296 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



How far a pheasant should come in order to get its best 

 impetus is rather a difficult question. Clearly it must not be so 

 far as to make the bird begin to look out for a place to alight. 

 That is to say, it must be under 600 yards in most cases ; but 

 that does not assist very much. Probably the best distance 

 from the rise always alters with circumstances, but there 

 seems to be no reason for extending it beyond the midway 

 distance between the first two " sailing " periods. 



The pheasants, in common with grouse and partridges, seem 

 to object to meeting more than a certain air resistance. When 

 they have got up to a speed at which the air resistance becomes 

 unpleasant, they hold their wings out still, and sail or float for 

 some distance before renewing their wing vibrations. If they 

 are shot before this floating occurs for the first time, they have 

 not come to their full speed. If after, they probably have come 

 to it. If game is making up hill, the floating occurs much later 

 for the first time than it does when the direction is horizontal or 

 down hill. It is possible then that, speaking strictly, a pheasant 

 does not become a rocketer until it has passed the first floating 

 stage of its flight. It may be that when going up wind it will 

 not be able to float at all, but if the wind is as high as this 

 implies, there is, again, the question whether the pheasant is 

 entitled to be called a rocketer. The term, however, has been 

 so much abused by misapplication that it has almost gone out 

 of use, and people speak more frequently of high or tall birds 

 and of fast ones, of curling and sailing pheasants. 



Although pace is in great request by the pheasant shooter, 

 he does not generally appreciate the greater difficulty of 

 shooting through foliage at his birds. There is excuse for this. 

 The shot does not do the trees any good, and besides there is a 

 distinct tendency to shoot to a " gallery," which in cover is 

 limited by the surroundings. It unquestionably enhances the 

 pleasure of covert shooting to be able to see what all one's 

 fellow-guns do. There are times when no birds come except 

 in one way, and this is apt to be dull for those not then 

 "engaged," unless they can see the wings of the battle line. 

 Nevertheless, speaking of our best English sporting spirit, if we 



