One method people in the 17th century used was so successful that it can still be seen today - and it still catches ducks!
The Boarstall Duck Decoy is a 17th-century duck decoy which can be found near Boarstall, England.
While these decoys were, at one time, fairly common in the area, only four of these intricate decoys are still intact and in use. The Boarstall Duck Decoy is the largest of these, and has been under the control of England's National Trust for some time.
The whole purpose of this design is to catch ducks and other waterfowl in large numbers - and it worked.
Here's how:
A decoy duck was put in place and used to lure real ducks onto a small patch of water, where a long wicker tunnel was set up. The "decoyman" would use a specially-trained dog to irritate the birds and get them to move in the direction of the tunnel entrace. Once in the tunnel, with the door closed, the birds were just another source of protein.
One advantage these types of decoys have over modern guns is that the ducks don't end up with lead shot or other metals in their meat. There's also the intense satisfaction that the "decoyman" has in knowing that he's just proven how stupid those ducks really are.
