386 SHOOTING. 



ground, always reserving that portion of the field 

 next cover, or that which seems to possess some 

 local advantage for his up-wind beats. 



When the shooter has been long accustomed to 

 a dog, he can tell by the dog^s proceeding, whether 

 game is near or not when pointed, or whether the 

 birds are running before the dog. If he suspect 

 them to be running, he must walk up quickly be- 

 fore his dog, for if he stop or appear to look about 

 him, the birds instantly rise. Whenever it is prac- 

 ticable, unless the birds be very tame and his dogs 

 young ones, the shooter should place himself so that 

 the birds may be between him and the dogs. They 

 will then lie well. The moment a dog points, the 

 first thing to be done is to cast a glance round to 

 ascertain in which direction the covers and corn- 

 fields lie ; the next is to learn the point of the 

 wind ; the shooter will then use his endeavour 

 to gain the wind of the birds, and to place him- 

 self between them and the covers, or otherwise 

 avail himself of other local circumstances. All 

 this must be done in a moment, and it requires 

 some judgment. A person who knows how to walk 

 up to a dog will obtain more shots than one who 

 does not, especially in windy weather. Birds will 

 not only allow the shooter to approach nearer to 

 them when he faces the wind, but they present on 

 rising, a fairer mark. 



When the legs of a bird fired at fall, it is almost 

 a certain proof that it is struck in a vital part. A 

 bird so struck should be narrowly watched, when, 

 in most instances, it will be seen, after flying about 



