406 SHOOTING. 



the open glades of the densest woods, or rather in 

 those parts of the woods not choked up at the 

 bottom with fern, rushes, or brambles, but where 

 they can freely run about, and in those parts where 

 willows, oziers, hazel-trees, or crate-wood is plenti- 

 ful. In such places it will readily be ascertained 

 whether there are cocks or not, by the borings in 

 the moss or dead leaves, and by the chalkings. A 

 cock will often be found near its feeding place, 

 after a dark night. 



A cock will seldom fly far until it has been 

 fired at several times : it should, therefore, when 

 practicable, be marked down. By a judicious 

 system of marking, many successive shots may be 

 obtained at the same bird. It is seldom that the 

 skilful shooter flushes a cock, which, with the aid 

 of markers, he does not eventually kill. The diffi- 

 culty of woodcock shooting arises, for the most 

 part, from the birds being flushed in the thickest 

 part of woods, and contriving to wing their flight 

 through the trees in such a manner as to baffle the 

 sportsman"^ aim. After being fired at in a wood, 

 cocks will frequently alight amongst hedge-rows 

 on the outskirts, especially under a hedge running 

 close to and parallel with a water-course, when 

 they are easily killed, as they will not rise until 

 the shooter is close upon them ; and their flight is 

 not difficult to master when there are no trees to 

 obstruct the aim. 



A shooter of the south of England, who has not 

 opportunities of grouse-shooting, deems cock-shoot- 

 ing the perfection of his art; but he considers 



