346 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



those who shoot in the sugar country for the first time, 

 that they should keep their dogs out of sugar-cane 

 fields as much as possible. The cane, in harvesting, is 

 cut diagonally across with a knife, thus leaving a 

 stump with an edge which will cut a dog's foot almost 

 as a knife would. It is a common matter for a dog to 

 split his toes or heel on cane stumps, with the result- 

 ant crippled condition, and no more work from him 

 for a time. 



In Mississippi, in the midwinter season, the birds 

 stay mostly in the woods. Good shooting may be had 

 in the South from the middle of November to the 

 first of March. Many of the Southern States have a 

 longer legal open season, but the dense cover and warm 

 weather make a natural limitation to the sport. The 

 weather is mild, the birds are strong, and the sport is 

 at its best, in the winter months of the South. 



Quail shooting, in the main, is close shooting, as to 

 the ranges at which the birds are killed. Most birds 

 drop within twenty-five yards, some much nearer than 

 that. 



A gun weighing from 6 l /2 to 7^ pounds is of ample 

 weight. The 12-bore is most commonly used, though 

 the 1 6 and 2o-bores are excellent, and are preferred 

 by many sportsmen. Some shooters use guns of 28 

 caliber, and are enthusiastic over their work. As a 

 matter of course, the smaller bores may be much lighter 

 than the 12-bore. 



The 1 6 and 2O-bores being smaller, their killing 

 circle is less, though they shoot with good force in 



