174 GROUSE SHOOTING. 



CHAPTER II. 



GROUSE SHOOTING. 



ON no account begin shooting before nine 

 o'clock in the morning. Birds should always 

 be allowed to have their breakfasts, and settle 

 down quietly for the day. undisturbed, and 

 as at the beginning of the season one can 

 shoot on until seven at night, the greatest 

 glutton for hard work ought to be satisfied. 

 The last two hours of the day are often the 

 best, the birds lying better than in the full 

 heat of noon. It is a good rule never to 

 go out grouse shooting in very stormy weather, 

 as it is impossible to make a respectable bag 

 on such a day, and any disturbance to the birds 

 then renders them very wild, and makes them 

 pack earlier than "they would otherwise do. 

 They are restless and suspicious in bad wea- 

 ther, sitting on the tops of the little knolls 

 with outstretched necks, ready to fly away 

 at the least attempt to approach them. At 

 the beginning of the season, grouse are as 

 easy to shoot as young partridges are on the 



