66 FEATHERED GAME 



Each in a different course they bustle away 

 and in his haste the novice mayhap "shoots into 

 the bunch," to find to his surprise that there 

 is a whole lot of sky with no Quail flying in it. 

 The veteran usually, but not invariably, re- 

 members to choose a bird and may get one with 

 each barrel. Because of their close lying the 

 bulk of the shots are straight away and so are 

 fairly easy, but the cross shots at short range 

 — 0, my! Still, all in all, I think quail shoot- 

 ing is easier than any wood shooting in New 

 England at grouse or 'cock, partly because 

 Mr. Quail seldom, if ever, uses that favorite 

 trick of Bonasa, tangling his enemy's legs 

 into a knot as he tries to follow the bird's 

 swift circle around the shooter's head. Sev- 

 eral times I have seen shooting companions 

 thus caught with legs askew sit down suddenly 

 from the recoil of their weapons in an attempt 

 to stop a curling grouse. Kills are few in 

 such cases. Then, too, the woodcock's tower- 

 ing start and erratic course when alarmed is 

 to most sportsmen a much more difficult propo- 

 sition than the bee-line directness of Bob White. 

 As a rule when a covey is flushed they fly 

 only a few hundred yards. Perhaps next time 



