246 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



be the object of your pursuit, sitting on walls or 

 mounds, and other bare dry places. The wind must 

 be very carefully considered, and the stalk conducted 

 with as much care as if you were after deer. If you 

 alarm other birds or beasts, the blackcocks, like deer, 

 will take alarm also, and though their sense of smell 

 is not so keen as, their eyesight is undoubtedly superior 

 to, that of the nobler animal. It is often a good plan 

 to employ your man, always granted that you can 

 trust his discretion, to move about at a distance, and 

 in a different direction, so as to distract their wary 

 eyes while you creep upon them. As chances are 

 few at this sport, and it is important to kill these old 

 stagers, who live to an immense age, long after they 

 have become utterly useless for stud purposes, I 

 would advise you never to spare a sitting shot. 



Of capercailzie shooting there is not much to be 

 said. It is no doubt a beautiful sight to see these 

 magnificent birds sailing past you as you stand in a 

 clearing of the wood, and a very satisfactory thing to 

 bring them down stone dead, as you can do if you hit 

 them well forward. But as their flight is not long, 

 the drives are not exciting, and beautiful as the bird 

 may be he is not fit to eat in any shape but soup. 

 Whatever you may do, the capercailzie will leave 

 your ground or remain on it as they list, selecting their 



