In making a decoy it is necessary to have from an acre"
and a Half to three or four acres of water, in a quiet place
surrounded by plantation ; the water should bè in the form of
a star, making six equal divisions of the compass; in these
six rëcèèsés must be made six pipes : they are constructed by
digging cuts in the land something in the form of a semi-?
circle covered over with ' bows, and a- net' gradually tapering
to the end, at which must be placed a tunnel net, to be taken
off when the fowl are driven into it. On each, side of the
pipe arc screens made of reed to shelter th e1 person when
working the decoys the outer?side "of the circle of the pipe
is > the one on which the person walks who is decoying the
fowl, and in the.jscreens on that sidéunust be divisions for
the dog. to pass over, and also, for the man to appear at when
driving the fowl.
The water forming the decoy should be'surrounded with
a fence of reeds three or four feet high to .prevent the 'déèoy-
ducks from getting-out of it. About midsummer is the tinaé
to put them into the water, and commence .training them,
which is a very important part in the art of decoying; they
should be?; young birds .and made'very tame, -taught-fecome
to any pi^e from all parts ,of7tfre waterv-^w-henev'er tlfe'y are
whistled, and Jo prevent themjflying they should be, pinionech
In working a decoy it is best. to go to that pipe at which
the wind blows from the tunnel net to the"bend .of the pipe ;
by doing so all scent of the person at work ik carried away
from the fowl in -the pipe, and as all wild-fo^fl by choice rise
head to wind, there are generally more taken with'the wind,
in that direction than agy other. During the time the weather
is open they are taken almost entirely bf means of the
dog, but as soon as thé frost sets in they are taken by reeding
them in the pipe,"and keeping a piede of jvatef constantly
open near it.
The reason in favour , of a small pifce of water for a decoy,
not exceeding.three or, four acres at the most, is, that when
thus. confined in extent ^ u can almost always work fowl,
but if a-large lake is made a, decoy, there may be thousands
of ducks on the, watej?,; but none- near enough to a pipe to
•Regard the dog* ;©r. the decoy-ducks.
„ ..Bewicji, h h e x g e ^ ^ - ornithological work, has given a
plan o#,-pne pipei,of ^.decdf^with zigzag markings showing
the- situation and positiqn .pf“ screens formed of reeds, by
which the fowler. and this, trainj^hdog are hid from the sight
o^thhwild^bitdsjj an outline only^whiqh is'k^td introduced.
:^ tThe Duck, and Mallard to fcongregate in the dpcoji
•soon after midsumrme.r,.bpt these are the fowl that are.brqd in
th.e neighbourhood^ About the first week. in. September the
Teal begin to pap3p ^ n d - pbpudAhe^beginning of October; if
easterly winds prevail, thèrq is generally a flight of fowl from
foreign countriés,^éompos,edr of Duqk^n Wigéqn, Dunbirdp,
Te^hjwith a, few of ike Shoveler. and PintaiLDucks ; but the
* The welPtraihed dog ihoVek Thèu Diîds from the banks when- they are
sluggish, and is otherwise useful when they are within the month of the pipe.