242 THINNING D O WN MO OR BY DRI VI NG 



the followIriL^ season. Therefore, the fewer long, 

 chancing shots are fired the better. If birds require to 

 be killed down by reason of their being- too numerous, 

 and they cannot be approached without the aid of 

 falcons, and these Litter are not available, the best and 

 most humane way to effect this is to procure the assist- 

 ance of a few good driving shots, and drive them until 

 the required limit is reached, and thus a good show 

 of healthy birds will be secured for the following 

 season. 



It is necessary when thus shooting off the overplus 

 birds on a moor by driving, to be careful to secure men 

 who can shoot driven birds, for if the services of those 

 who are not really up to the work are requisitioned, an 

 infinitely greater amount of harm than good must 

 result. An unpractised hand at driven birds is certain 

 to do a deal of harm, for he is invariably behind his 

 birds. Now, the result of this is that, as the cock- 

 birds come first in each driven pack, they get off scot- 

 free, and the hens drop in for the shot. A beginner 

 may be somev\hat surprised at such a result, but very 

 wisely probably says nothing about it, and goes on still 

 shooting behind every time. It takes no little practice 

 to train such people, but it is a great mistake to carry 

 out such training at the expense of losing hen after hen, 

 and allowing the quarrelsome old cocks to get away 

 untouched. Such work very seriously interferes with 

 the succeedino; breedinof season. There are some men 

 whom nothing will ever make good shots at driven 

 birds, and though they themselves are fully aware of 

 the fact, they never scruple to go out time after time 

 and play ' Old Harry ' with their friend's broods, 

 albeit, though, that friend may never be any the wiser. 



