298 MODERN TRAINING. 



difficult grounds in that section are far easier to shoot on 

 than the most favorable grounds in the North. At such 

 times as the shooting is at its best, from forty to eighty birds 

 can be killed by a single gun in a day. In the author's ex- 

 perience, and he noted the same results with others, the 

 sport became very uninteresting after the novelty wore off, 

 and quail shooting had the preference. The birds being 

 migratory, the shooting is consequently very uncertain, 

 The dog must be trained to work very close to the gun and 

 the more intelligence he has, the better. Some shooters 

 put a small bell on the dog when hunting woodcock and 

 ruffed grouse, the gentle tinkle constantly giving warning 

 of the whereabouts of the dog. 



For training purposes, snipe are very unsatisfactory, 

 owing to their erratic habits and migratory nature. On a 

 windy or cloudy day, or a cold day succeeding warm ones, 

 they are extremely wild, and in most instances rise out of 

 shot, rising skyward with great swiftness, and flying out 

 of sight. If the dog manages to secure a point during the 

 prevalence of such weather, the bird usually flushes at 

 extremely long range or out of range. On warm, quiet 

 days, or days when there is a gentle, mild breeze, the birds 

 will lie very close, particularly if they have good feeding 

 grounds and are fat. Their flight then is slow and lazy, 

 their bills hang pendulously, and the flight usually is short, 

 sometimes but a few yards. When shooting, the better way 

 when the bird is marked is to walk it up, keeping the dog 

 at heel. Snipe generally rise and fly a longer or shorter 

 distance against the wind, hence a skillful hunter makes it 

 a rule to walk down wind on them; but on warm days, or 

 when the birds are fat, it is immaterial how they are 

 approached, so far as the wind is concerned. On favorite 

 feeding grounds if they are of fair size, they may be suc- 

 cessfully worked again and again if the weather is favorable 



