250 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



will fall forward as you extend your arm, and should a 

 jar discharge it, will probably do no harm. But when 

 there is anyone in front of you, it is obvious this 

 method of carrying the gun becomes the most unsafe, 

 and you must harden your heart and be prepared to 

 lose here and there a chance by carrying it at half- 

 cock carefully nursed over your left arm, while you 

 are clinging to the steep face or picking your way 

 among loose stones. 



Ptarmigan can be driven, though to do it to a 

 profitable extent there should be a great stock of them, 

 and an elaborate organisation becomes necessary. The 

 ground they inhabit is so steep that the drivers must 

 usually be sent up by a different route from the guns, 

 and unless the whole thing is very carefully arranged 

 the drive is likely to fail of its result. There are 

 usually only a few broods on a particular hill, and I 

 think, if you are not too hard upon them (for on certain 

 days it is possible to kill almost every bird you see), 

 it is a better and pleasanter way to walk the ground 

 for them. Pointers or setters you will hardly require, 

 though here and there, especially for finding a wounded 

 bird, they will be useful. But the blue hares, which 

 are usually pretty well sprinkled over the ptarmigan 

 ground, are trying to your dogs, and you can be 

 pretty sure of finding the birds without them. 



