290 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



If birds run in front of you, and your dogs draw 

 on them for some distance, they are probably old birds, 

 or perhaps, the hen grouse leading you away from 

 her brood. Call your dogs back if you can, though 

 it is difficult at times to make them obey when very 

 keen ; but a long draw on a single bird, that finally 

 rises out of shot, is likely to spoil a dog if repeated a 

 few times. 



The only way to outmanoeuvre grouse that run 

 before your dogs is to send a man 200 or 300 yards 

 ahead, and then for him to walk slowly across your 

 front from one side to the other ; and, when you 

 have shot over the ground between your ' skirmisher ' 

 and yourself, for the former to again go forward. 

 This will often stop birds running, as they soon 

 discover they are between two dangers. If the man 

 ahead can work a close-ranging, steady dog, that will 

 1 down charge ' should he find birds, and wait till you 

 come up, all the better. You cannot work too quietly, 

 I may say stealthily, on a moor when walking it for 

 grouse. You should notice every movement of your 

 dogs; you will soon learn when they are about to 

 show birds by their motions, then draw up to them 

 at once, so as to be ready for the point. 



Direct your keeper or gillie to give the lowest 

 whistle you are likely to hear (never a call) should 

 you be intent on the movements of one dog when the 

 other chances to point birds. When a man picks up 

 a dead bird you have been looking for, instruct him to 



