22 FIELD-SHOOTINQ. 



ing thick and high above your head, you can 

 only kill birds by snap shots such as you make 

 at woodcock in thick cover. You can find them 

 on the stubbles and in the pastures at the right 

 time of day, but when you have fired your two 

 barrels at them they are ofF to the corn. The pin. 

 nated grouse lie in the, corn and on the borders 

 of it a good deal too. There was no trouble in 

 killing a great number when 1 first went there. 

 I have known sixty young ones to be killed in a 

 morning in one field, not more than a quarter of 

 a mile from Elkhart. For my part. I am very 

 much opposed to such doings. The commence- 

 ment of the shooting season ought to be fixed by 

 law a month later. When the shooting begins, 

 the birds are very young, though of good size, 

 and do not fly either fast or far; the weather is 

 hot, and I am satisfied that above half of those 

 which are killed are spoiled and never used. At 

 the present time the grouse are much more scarce 

 about Elkhart, especially young grouse. The chief 

 reason is the want of good nesting-places. Except 

 in Mr. Gillot's extensive pastures, there are no 

 good nesting-places left of any account. This is 

 what causes the great diminution of the numbers 

 of pinnated grouse. They are so prolific, and 



