THE BOOK OF DECOYS. | |
| Dog Jumps The low short screens, that connect the ends of the high screens, placed for the dog to jump over when decoying. The Yackoop (from Wake up) is the dog-jump between the breast-wall screens. Tunnel Net. The extreme end of the pipe, and which is detachable when it contains birds. Landing-places are the smooth banks that flank the mouth of each pipe, to tempt the fowl to rest thereon, and which are called the Breast-wall and the Back-wing Landings. When so resting the fowl are said to be "banked," and are then at a negotiable distance for decoying up the pipe near which they happen to sit. Decoy Ducks are the tame birds always' kept in a Decoy to assist in luring the wild ones up the pipes, as well as to attract them to, and by their fellowship keep them in, the Decoy. Food. The grain used for feeding the fowl up the pipes. Turf consists of a piece of burning turf or peat, which, with a piece of sharp stick stuck into it as a handle, is kept near the mouth, and breathed on to destroy any smell of the breath or clothes of the operator, when the Decoy is visited or worked. I will next describe the aspect of a Decoy, then the construction and working of it. I will be as concise as the subject allows, and in order to make my description as useful and comprehensive as possible; will print the instructions and remarks as distinct as I can. For a plan of a pipe illustrating its phraseology see illustration facing page 57. | |
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WHAT A DECOY CONSISTS OF. | |
| A piece of open water of from one to three acres, of a uniform depth of two to three feet, though shelving shallower to the sides, and surrounded by trees and shrubs. Attached to this open water are from one to eight curving ditches; the usual number being three to six, seldom less or more. | |