xin PARTRIDGE SHOOTING (PART /), ' WALKING' 2 1 5 



If he wishes to still further assure sport to his 

 friends, let him stroll round the outskirts of the 

 ground ahout to be shot over for a couple of days 

 previous, and, when a covey rises, shoot the old birds. 

 They are easily selected, as they will generally rise 

 first, and very often behind or to one side of him, and 

 at the beginning of the season may be tolerably easy 

 of approach in good cover. When a covey of partridges 

 have lost the old parr, they will for a few days lie well 

 to the gun, and are not so likely to rise together. 



Shortly before any shooting at partridges takes 

 place, it is also a good plan to beat the stubbles or 

 other bare fields towards any shelter near that will 

 hold the birds, and wherein, of course, they are for 

 the present left undisturbed. After doing this several 

 times, the birds will pop into any such cover on the 

 least alarm, and in their fancied security are then 

 more likely to offer shots when required to do so. 



I have frequently heard it said that should the 

 root crops be saturated with rain or dew good sport is 

 unlikely when partridge shooting, as the birds will 

 not take to wet cover. For my part, I have found just 

 the contrary to be the case, and I would prefer to have 

 a wet field of turnips to drive birds into than a dry 

 one. Though partridges will not naturally choose a 

 wet field to hide in, and are not likely to be found in 



