262 A GAMEKEEPER'S NOTE-BOOK 



To shoot while there are still many leaves on the 



underwood and trees, and while there is a full muster 



of pheasants, or to wait until there are fewer 



Covert- leaves and fewer pheasants that often is 



shooting ., . . _, 



Problems ^ ne <l ues tion. For there are many coverts 



in which pheasants will not stay after the 

 fall of the leaf. Then the shooting man who does 

 not own the coverts to which his birds will betake them- 

 selves must make the best of things, and be content 

 to bring down more leaves than pheasants, and often 

 nothing but leaves. What with the showering of 

 leaves and the crashing of shot -pruned boughs and 

 dead wood, he may imagine that a pheasant must be 

 an extra heavy bird only to find that not a feather 

 has been touched. To shoot pheasants among a 

 crowd of leafy oaks is no simple matter it is more 

 difficult than to shoot a rocketer in the open valley. 

 One thing may be said for this aggravating pastime ; 

 it teaches the slow shooter to be quick. 



There are good reasons for shooting coverts for the 

 first time before the end of November, apart from the 



fear of a leakage of pheasants. A sack of 

 "Coeks corn a day will quickly swell a bill to un- 

 to* eom7 com f or table proportions. Unshot coverts 

 promise also mean that the whole time of keepers 



and watchers is taken up, with a string of 

 awkward consequences. Thus, little can be done to thin 

 the rabbits, for fear of disturbing the other game in the 



