SHOOTING THE WOODS GROUSE 381 



birds, and, finding them, they flush and follow them. 

 When flushed by the dog, the bird generally takes to 

 the trees, and the dog, barking, so engages their atten- 

 tion that they fall an easy prey to the hunter, who 

 often bags every bird in the covey under such circum- 

 stances. Often, when flushed by the dog, they fly to 

 the tree-tops immediately overhead, where, in fancied 

 security, they watch the dog. The shooter then drops 

 them one by one, taking the lowest birds first. The 

 falling of the lowest ones does not disturb those above, 

 though if a top bird is dropped the others fly away 

 forthwith. 



As to the number a shooter can kill in a day, so 

 much depends on the shooter's skill, the bird supply, 

 and the local shooting conditions, that these things 

 alone determine it. 



In some sections of New England, two or three 

 birds at the end of a day of diligent effort is consid- 

 ered a highly successful result, and it is not an infre- 

 quent occurrence in that section that a diligent day 

 may have no birds at all at its ending. 



In certain sections of New York, Wisconsin, Minne- 

 sota, Dakota, etc., and in the mountain sections where 

 the ruffed grouse abound, such a bag would be consid- 

 ered an absurdity, if held forth as an index to good 

 shooting, industry and superior results. 



While in North Dakota I have heard of one bag 

 of eighty birds, made to one gun in a day, something 

 extraordinary. They were shot at the air holes along 

 the banks of the Red River, after it had frozen over, 



