Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-10

Is decreased durlps a continued spell OF
SIN weather, or when the ducks have
been seriously pounded, p, is increased
boy a blow or by a storm. which brings
I'm a new flight of ducks from tine north
and whether your flight be great or
small 80 per cent OF Il always comes
from the southwark and westward
where the ducks bed up when they are
driven from their feeding grounds
Now. as 90 the actual method Of
shooting Very few men who visit the
marsh are strong enough and sufficient
W used 90 hard work 10 take entire care
Of themselves. The usual custom Is to
hire ore OF the local market shooters 20
take you out In his boat. and either de-
vote his whole tine and attention TO
YOU or. after placing you. find another
place for himself and shoot what he
can. Personally ] prefer not 20 have
whoever takes me out do any shooting
on his own hook You start between s
and . In the morning. There IS really
no use Of getting out early, because the
flight back after you have once dis
turhed the ducks does not usually begin
much before noon. on the way down 60
whatever overflow you propose 10 go
out you stop and cut I'm the nelghbor-
hood Of dozen willow bushes from
along the bank. which are 10 be used
Later as q basis of the blind. Further
down. when you come TO a suitable bed
OF rushes. you make a second stop and
cut as many armfus as you need for the
purpose OF finishing the blind and maxi
ing a floor inside IL on which TO set
your camp STOOL SO far 1t has been
case Of rowing on water,
but the minute YOU get out
side of the overflow you are
aground, and from that out you are
continually aground until you come
back az night into the overflow again.
You may have one mile to 90, you may
have four or i've. and the work is ex-
ceedngy hard. II possible | think Il
Is always better TO shoot from a point
making out from the shore or from a
towhead, but sometimes u Is necessary
tu build blind out In the open water.
The construction Of blinds on the points
or tOwheads needs no description. as
every duck shooter must be thoroughly
familiar with the process from expert
ence. but the construction OF a blind out
IN the open water Is rather interesting
as they DO II around DuCkVille. First.
your willows are staked In a circle
some five feet In diameter. then between
them punches Of rushes are rammed
down into the mud An this Is very
easy. but the high art Of blind building
comes In so bending down and inter-
weaving the willow tops and the rushes
as TO make a perfect and, at the same
time. not too prominent or unlitelike
screen behind which the shooter sits.
Remember that all these operations are
conducted In from six TO eighteen inches
u mud, with an inch or two of water
on top. and that enough rushs must
be taken not only TO build the blind, but
also to have several bundles for spread
ing inside the blind TO keep the camp
stool. shell case and ct Ceteras from
getting too wet or even from sinking
entirely out OF sight. Suppose now that
your blind has been constructed You
then proceed to do what 10 the uninl-
tated seems the queerest thing In con-
nectiOn with the Duckvill shoOt-yOu or
the man who Is taking you out land l
prefer very much TO let the other fellow
DO II, for 1t Is back-breaking work. takes
a shovel and turns up Wads or as they
are technically called. balls Of mud all
around the blind-as many as you
choose. and the more the merrer These
form little distance look precisely and
exactly like a flock of ducks and that,
Of course. Is what the ducks coming up
10 the feeding grounds consider them.
DO not imagine that the deception lasts
after the ducks are within range, al
though sometimes a foolish little teal
or sprig with suicidal melancholia VIII
actually light among the mud balls. AT
any rate. before the cheat is discovered
the ducks are within range, and the
man behind the gun Is supposed 10 do
the rest. one very queer thing, at least
queer 70 Colorado duck shooters, Is that
the best position on a windyday Is the
lee shore Of whatever lake you are
shooting. You see the water is so low
that anything like a strong wind blows
ii away from the windward shore,
leaving the mud bare and for some
reason best knoWB to themselves, the
ducks do not like TO feed on. or appar-
entity. even fly over bare mud,
mo one thinks Of staying out for very
late shooting in the evening, for the
best Of the flight is usually
over by half-past 4 so that in the matt
er Of hours the shooting there. is much
more comfortable than here, where one
has 10 get up the day before for the
early flight. and stay til blind dark FOR
the late evening shoot. out at Duck
Vile one can make a good bag without
suffering from enforced insomnia. What
did / XII? Well, my average for six
teen days was i212 day. anu my best
bag was 100. No. / don't think 1870 is
too many for one man In one day If the
law allows # and he can get that many
and none go 70 waste always gave
my birds to whoever took me out. and
he sold them. which is legal in Utah.
am not going 10 be let In for a discus
sion Of the ethics u big bags. ! have
no quarrel with the man who can Kill
or win kill not more than say twenty
five birds a day Only II he believes
In the prayer Lead US not into tempta-
ton. he had best keep away from
Duckville, or ST. Anthony will be an
also ran In the Gerat Temptations