138 SHOOTING THE PHEASANT 



now advance very slowly, making sure of every bit of 

 thick covert as they go. As the pheasants flush they 

 will rise gradually, further incited to do so by the line 

 of stops which they must pass over, and reach the 

 zenith of their flight at about the edge of the wood 

 that is, just over the guns, who will get all fairly high 

 and some very difficult shots. 



Few people have the courage to try this plan, so 

 much so that in a somewhat large experience I have 

 only seen it done twice when there were any quantity 

 of pheasants, yet the risk of failure is nil where the 

 trees of the main covert are high. It is only where the 

 latter are young and low, or where the side of the wood 

 next the turnip field or heath consists of thickets with 

 no lofty timber, that the birds will ever fly in on a low 

 level. Where the edge of the wood is of old timber 

 trees, the higher the better, and where the centre of 

 the covert has, as it should have, sheltering patches of 

 spruce and fir near the feeding ground, the birds will 

 rise high to clear the former, and make for the thicker 

 shelter of the parts where they roost and feed. 



Of course, if the turnip field lies higher than the 

 covert, the difference of elevation will supply the place 

 of the higher trees ; but in this case it will be found 

 much more difficult to push the birds uphill out of 

 the- covert and into the turnips. There are some 



