WOODCOCK SHOOTING 315 
the shooter has but an instant in which to act, the 
results are far from being so fatal as one might fancy 
them to be. Often there is but a momentary glimpse 
of a dusky shadow flitting through or across a small 
vista in the dense growth, and the shooter must fire 
then or not at all, unless he is pleased at a purpose- 
less tumult, that being the sum total when he shoots 
and trusts to luck for the execution of his purposes. 
As in all other shooting, experience enables the 
sportsman to recognize the promising nooks for wood- 
cock and the signs which denote its presence, these 
being the holes made by it in boring in the ground 
for its food, and other indications well known to the 
shooter, and which can only be recognized by experi- 
ence. 
As to the labor and fatigue imposed on the dog 
while seeking for woodcock, they are largely an ex- 
aggeration. Wilson, in his work on the birds of North 
America, specifically mentions the fatiguing efforts 
which the dog encounters in woodcock shooting, and 
mentions that relays of dogs are necessary. As a 
matter of fact, the work of the dog in woodcock shoot- 
ing is the easiest of all kinds of shooting. He must 
range close to the shooter—at most not beyond a gun- 
shot—if he is to serve the best purpose in that kind 
of shooting and it is not at all essential or desirable 
that he work at high speed. It is essential, however, 
that he be intelligent, and know thoroughly the best 
manner of working to the gun and assisting the shooter 
to get his shots in a manner to insure success. He 
