RABBITS, PARTRIDGES, PIGEONS 167 



out after the shot, but it could not have been short 

 of a full sixty yards. It was the longest shot I had 

 brought off for many years, but not altogether a 

 satisfactory one. Perhaps the only long shots at 

 rabbits or hares which are really satisfactory, are 

 those very occasional ones when the animal is hit 

 in the head, and, despite the distance, killed out- 

 right. 



This reminds me that it is necessary for the 



gunner to know how to put wounded creatures 



instantly out of their pain. Do not hold the rabbit 



or hare by the back legs and strike a sharp blow 



downwards on to the back of the head or neck. 



Many men with hard right hand can and do kill 



rabbits and hares in this way by one quick blow ; 



but a less strong and practised hand will bungle. 



Instead, hold the rabbit or hare by the back legs, 



quickly take the back of the head well above the 



neck with your hand, and a slight pull downwards 



instantly kills the animal : see that your grasp is well 



above the neck, or your purpose of ending the pain of 



the animal swiftly will not be effected. Wounded 



birds should be dealt with in the same way. It is 



not a pleasant subject to be touched upon, is it ? 



But it must not be shirked. The wounding of bird 



and beast of chase, which, even with the straightest 



shooters in the world, must happen, is an incident 



in shooting which is distasteful, to say the least, to 



good sportsmen. And there are days when you 



are a good deal wrung by the pity of the thing. 



This is not the place to treat at length of the ethics 



