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BOX SHOOTING BRANTS AT MONOMOY ISLAND
The great hook of Cape Cod, sweeping into the
Atlantic southeast of Boston, swarmed with ducks, geese and shorebirds during
migration in the olden days. At the easterly end of Cape Cod, on its elbow, is
the town of Chatham, and some three miles away to the southward of this is the
island of Monomoy, a mere belt of sand running still further southward about
six miles. Various contrivances had from time to time been introduced for shooting these wary
winged wanderers, but none had succeeded so well as shooting from boxes buried
in the sand. The inexperienced would have entertained the idea of approaching
the immense flocks by a sailboat within range, but repeatedly it had been tried
and failed. Sneakboats and batteries had been tried with the same results, for
the simple reason that a stiff breeze or squall lashed the flood into such
turbulent waves as to endanger the life of the occupant of said craft. It was a
wise move when they decided to abandon the battery and return to the old method
of box shooting. The box made its appearance around 1869. Wooden decoys were introduced about 1880. Prior
to the introduction of wooden decoys, the birds alighted on the water and swam
up to the live decoys, sometimes covering the bar. As many as 44 were killed at
a single shot. A watertight box’s dimensions were generally six
feet long, three and a half wide, and two and a half deep, large enough to accommodate
three hunters. It was made of heavy planks. Half of this was buried in the
sand; the other half was hidden by sand being “wheeled up” around it. Nor was
this all; a bar extending out on one side 20 or 30 yards and a little higher
than the top of the box had to
be made and maintained for the live decoys to run out on and for the wild ones
to stand upon. The sand had to be taken at low tide from a distance so as to
leave the flats and bar moderately smooth and natural. The highest point of
sand and the top of the box had to be just above the water at full tide.
Live decoys were obtained by capturing those birds that were only wing-tipped (“wing-shock”)
by shot. The broken wing was amputated, the captive fed on corn, and the next
seasons preformed duty as a decoy. Without these or with wooden decoys alone, a
sport might as well have stayed at home. During the season, the decoys wore
fetters to which a line was attached, and placed in the hands of the guide for
control of the strings.
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By HISTORIC DUCK HUNTING STORIES
5
2222 ratings
The great hook of Cape Cod, sweeping into the
Atlantic southeast of Boston, swarmed with ducks, geese and shorebirds during
migration in the olden days. At the easterly end of Cape Cod, on its elbow, is
the town of Chatham, and some three miles away to the southward of this is the
island of Monomoy, a mere belt of sand running still further southward about
six miles. Various contrivances had from time to time been introduced for shooting these wary
winged wanderers, but none had succeeded so well as shooting from boxes buried
in the sand. The inexperienced would have entertained the idea of approaching
the immense flocks by a sailboat within range, but repeatedly it had been tried
and failed. Sneakboats and batteries had been tried with the same results, for
the simple reason that a stiff breeze or squall lashed the flood into such
turbulent waves as to endanger the life of the occupant of said craft. It was a
wise move when they decided to abandon the battery and return to the old method
of box shooting. The box made its appearance around 1869. Wooden decoys were introduced about 1880. Prior
to the introduction of wooden decoys, the birds alighted on the water and swam
up to the live decoys, sometimes covering the bar. As many as 44 were killed at
a single shot. A watertight box’s dimensions were generally six
feet long, three and a half wide, and two and a half deep, large enough to accommodate
three hunters. It was made of heavy planks. Half of this was buried in the
sand; the other half was hidden by sand being “wheeled up” around it. Nor was
this all; a bar extending out on one side 20 or 30 yards and a little higher
than the top of the box had to
be made and maintained for the live decoys to run out on and for the wild ones
to stand upon. The sand had to be taken at low tide from a distance so as to
leave the flats and bar moderately smooth and natural. The highest point of
sand and the top of the box had to be just above the water at full tide.
Live decoys were obtained by capturing those birds that were only wing-tipped (“wing-shock”)
by shot. The broken wing was amputated, the captive fed on corn, and the next
seasons preformed duty as a decoy. Without these or with wooden decoys alone, a
sport might as well have stayed at home. During the season, the decoys wore
fetters to which a line was attached, and placed in the hands of the guide for
control of the strings.
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