89 



The great value of this method of releasing birds lies in the fact 

 that they furnish excellent sport on comparatively small preserves, where 

 driving would be impossible. The latter method necessitates a large 

 area and great expense, as a far greater number of birds will be killed and 

 without affording anything like the same quality of sport. It is also 

 doubtful whether natural covers could be obtained which would be suit- 

 able for this purpose. 



To me one of the greatest pleasures of field shooting is in observing 

 the work of a well-trained and intelligent dog. 



Fortunately, in the Clove Valley we have several large swamps where 

 the released birds which escape the guns eventually go. These swamps 

 afford excellent sport, but the difficulties involved in shooting birds in 

 them are such that many of the members prefer shooting the birds re- 

 leased along the hedge-rows where the conditions are much less difficult. 



So far as I have been able to ascertain, the members bring in and 

 account for between eighty and ninety per cent, of the birds released. 



FOUR MONTHS OF SHOOTING. As the New York law now 

 stands, ringneck pheasants reared on a wholly enclosed preserve may be 

 taken at any time during the year. We shoot them, however, only dur- 

 ing October, November, December and January. In the early part of 

 October, we shoot only the wild birds and in the latter part of the month 



release a few additional birds in the 

 swamps. During November and 

 December birds are released along 

 the fence and hedge-rows in the man- 

 ner above described, and during Jan- 

 uary the members are at liberty to 

 shoot the birds in the swamps, an en- 

 deavor being made during that month 

 to kill as many of the cock birds as 

 possible, as the wild birds seem to 

 breed better when there is only one 

 cock bird to about three hens. 

 Supplementing Mr. Brigham's inter- 

 esting description, it may be mentioned 

 that Mr. Clark, the head keeper keeps 

 his young birds in the rearing field until 

 late September or early October before 

 placing them in large, covered pens of the 

 typeemployedbySuperintendentDuncan 

 County, New York. Dunn at the New Jersey Game Farm. 



