CURIOSITY OF BLA CK- GAME 261 



I have often, when shooting alone, come across 

 black-game in the open ; and often succeeded in 

 obtaining a stalk on rough ground, especially if there 

 chanced to be a few fir-trees about. 



They are very inquisitive birds when they see 

 anything strange, and, like reindeer, their attention 

 can be attracted for some time by a flag, etc. ; and, 

 after the fashion of reindeer-hunters, I have often 

 secured an easy stalk at them by sticking a flag or 

 a handkerchief on a stick in the ground where the 

 birds first saw me, and then, walking backwards until 

 out of sight, managed to get up to the birds, whose 

 attention was still fixed on the flag, which latter should 

 be red for choice ; and by making use of the in- 

 equalities of the ground, I generally managed to get 

 a brace at each stalk. When on the tops of the 

 Scotch fir-trees, it is comparatively easy to attract the 

 attention of blackcock, and to fix it so as to get round 

 them. 



I used to find the stalking of black -game and 

 roedeer just as exciting as deer-stalking, unless after 

 an exceptionally good stag. It is a welcome change 

 after the monotony of shooting grouse; and it requires 

 even m.ore care than deer-stalking, for both roedeer 

 and blackcock can see twice as well as deer, besides 

 possessing the power of scenting danger in an 

 equal degree. Their being so much smaller in size, 

 also, makes it more difficult to see them, particu- 

 larly if the former are lying in the heather and the 

 latter are on the ground. I have had much more 

 trying stalks after good roedeer bucks, which are the 

 most knowing old fellows, than I ever had after a stag, 

 except in one instance. The latter are readily circum- 



