OF the Hyde county native
The trained wild geese know when
they nrc going hunting as vel as
Aird dog or a deer hound. They are
taken from the yard TO the hunting
ground sometimes in coop ana some
times in n bag with holes cut IN II, on
81 which they stick their heads. Ih'
moment n hunter appears at yard Y
hiro or buy an outfit OF dccoy geese th'
4,Svl, become excited and set up
oreat caclxling. The number the hun
Ter wants being selected, the coop o
bap Is produced. The geese scampe
"a creep In and then become quiet
when tho spot where the dccoys arc Z
te cot "a reached the hunter or his al
tandant cuts from the marsh-bottom a
nany pieces OF sod as there are gees
To bo used. These pieces OF SOD ar
about a foot square. Each one Is sun
,ix inches beneath the surface OF Tn
,wnter and secured there by driving
stnlto through 10 into the sand.
mi. stake a goose is fastened by stra
,round ita leg, the decoy standing o
inc sod. This gives IL the appearing
OF resting and floating on the surface
ma II IL had alighted there, ana IN
atiilfil distribution OF geese in grou
IN this way gives an appearance OF ma
,rralness which the best artificial d'
COWS cannot approach, no matter no
expcrtly they may be placed or m'
stipulated. :,
After his geese arc all placed q
hunter takes his station behind u
thick growth OF reeds. IL Is man
S..tatiop OF the wonderful kecnness
Wild goose's hearing that long befol
even tho trained ear OF the profession
fowl hunter has detected the cries
sn approaching flock of geese, the q
Soys have heard them, and, becomir
.nddenly alert, begin 70 send back r
-.ouaivc honlss. BY and by faint
.h.nod line comes into sight again
"A. .ky. that unmistalkablc figure OF
seclx Of geese in flight. In many
.s,ncca the hidden hunter would $
this limo keep high In un"averlnR ~
session toward distant resting ~
feedlng grounds but for Dr., the prvs sS
81 his honlsing decoys Ine Souhu
shelr cries and the sight OF tnem GU
to~od ON the water rarely iali 10 eau
al I.aIn