86 WING-SHOOTING. 



SYNOPSIS. 



Then, in the month of September 3^011 are very likely 

 to find ruffed grouse in the mornings and evenings upon 

 the edges of thickets, alder bottoms, and swampy grounds 

 where woodcock make their haunts ; and upon other 

 parts of the day in ravines through which small 

 water-courses run. In the early part of October, you 

 may expect to find them upon the same grounds, but later 

 on in the month, upon more open grounds, upon hill-sides, 

 in beech woods, and upon late woodcock-grounds. In 

 November and December, they usually travel over a large 

 extent of country, changing their grounds frequently, but 

 sfick more to high and dry grounds, except swamps that 

 are comparatively dry, where there is often an abundance 

 of food ; and on such grounds, I have often got my best 

 shooting at this season of the year. The same applies to 

 swamps that are filled with water, but are frozen over. 



In order that you may keep up the stock over the same 

 grounds year after year, make it a rule to always leave a 

 sufficient number for that purpose. I know of a few 

 localities where this practice has been adopted, and the 

 same success has attended my shooting exploits, year after 

 year, in those localities where the timber has not been 

 materially reduced. 



