SCATTERING A COVEY. 99 



SCATTEEING A COVEY. 



|0 know how to scatter a covey of Partridges, to make 

 a good bag, where game is scarce, is known by few 

 '^^M^ sportsmen. One of the secrets of success is to flush 

 ■yi the birds up and mark them all down carefully, and 

 then flush them up singly. The way a covey may be flushed 

 to make a good bag is this : When the dog points do not 

 walk around in front of him, if you do the birds lying 

 between you and your dog, when they rise, will fly, some 

 in one direction and some in another, and almost every bird 

 in the covey will take a difterent route, especially if the 

 birds are wild, and it would be impossible for you to mark 

 them all down on account of their being too widely separa- 

 ted ; but on the contrary advance directly behind the dog, 

 and flush the birds. In this way. when a covey is flushed, 

 the birds will most always rise and fly ofl" all in one direction. 

 Then you can mark them all down, and you can follow on 

 after them as soon as the gun is recharged. Now, havino- 

 .succeeded in flushing the covey up, and driving the birds all 

 in one direction, and in marking them all down, keep your 

 dog behind you,, and advance with a slow and cautious step 

 to the spot where you saw them settle. Now be careful, 

 and keep cool, command your nerves, and take good aim. 

 Walk up one bird, fire at it ; if you miss it watch it and mark 

 it down; if you kill it let it lie at present, don"t speak a word, 

 or move a step, keep 3'our dog still, and charge your gun 

 with all possible haste, as another shot will almost imme- 

 diately follow; as one or two of the covey will rise, down 

 with them, and load as quickly as before; advance slowly and 

 cautiously, step by stej), and bag your game. Be on the 

 alert for a shot, right, straight, or left, and so, one by one. 

 get the whole covey up at intervals, and those that "-et 



