iSo SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



take an hour's hard walking, possibly in a hot sun, or 

 worse still, in pouring rain and the prospect only 

 three or four brace at most to the bag. Then again, 

 with a narrow line for you must walk pretty close in 

 the thick cover in a field of this size the birds would 

 often run completely round you, and I have seen the 

 whole of such a field beaten without even flushing the 

 birds which were undoubtedly in it. 



Now, here a good pointer is invaluable. I would 

 not recommend working a brace at the same time, for 

 it is not here as with grouse, where very wide range is 

 desirable, and the eventual flight of the birds is of no 

 moment. This is a close matter of working the birds 

 in the direction you want, and if you had two points 

 at the same time you would run the risk of spoiling 

 the one while dealing with the other. But your 

 single steady dog would show you the whereabouts 

 of the birds, save you much time and laborious 

 walking, while it would enable you to approach 

 them from the side most desirable, according to your 

 ground. 



It has often struck me as lamentable that in 

 small, or shall I say average, partridge-shooting the 

 pointer should no longer be employed, because, for- 

 sooth, he has become unnecessary to the large and 

 carefully organised parties which have to deal with 



