THE RUFFED GROUSE 35 



first and thus avoid alarming the flock by the 

 dead birds' tumbling down among them. I do 

 not say this cannot be done; I only say that I 

 have never seen it done — hope I never shall — 

 and while this may take place in the northern 

 wilderness, the shooter who counts on getting 

 more than one chance at a roosting flock in the 

 covers near civilization is laying up material 

 for his own disappointment. The Ruffed 

 Grouse in my locality, at least, have passed this 

 stage in their intellectual development these 

 many years, and in the east generally, the 

 sportsman fairly earns all of these birds which 

 his skill and good fortune combine to bring into 

 his hands. 



Though any lawful season is a good time to 

 hunt this game, most sportsmen prefer the 

 sport when October's frosts and winds have 

 swept some of the brown leaves from the 

 branches in the covers, when with the glorious 

 autumn weather, the brilliant colors of the flam- 

 ing maples, the softer tones of oak and birch, 

 chestnut and beech trees, the life-giving Octo- 

 ber air, together with a fair prospect of captur- 

 ing this gallant bird, there could scarcely be a 

 better season to put in a happy day in the 



