PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



The different notes of a blackbird and other birds which 

 tell of a hawk near by are all well understood by the keen- 

 eared Pheasant. To imitate the squeal of a rabbit, the call 

 of a hawk, or any other unnatural sound may help in a 

 Pheasant rise. My late master often told me that a fox 

 in a corner was the best thing to make birds get up." 



"In conclusion I thank the proprietors of our little paper, 

 the Gamekeeper. I fear they have set me too hard a sum, 

 when they come to put my words together, but I know they 

 want us all to try our luck." 



A third essay on the matter is as follows : — 



" I shall endeavour to show how we get high Pheasants 

 ont his estate. But do not let our readers imagine that we 

 in the low, flat counties can make Pheasants such rocketers 

 as can be easily done by rising them from on high, and going 

 over guns placed in a deep valley. No ! we do not assume 

 to do impossibilities. On the ground that is adapted for 

 high birds the battle is nearly won, but on the ground that 

 is as flat as the proverbial pancake it is otherwise. 



" I am supposing that I am dealing with a large cover 

 which measures considerably more in length than width. 

 At the extreme is a large root-field, and into this field the 

 birds are slowly driven. The utmost care must be taken to 

 have the sides and extreme limit of the root-field well stopped. 

 A few rolls of wire netting judiciously placed will greatly 

 assist the stops. When the birds come to the net, and have 

 plenty of roots for hiding, they mostly make themselves 

 content, but if the wire was not present they would in a 

 marvellous manner sneak away in twos or threes, between 

 the stops, however vigilant the stops may be. 



" We have now beaten the cover slowly and carefully, and 



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