QUAIL-SHOOTING IN THE WEST. 97 



nets in Missouri. Whole bevies were taken at 

 one fell swoop, the quail being driven into the 

 wings of the net by men on horseback. It is a 

 very good thing that this destructive practice has 

 been prohibited by law, and is now wholly done 

 away with. As long as it was lawful the farmers 

 on whose land it was practised did not like to 

 interfere ; but now they do interfere, and netting 

 in Illinois and Missouri has practically ceased and 

 come to an end. When it was lawful, two netters 

 were harder on the quail than about two hundred 

 shooters, although at that time some of the latter 

 who were apt to miss a bird on the wing would 

 fire at bevies of quail on the ground. This is 

 not a practice to be followed. I have taken two 

 or three raking shots at grouse sitting on fences 

 in my time, but the opportunity was so rare 

 and the temptation so great that it was just then 

 irresistible. 



The best quail-shooting I ever had was in the 

 Sangamon River country, about where Salt Creek 

 falls into it. There is upon Salt Creek and the 

 Sangamon a great deal of bottom-land with much 

 hazel-brush and considerable timber. There are 

 also plenty of corn-fields. The shooting there is 

 much varied. There are vast numbers of quail, a 



