236 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



be better to say the possible birds. They neither lose time in 

 trying to get on to birds when there is not time to succeed, or 

 in shooting at others so far off as to be at wounding distances. 



The red grouse also puts the shooter over dogs to the test. 

 Even at the beginning of the season the direct walk up with 

 the dog will generally result in the old cock getting off unshot 

 at. But with two gunners who walk wide of the dog, the 

 chances are that one of them will get a fair shot at the old 

 cock, which invariably runs away, and leaves his wife and 

 children to learn wisdom by experience and his example. 

 Later on it may be necessary to hunt the dogs down wind, 

 and this proceeding nearly always results in making birds lie 

 much better than they otherwise would ; for the grouse are 

 found by the dog when the latter is to leeward, and the guns by 

 walking down wind to the point complete the surrounding move- 

 ment. It may be said that unless grouse have their heads up 

 (when they are only fit for driving) they always are approachable 

 by guns, provided the latter set about it the right way, and have 

 dogs good enough to hunt down wind well and without flushing 

 the game. The qualities required in the dog cover a very wide 

 range a very long and certain nose, and an absence of drawing 

 up to game to make sure of it ; that is, an absence of hesitation 

 in pointing. Then the degree of accuracy of shooting that is 

 enough in driving with cylinder guns at 25 to 30 yards range is 

 not more than half enough with a full choke bore at 50 yards 

 range. 



There is ample scope for improvement always in grouse 

 shooting, and the author has never heard of the gunner who is 

 always satisfied with his efforts, either when shooting driven 

 game or when shooting grouse over dogs. Those who talk of 

 the " battue " and " slaughter " in the same breath have never 

 tried, and those drivers of game who talk of shooting over dogs 

 as too easy for their skill find out their own weak spots when 

 they try it. 



The proper driving of grouse to the guns is the result of 

 local education based on sound broad principles. The former 

 it is obviously not possible to deal with, and the latter have 



