ii6 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— PARTRIDGES 



ters and pointers of field-trial parentage, but trained 

 to hunt before the gun and not to range too far, will 

 furnish better shooting than the wider ranging dogs. 

 They should go fast, but not too far, and should cover 

 all the ground. 



A few years ago there was no limit to the bag. 

 The birds were killed by hundreds in a day. The 

 legal limit now is often small. In one State (Ver- 

 mont) it is but five birds of any kind in a day. A 

 limit of two or three dozen birds a day would, in my 

 opinion, be just right. On many days this bag cannot 

 be made, and when a good day comes, I see no reason 

 why the limit should not be at least two dozen birds. 

 On preserves the limit is often fixed by a club rule, 

 which should, of course, limit the killing sufficiently 

 to save enough birds to restock the grounds. On the 

 English stubbles and Scottish moors, the bags are 

 often large, but care is taken that enough remain. 



In the morning the partridges start out afoot to feed 

 upon the fields. When the day is fine they move early, 

 and the sportsman may also make an early start and 

 take the field as soon as the sun is up. On cold and 

 stormy days the birds will not move so early, and 

 when it rains and the wind is high they may not move 

 at all. As a general rule, however, I would advise an 

 earlier start than that proposed by Forester. Cast off 

 the dogs, a pair, not more, in the stubble or field of 

 corn, and see that they look well to the sides of the 

 field before leaving it. Experienced dogs will seek the 

 likely places first, the little knolls or depressions where 

 the cover seems to be the best. Give good dogs few 

 orders, or better none at all, and they will soon find 



