SHOOTING IN NEW FOREST 275 



duced 32 woodcocks and some 120 rabbits, but 

 that was the last good day. The coverts of that 

 date were played out, and the sport to be had 

 out of them, as regards woodcock shooting, was 

 nearly over (and never had really been exploited) 

 when I went to the Forest. I had a flash in 

 the pan of a possible revival of this form of good 

 shooting when, on February 1st, 1905, I killed 

 with two companions 14 woodcocks in the young 

 plantations in Wilverley, which are as yet hardly 

 open enough to attract them, but I would not 

 wonder if one day someone were to have a very 

 good day in those young woods. 



These pleasant wanderings, either alone with 

 the gun and good dogs, or again with cheery 

 companions and friends, are delightful reminiscences 

 of my Forest life. To ardent shooters our sport 

 may seem meagre. So perhaps it was, but it 

 was all obtained by our own woodcraft and hard 

 work. We were very tired at the close of the 

 day, but very happy if things had gone well. I 

 have enjoyed many such days much more than 

 when I have helped to kill, say, 1000 pheasants, 

 and been treated as a mere battery tethered to 

 one spot and wholly ignorant of the programme 

 of the day's sport further than to see that the 

 store of cartridges was ample, and the powder as 

 straight as one could make it. 



