150 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



keepers' energies. The only method left is, therefore, 

 to drive them. 



I have already observed that the average shooter, 

 endeavouring to secure them in the ordinary way with 

 pointers, would find them more than his match ; 

 indeed, he would kill very few of them. I will go 

 farther he would probably never see most of them, 

 unless he were a very first-rate, keen-eyed, and active 

 sportsman, and devoted much time, instead of dele- 

 gating this to his keeper, to sneaking quietly up the 

 gullies, and taking advantage of inequalities in the 

 ground to creep upon them unawares. This method 

 is often practised in the latter part of the season in 

 Yorkshire, under the name of ' gruffing,' from the local 

 term 'gruff,' signifying the little deep gullies in the 

 moor along which the grouse stalker manoeuvres, and 

 is very good fun. But as I have remarked, this takes 

 so much time that it could only be effectively practised 

 by those who reside all through the season close to 

 their own moors. For the average grouse shooter who 

 resides in the low country, and only visits the moor- 

 land from August to October, it is not practicable to 

 any effective extent. 



There is but one way for the sportsman to drive 

 these birds. The average Scotch keeper does not 

 believe that the stock of birds on his moor in a trood 



