SNIPE SHOOTING 



bagged about thirteen couple. It was, however, 

 seldom much worth while to look for snipe in that 

 country till the isth or 2Oth of October, and I made 

 my heaviest bags there much later in the season. 

 In Madura, I have seen a good many birds towards 

 the end of September, but I seldom looked for 

 them so early, the heat then being very severe. 

 In snipe shooting, it is a great advantage if the 

 sportsman can be accompanied by at least one or 

 two natives who have been out shooting with him 

 before, and who know how he wishes the men with 

 him to act. The best plan is for him to place two 

 or three men, a few paces apart, in line on each side, 

 himself taking the centre, the distance between 

 each man in the line of course depending upon the 

 nature of the cover, and upon whether the birds 

 are lying very close, or rising freely, and often 

 requiring variation in different portions of the 

 same stretch of ground. The object is, of course, 

 to put up all the birds on either side of himself 

 which can be comfortably commanded by the 

 sportsman's gun, without springing those which 

 would be out of shot before he could fire at them, 

 as would be done were the line employed to be too 

 long. In working a wide stretch of ground, the 

 line must be wheeled at the end, and as many 

 beats across and across taken as may be necessary 

 to cover the whole just as in walking up partridges 

 in turnips in England. The men should be warned 

 to carefully mark all fallen birds, but on no account 

 to leave the line to pick up one of them unless 

 specially ordered so to do. 



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