Fowling is the hunting of birds by humans, for food (meat), feathers or any other commercially value products, or simply for leisure ("sporting") or collecting trophies.
The land margins of the north produced down feathers from eider duck for eiderdowns and quilted jackets without necessarily killing the birds.
In The Fens and other similar places, a decoy[1] was part of a landowner's well-equipped estate.
It was mounted along the centre-line of the forward half of a specially designed boat which slightly resembled a heavy wooden kayak in form.
The skill was to stalk a raft of duck until within the rather short range required and to fire the gun from which small shot scattered.