CHAPTER I 



PUNT-SHOOTING AS A SPORT 



It is a common custom with many writers on sporting subjects 

 to add lustre to their own particular hobby by ridiculing 



1^ or speaking unjustly of other sports. Far from holding 

 this as being just, we wish it to be known that in no way 



|,^ do we consciously adopt such a course. Nevertheless, we 

 cannot, for the sake of our subject, omit to make mention 

 of a rather startling piece of writing which lately came under 

 our notice. It ran something like as follows: " Punt-gunning 

 is a fascinating sport, and, provided the fowler is one who can 

 stand cold and a little rough work, all he has to do is to put 

 out when the fowl arrive and slay them by the hundred. The 

 shooting is a matter of minor attention, for so large is a punt- 

 gun that all that is necessary when game is found is for the 

 gunner to bang off his weapon into the thickest part of the 

 birds, and then gather up the spoil. If any are alive, these 

 are shot with shoulder guns." Oh, are they? we ask. Now, 

 this is the kind of thing one often meets with. 



The same sort of thing occurs in regard to game-shooting, 

 when such statements as the following, annually, about the 

 beginning of October, go the rounds of our halfpenny daily 

 newspapers : " Pheasant-shooting began on Thursday. Birds 

 were healthy and numerous. We always think at this season 

 of these beautiful creatures and the manner in which they are 

 butchered ; for the killing of so many half-tame birds by 

 driving them into the very mouths of the guns can surely 

 never be termed better sport than killing so many domestic 

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