Fowler's hut

In the 18th century almost every country estate in the west of the Netherlands had a finch-trapper's hide. Finch-trapping fields were used to trap songbirds for consumption. From inside the hide, the trappers had a good view over the area. Decoy birds and alder cones were used to tempt down birds that were flying overhead. As soon as the birds landed, the trapper would give a tug on a rope and the net would snap shut over the birds. 
Finch trapping continued into the 20th century. Large boards were kept up to date to show how big the catch had been and who had netted the biggest haul. The 1912 Bird Act brought an end to the killing of birds in this way. Nowadays birds may only be trapped for research.  

Technical information
Finch-trapping field with hide