dog's neck and send him in after the birds ; as long as you hear the 

 bells you will know he has found nothing, but when the bells stop, be 

 sure the dog is on the point. Woodcock shooting is all snap, that is, 

 hit or miss shooting, and nine times out of ten you cannot tell whether 

 you have hit or not, the cover is so thick. 



Here is where a nice retriever comes handy, to find the dead birds 

 and retrieve them from all kinds of brush, grass and heavy cover, and 

 bring them to you. When you shoot, order your dog to "Go hunt 

 dead"; if you killed, he will bring it sure. If you don't kill, just keep 

 a sharp lookout behind you and you will not fail to see the same bird 

 again, as one of his pet tricks is to double back to the place he was in 

 when shot at. This deceives the amateur, for few would think of 

 looking for him in the same place the second time, but the experienced 

 woodcock hunter is aware of the bird's tricks and will wait and try for 

 him again. 



The best load for woodcock is No g or No lo "^hot. 



PRAIRIE CHICKEN. 



The prairie chicken is a bird that has been hunted until in many 

 states it is nearly exterminated. While young the birds are very easy 

 to kill, as they don't seem to have much sense of danger. They are 

 found in the short stubble or grass and can be found very easily, as 

 their scent is so strong that a dog can readily scent them. When they 

 get up after being shot at, they don't fly far and if you don't find them, 



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