GROUSE SHOOTING. 421 



sight of the shooter, on some hill side, perhaps 

 forty or fifty yards from the highest part. Nine 

 times out of ten the grouse alights on a hill side 

 slanting from the shooter, or, in other words, on 

 that side of the hill, or ridge, or sloping ground, 

 which is farthest from the shooter. It is useless to 

 attempt to range the whole of a moor, the sports- 

 man's time will be much better occupied in travers- 

 ing the same ground over again and again, assuming 

 he knew how to choose his ground. When rang- 

 ing a moor with which he is totally unacquainted, 

 the best thing he can do is to walk along the brow 

 or side of a hill, (for nearly all moors are either 

 mountainous, or broken uneven ground,) keeping 

 about forty or fifty yards from the summit of any 

 rising ground : not only broods but single birds 

 alight more frequently in such a situation than 

 in any other, especially after being disturbed. 

 Much time is lost in ranging flats and the extreme 

 heights of hills and ridges. The side, under the 

 wind, of these lesser hills, which on nearly all 

 moors is intersected by rivulets, and which has a 

 pretty good covering of young heather, is the very 

 best line of range that can be recommended, care 

 being taken to keep within fifty yards from where 

 the declivity commences. By winding round the 

 hills in this manner, the shooter does not fatigue 

 himself near so much as by continually crossing 

 the ravines and climbing directly up the hills. 



When the grouse-shooter throws off on an ex- 

 tensive moor, on which, or on the moors adjoining, 

 there are numerous parties of shooters, we would 



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