THE SNIPE 277 



go about on the other tack just at the moment the 

 load of shot was sent across his bow, and of course he 

 escapes and flies on joyfully, announcing the fact to all 

 the other birds on the meadow. The cause of the 

 error being apparent, it is easily corrected. The tacks 

 are sufficiently long to enable the sportsman to kill the 

 bird before it makes the turn, and if he be sufficiently 

 cool he can select his shot, taking it to right or left as 

 he may prefer. 



I have shot snipe in many places, and have always 

 made better bags and killed more birds continuously 

 without a miss when shooting snipe than when shoot- 

 ing any of the other small birds of the upland, such as 

 partridges, woodcock, and plover. The prairie-grouse 

 are so large and fly so slowly that they are of course 

 easier marks. 



The most important thing for a snipe-shooter to 

 know is that he must beat his ground down wind. He 

 must enter a field or meadow from exactly the oppo- 

 site side to that taken when he is in pursuit of grouse 

 or partridges, and turn his back upon the wind. The 

 reason for the rule is that the snipe always arise and 

 fly against the wind. They are usually wild and shy, 

 and take wing when some distance from the shooter, 

 so that it is all-important that they should spring and 

 fly toward and not away from him. The dog, to be 

 sure, is placed at a disadvantage when sent down wind, 

 but this is more than offset by the birds flying toward 

 and not away from the gun. The dogs used are usually 

 pointers or setters, and they soon learn to point the gam j 

 at long distances, and not to attempt the near approach, 

 which is possible when pointing grouse or partridges. 



