BLACKGAME 101 



is either placed at the base of the sheaves or allowed to 

 project amongst the ears at the top, so that birds feeding 

 in either place run every chance of being caught. It is a 

 curious fact that women become the greatest adepts at this 

 form of poaching ; and I know of two girls, the daughters 

 of a farmer in Banffshire, who killed in one season over 

 two hundred Grouse and Blackgame by means of these 

 snares. These fair ladies would have little bets with each 

 other in the morning as to whose snares had been the most 

 successful, each knowing her own by a piece of coloured 

 worsted attached to the wire. A travelling hawker used 

 to come twice a week and take away the stuff to Banff 

 or some other neighbouring town, where it was soon 

 disposed of. 



Another verv clever, and in former davs hi^hlv 



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successful, method of killing these birds is for the poacher 

 to erect over himself a little arbour of sheaves, when the 

 fields have been cleared of the stooks. He knows well 

 that, so long as there is a single stook left standing in 

 the field, the birds will come to it. in preference to 

 hunting for the food which is scattered all over the field ; 

 and, in addition to this, Blackcocks always like a situation 

 to feed in which gives them a commanding view of the 

 surrounding country, so that even when feeding they may 

 be well on the alert to guard against surprise. He 

 therefore erects in his ambush a stake to support the 

 sheaves around him, and of such a height as to make 

 another stake, fixed at right angles, a comfortable perch 

 for the arriving birds to pitch on, and feed on the ears of 

 corn around them. For a man of ordinary height, this 

 cross-bar is then within easv reach of the arm when 



