only these are set under Water, and you
need no Border to conceal your Net; your Main
Sticks should be of Iron, strong in proportion to
their length; but if of Wood, fasten good heavy
pieces of Lead all along your Net, at about a
Foot distance on the sides of it, to sink it down
into the Water, that the Ducks may not escape by
Diving; and your Lodge should be so contrived
as before directed for the Plovers. When all is
ready, place Ducks (that is, she ones) in this man∣ner; [ 10]
tye two or three of them before your Net,
and as many behind by the Legs, but so as they
may swim up and down, eating such Grain, or
Chipings as you shall throw to them for that pur∣pose;
The Drakes keep by you in your Lodge;
When you perceive a Flock coming near you, let
fly one of your Decoy Ducks, which will present∣ly
joyn with the Wild ones in expectation of his
Mate, and not finding her there, he will begin
to call; and the Female that is tyed by the Legs [ 20]
hearing her Mate to call, will begin to cry out,
and provoke the others to do the same, upon
which the Drake comes to his Female, and gene∣rally
draws with him the whole Flock, which
greedily fall to eat the Bait laid for that purpose.
The Ducks being once come within your Draught,
pull your Cords with the quickest force you can;
and having thus taken them, let go your Decoy
Ducks, and feed them well, and the Wild ones
you may kill; and so set your Nets again as you [ 30]
see occasion.
Sometimes the Wind is so contrary, that the
Male Duck can't hear his Mate when she cryeth;
in that case let go a second, and a third to bring
in the company you design to surprize. Your
Decoy Ducks should have some mark of distinction
for your more ready knowing them from the
Wild ones, as something sowed about one of their
Legs. [ 40]
To take Ducks with Runing Slips, and Col∣lers
of Horse-hair.
I shall now shew you a cheap, and easy way to
take Ducks with Runing-Slips, &c. especially
in such low Marshes, as are overflown not above a
Foot and a half deep.
Observe the Haunts most frequented by them,
and there cast a little Grain for two or three days,
to embolden and draw them on, for having [ 50]
once fed there, they will not fail to return thither
every Day. You must then plant seven or eight
dozen of your runing Bows of Horse-hair tyed by
two or three together unto little sharp Stakes, which
must be fixed into the Ground according to this
ensuing Figure; and they must be so placed, that
the upper end of the
Sticks and the
Collers may
be just hid a little under
Water, and then throw
some
Barly or the like
Grain amongst your
Traps,
that so you may take them either by their
Heads,
or swiming by their
Legs.
You must resort thither thrice every Day, to
see how you succeed, and to order your business
as you see occasion.
This Figure offereth you a Device much of the
same Nature with the former; It is a Stake which
for length is according to the depth of the Water
as T, V, at the great end T, bore it with two cross
Holes, and put into the said Holes two Sticks, one
P, R, the other Q▪ S, each about the bigness of ones
little Finger, and about two Foot long; they
must be strong set in, and well peg'd, at each end
of the Sticks fasten your Collers or Slipping Bows
of Horse-hair well twisted, as the Letters P, Q, R, S,
then place your Stick T, V, that it may be all un∣der
Water; and so as your knots may just swim
open on the top of the Water, and then cast
your Grain or Chippings of Bread in and out a∣mongst
the said Stakes, the better to entice the
Ducks to come.
To take Ducks with Hooks, and Lines.
Those that use the Water much, and observe
where Ducks resort, do frequently use to take store
of them by Hooks and Lines, the manner is as
here described by these Figures.
Fasten your Lines well and strong unto piked
[ 60] Sticks, as the Figure marked G represents; and
stake down your Sticks into the Ground, then
Bait your Hook with an Acorn, Bean, or the like,
as the Figures B, E, represents, or with a Fish as
the Figure C. You may also bait it with a Worm.
By these you may learn to Bait with Pasts, or the
like; and you should do well to feed the Ducks
three or four days before, at the place where you