xvii. GROUSE SHOOTING (PART 77), ' OVER DOGS' 287 



be comfortable enough, when a pointer will almost 

 shiver out of his skin. 



You will have far better success on a grouse moor 

 if you work a couple of good dogs at a time than if 

 you use three or four, or only one. One dog is hardly 

 sufficient (unless birds are very plentiful), and three 

 are too many. I have seen two couple of dogs run 

 together ; but I have never known a shooter obtain a 

 larger bag in consequence, for the result generally is 

 that much too wide beats are taken, and the ground 

 is not properly searched, besides which, the shooter 

 has to scurry in all directions to the points, and can- 

 not therefore work his ground steadily forward, and 

 thus influence the flight of the birds for subsequent 

 sport. If two shooters are walking together, a couple 

 of dogs is all they require ; if they utilise the services 

 of four, they will do better by walking on different 

 parts of the moor. 



If your dogs are in good condition through having 

 obtained plenty of exercise before the 12th of August, 

 you and a friend can manage to shoot in company 

 over three brace of dogs, running each brace for two 

 hours, and keeping those first slipped as a reserve for 

 the evening. You will, however, require at least four 

 to five brace of dogs in your kennel, as sometimes one 

 may be on the sick list, or another may turn out to 

 be only partially broken ; and breaking in dogs when 



