246 E VENING L UCK 



luncheon time. The evening was drawing on, and 

 we were giving up all hope of seeing any birds at all, 

 when we suddenly came upon several packs in some 

 rough, hillocky ground, and we succeeded in putting 

 together some forty brace before it got dark. I have 

 frequently experienced similar cases of luck such as 

 this, just at the time that all chance of sport had 

 seemed utterly hopeless. 



When a pack gets scattered at this time of day the 

 best plan is to stick to it, for it is a chance which 

 seldom offers in broad daylight late in the season. 

 When grouse are wild and the season is getting late, 

 and there is a dearth of stubbles in the vicinity of the 

 moor, some birds can generally be secured by going 

 out before dusk for an hour or two and working 

 round any hillocks of heather there may be near such 

 stubbles as there are, with one or two steady dogs ; 

 but the dogs should be of a dark colour ; red or 

 Gordon setters would be the most suitable, and more 

 in keeping with the colour of the ground. The plan 

 to be pursued is to stalk over the rising ground with- 

 out showing one's self when the dog ' sets,' until 

 actually on the top of the ground, on the far side of 

 which the birds are lying. A good bag may thus 

 often be made in half an hour or so, and 1 have killed 

 from five to ten brace in that time on such ground 

 just before dusk. A retriever, on such occasions, is 

 indispensable, as without such assistance many birds 

 must be left behind. As a rule, grouse will not shift 

 their ground in rough weather, unless the moor is very 

 flat and wanting in shelter, and they may generally be 

 found in the long heather on the lea side of the hillocks 

 and knolls near to the haunts which they usually 



