THE PRAIRIE-GROUSE 67 



do not fly far, often not much beyond the limit of a 

 large field. They are then the easiest kind of marks, 

 and the whole flock is often killed by two guns in very 

 short order. They lie well to the dogs, which find 

 them easily, provided it be not too dry, but as the 

 season advances they are more difficult to approach, 

 and an October grouse is a swift and difficult mark, 

 rising nearly out of range. 



As soon as the weather becomes cold many coveys 

 associate, forming vast flocks, which are termed packs. 

 It is then next to impossible to approach them within 

 shooting range. They may be seen sitting on fences 

 and on hay-stacks, and are even visible sitting about on 

 the ground with heads up, and always alert and ready 

 to fly a mile or more when the sportsman approaches. 

 It is useless to try and get within range of them. A 

 few birds might possibly be killed at long range with 

 a rifle, but no sportsman fond of shooting over setters 

 would thus destroy the birds. Sometimes on warm, 

 sunny days late in the fall, if a pack of grouse be moved 

 early in the day while feeding, they will fly out on the 

 prairie and as the sun becomes strong in the middle of 

 the day they resume their feeding, and if well scattered 

 may lie to the dog. 



In September the sportsman looks for the grouse 

 early in the day and again late in the afternoon. The 

 birds start quite early from the long and heavy grasses 

 or from the standing corn, going afoot to the stubbles 

 to feed. In the middle of the day the dogs will not 

 find them. Late in the season if there is any shooting 

 it will be in the middle of the day. 



The distances on the prairie are so great that the 



