2io LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



can, with a little attention to their habits, be made 

 an exciting instead of a monotonous sport. 



Let the young shooter invariably act as manager 

 for the day when taking his friends partridge shooting ; 

 by all means let him weigh the advice given by any 

 experienced keeper or shooter present ; but, at all 

 events, let him exercise his own brains. There is real 

 pleasure in a day's shooting when a host and his 

 friends take counsel and endeavour to work the fields 

 as cleverly as they can, so as to counteract the natural 

 cunning of the game in escaping. Whether they 

 succeed in their object or not, everyone will be inte- 

 rested in the anticipation of finding birds in places 

 where, by reason of certain manoeuvres, they may in 

 all likelihood be found. 



In our grandfathers' days, an early start for 

 partridges and a candlelight breakfast was a usual 

 procedure, for at that date the birds could be shot 

 when actually feeding in the high reaped stubbles, 

 as these gave them excellent concealment from the 

 shooters, Noiv there is no hiding for partridges in 

 the bare stubbles, they cannot be approached in them 

 in our day, and if disturbed from one field they will 

 fly to another, or when driven into turnips they are 

 out again in a few minutes if the day is young and 

 the birds have not completed their morning feed. 



Even of a fine, hot day, 10 o'clock is quite early 



