RUFFED GROUSE 



tible to deceit, and he is trapped and snared 

 in the eastern and northern states particu- 

 larly in great numbers by farmer-boys and 

 by the market-hunters. He is especially fool- 

 ish about snares and puts his head into them 

 with a fatuous confidence that is rapidly thin- 

 ning out his numbers, even where he was once 

 numerous. Only the most rigid application 

 of a non-selling game-law will effect any ade- 

 quate improvement in the situation. When 

 the deep snows come he is sufficiently hard 

 pushed to take almost any chance to get food, 

 and box-traps and " figure fours " take him 

 in out of the inclement weather into the hos- 

 pitable frying-pan with dismal frequency. 

 Yet, like all the grouse family nearly, he 

 shows great cunning when wing-tipped, and 

 he is sagacious enough when hunted. But 

 the traps and the snares are too much for him 

 and are responsible in great measure for his 

 depreciated and depreciating numbers. 



Hunting ruffed grouse requires about the 

 same paraphernalia as in ordinary quail shoot- 

 ing, except that number six shot instead of 

 nines or eights should be used. A twelve- 

 gauge gun is heavy enough, and a good dog 

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