PRAIRIE CHICKENS — PINNATED GROUSE. 287 



to use their wings, and to avoid discovery trust, instead, 

 to their skill in hiding. When, at last, they feel the hot 

 breath of the pointer or setter, and see his staring eyes, 

 they spring up with a loud whir but a few paces from 

 the shooter, and become an easy victim to his aim. Early 

 in the season, they are so easy to approach that it is 

 nothing unusual to wipe out the whole covey; for, after 

 rising, they will settle in the grass or rank, weedy stub- 

 ble, spring up singly, and then the hunter bags them all. 

 They do not fear civilization; on the contrary, rather 

 enjoy it. They are hardy birds, and survive our severest 

 winters. Were they protected, they would nest and rear 

 their young in the grass and grain-fields within sight and 

 hearing of our smaller cities. Their roosting-places in 

 the summer-time are in the grass and stubble-fields, and 

 in the winter, when the wind blows bleak and raw, and 

 the drifting snow fills all the crevices of the field, they go 

 into the corn-fields or the heavy grass, or roost in the 

 trees at the edges of some sheltered grove. I have often 

 seen them in trees in winter, and at such a time it is 

 impossible to bag them, except an occasional one with a 

 rifle, for they are exceedingly watchful, and can not be 

 approached near enough to shoot with a shot-gun. As 

 they are accustomed to see farmers pass along ^vith 

 wagons or sleighs, the sight of such conveyances does 

 not alarm them, and if the hunter is with such a rig, 

 he can at times obtain shots; but these old birds are 

 extremely wary, and a successful shot is more the result 

 of accident than the evidence of skill. Prairie chickens 

 must be hunted with a dog; no other method can prove 

 successful. The dog employed must possess three requi- 

 sites — speed, staunchness, and endurance. The breed of 

 dogs combining these qualities to the greatest extent is 

 the one most to be desired, and in selecting a dog for this 

 special branch of sport, one must not allow his love of 



