SHOOTING THE WOODS GROUSE 377 



not kill, it being a miss in the first instance, and often a 

 badly mutilated bird in the second. 



The average shooter will find that he has success 

 far below his opportunities, even when equipped with 

 the gun most fitting for the work. In this shooting 

 there is no waiting for opportunities to fit the gun. 



The successful hunter must take the shots that are 

 offered, and as they are offered; it matters not how 

 difficult they appear or how brief the opportunities may 

 be. He may catch but a momentary glimpse of the 

 bird as it crosses some diminutive opening, or he may 

 see it for an instant in a maze of leaves and branches, 

 or he may get a partial glimpse of it and some dis- 

 turbed leaves in the course of its flight, yet these are 

 the opportunities which are the most numerous, and 

 which must be relied on for the bulk of the shooting; 

 in short, that is ruffed grouse shooting. 



If the shooter be too indolent or apathetic to be ever 

 ready to shoot, or if he is too slow to take advantage 

 of the opportunities, his success will be but meager 

 so far as material results are concerned, though he 

 may be greatly encouraged by the belief that his last 

 ill success was due to faults in the bird, and that if he 

 can have another opportunity he will acquit himself 

 nicely. The opportunity comes, and failure again 

 evokes more excuses. Once in rare whiles the shooter 

 will have a good opportunity, catching the bird in some 

 corner so favorable that the advantage is with the 

 shooter; but such instances are rare indeed, and by 

 themselves would make but little sport. 



