GROUSE-BECKING 73 



' churrr gobaek, goback." 1 It would be interesting to 

 know whether the custom of ' becking ' was practised 

 by our forefathers when they shot with crossbows. 

 I am inclined to fancy that in those days their larders 

 were often supplied with snared grouse, which had 

 been captured upon the ' stooks ' of corn. Probably 

 the methods of setting snares for grouse are various, 

 as indeed I know they are. That which appears to 

 be most extensively practised, at any rate in the north 

 of Scotland, is to prepare a number of snares of fine 

 wire and attach them to a stout cord, which is then 

 stretched across a ' stock ' of oats, the ends of the 

 string being securely attached to two stakes which 

 have been driven into the ground on either side of 

 the ' stook.' Another plan is to set a great number 

 of snares in the runs which the grouse make through 

 the heather when feeding. These snares are generally 

 made of fine copper wire, bent in the form of a loop 

 of from five to six inches in diameter. The free end 

 of the wire is doubled, and attached to a tuft of ling 

 by a piece of string. The loop of wire is often held 

 in the proper position by a small cleft piece of wood. 

 Some men take grouse in drag-nets, when the birds 

 are roosting in rough grass and young heather ; but I 

 fancy that this method of poaching grouse is less 

 practised than formerly. Sportsmen cannot be too 



