The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-21

if it had alighted there and the slxilful
distribution of a number of them in a
group in this way gives them a natural
appearance and attitudes that cannot
be obtained from artificial decoys.
1T is a manifestation Of the wonder
full keenness of a wild gOose's hearing
that long before even the trained ear
of the professional fowl hunter has de-
tected the cries of an approaching flock
of geese the decOyS have heard them,
and, becoming suddenly alert, begin to
send back responsive 'honks. BY and
by a faint V-shaped line comes into
sight against the sky, that unmistaka-
BILE figure of flock of geese in fight.
"A flock of wild geese is always made
up of the old gander and goose and the
brood or brOods hatched early in the
season grown to full size, when they
start for southern waters. The gander
is invariably in the lead. the old goose
next behind him. When they conclude
to drop into the water where the decOys
have attracted them, it is because the
decoys have given the impression that
the feeding must be particularly good at
that SPOT. And now is when the inter
esting part of the maneuvering begins.
THE old gander and his mate are
careful to aight at a long distance from
the shore, out of gUnshot. and, of course
the young geese follow them But the
young geese, apparently thinking that
the decoys must be having a good time
where they are. are losing no time in
joining them and getting d share of the
supposed good things.
Then it is amusing to watch the old
gander handle that eager and incautious
flock of his. He heads the youngsters
off at every turn as they try to hurry
in toward the shore. holds them in
check and. as the natives of the Caro-
lima coast say, talks to them.
He cackles high and he cackles low,
and by many modulations of his voice
and earnest gestieulations with his neck
plainly admonishes his youngsters and
warns them to go slowly and cautiously.
cabling away to the flock, apparently
reassuringly, and praising that Darticu-
lar place as just the place for geese
looking for something good to eat
after some time spent in this precau-
I tlOnary delay, the old gander moves
gradually toward the decoys, his mate
following him, and the younsters kept
back from too rash an advance.
And all this time. too. the suspicious
and wary head of the flock keeps an
eye on the line of tall reeds. and so keen
is his eye that if the hunter should hap
pen to expose himself for only an in
slant at any opening no bigger than a
silver dollar that eye would detect him,
and with a sharp warning cry the gan
der would turn and rise from the water,
followed by his entire flock.
Sometimes a decoy goose not prop
erly STRAPPED viii slip from its sod. This
win make it flop in the water and that
will be too suspicious a circumstance for
an old gander to overlook and away he
win go with his flock It is pretty Ger
/ tain, though that once gander turns
/ to lead his flock toward the decOys, and
nothing in the reeds alarms him, and
! the conduct of the Turing geese continues
above suspicion, his curiosity and his
/ greed will in time outweigh his wariness
and fears, and he viii line up himself
and his followers at last within the
range of the hunters gun, and how
many of them resume the treacherously
/ interrupted fight viii depend on the
hunters skill and alertness.
Il bagged over Captain Tooley's flock
/ of decoys seven wild geese at two shots
one as they sat in the water, one as
+ they rose. New York Sun.