•FOREST AND STREAM. 
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A Few Words About the Blackcock. 
When spring time comes and Mother Nature awakes 
from winter's slumber, putting on the first touches of her 
new summer garb — in forest and field, over hill and dale — 
e\'erywhere a new life asserts itself. A feeling of longing 
steals into our hearts to go out into the woods and enjoy 
watching her mystic ways, listening to the cooing and 
love making of her children. , 
For m.y part, spring tide will always recall pleasant 
niemories of past days spent among the gamy blackcock 
of Europe. There, according to the game laws, the hunter 
is permitted to hunt, or rather stalk, them from the first 
day of March until May 15, and again from Sept. i until 
Feb. I. 
1 lay explicit weight upon the word "stalking," because 
it is not only considered more sportsmanlike, but because 
it affords far more pleasure, particularly so during the 
open spring season, when the cocks are engaging in fierce 
battles than during the later season, when shooting them 
over a slow, steady dog, which resembles the mode of 
hunting the members of our own grouse family. While 
we are fighting for forest and game protection, for their 
very existence, the European sportsman looks on with a 
feeling of loftiness of a long-time-ago solved problem, en- 
joying himself at this very moment in gathering the fruits 
of timely forest protection, the very nucleus of that for 
game. 
One shudders at the thought of what would be the fate 
of our grouse if shooting the cocks during the strutting 
season was lawful. As long as the market-shooter and 
pot-hunter dwell among us, it would certainly mean their 
utter extermination. For that reason, while many of the 
former class would only be too glad if such a law were en- 
acted, let the true sportsmen stand together and thank 
providence that such a law hasn't already been and prob- 
ably will not be enacted for a long time to come. Still, who 
can tell ? America has developed and made such rapid 
strides onward, all forestry matters and their great ad- 
vantages for proper protection and propagation of game 
are daily finding more solid ground and recognition among 
our citizens, that it would be no surprise if within the 
first quarter of the century we may enjoy the same 
privileges of the European sportsman. But to attain 
this end, let it be our motto, "Forestry means game pro- 
tection." It is more than half its life; it is its very founda- 
tion. Let us endeavor to give our game a better chance for 
its existence by an intelligent, business-like management 
of our forest products — the game's feeding and cover 
grounds. If this is done it will remain with us and 
also permit the introduction of desirable species of 
European game animals. 
Of these, Tetrao tetrix, the blackcock, or better, . the 
black grouse, certainh' is one. He is not as full of pre- 
tensions as his bigger -brother, the capercailzie, who pre- 
fers piny mountainous districts to those of an undulating, 
generally more broken and open character of the black- 
cock. ' 
During my rambles through Germany and Austria I 
have found him for the most part among hills clothed 
with a luxurious growth of hazel, willow, alder and birch, 
with an abundant undergrowth of ferns and heaths. Often 
also, particularly so in Saxony, one meets them in re- 
spectable numbers among broken stands of spruce, Scotch 
pine and white birch. The last seems to be an absolute 
necessity for his welfare; he is called therefore in Ger- 
many "Birkhahn," "Birkwild" (birchcock, birch game) 
because he is particularly fond of the tender buds, twigs 
and seeds of the birch. Besides this, he loves all wild 
berries and heaths, and in winter time, when snow and 
ice inclose the woods, he readily takes to the stubble 
fields, filling his crop with the seeds left for him by the 
generous farmer. There they often congregate in large 
number, and deserve man's assistance and protection. 
Many a time have I gone out in the morning — a sack 
filled with a mixture of grain, wheat and corn, over my 
shoulder, 2 feet of snow on the ground and the thermom- 
eter way below zero — scraping the snow away at likely 
places and scattering the feed here and there. If they 
find such a place once, you may rest assured that they 
\yill return to it regularly every day until the pairing 
season begins. I remember once counting thirty-two birds 
on a place I had only prepared for them the previous day. 
If one is careful enough in the selection of these feeding 
grounds and the adjoining territory is in conformity with 
what they like best for their breeding ground, one may 
rest quite assured that a few will stay and breed in the 
neighborhood. 
While the season to hunt the cocks begins with the 
first of March, not until the beginning of April is the 
real strutting (or better, fighting) season in full swing. 
I have generally done most of my shooting during that 
month, using the preceding one to determine their battle 
grounds, which in most cases are some open spots in the 
woods. Sometimes, though, a particularly sly old cock 
will select the middle of a large stubble field, where he is 
safe from any approach. When these battle grounds, to 
which they return almost every morning, are once lo- 
cated, a thorough knowledge of their habits and the way 
of sta'king them is of course necessary for the hunter to 
be rewarded with a successful shot. They are extremely 
shy, especially dixring that time, with a keen ej'e, and are 
very sharp of hearing. 
Some of the easy-going "big guns'' abroad shoot them 
from blinds or holes sunk into the ground, after these 
places have been located by some one else. Personally, I 
have always preferred to stalk them, because it gave me 
more excitement and satisfaction to outwit one of these 
black fellows. 
The blackcock, as is well known, is the only polygamous 
member of the family Tetraonidce, at least to my knowl- 
edge. While I have observed the males of other species 
fight among themselves, I believe this is only done for the 
possession of one single hen. 
With the blackcock this is different. He is not satisfied 
to pay particular attention to onlj- one hen with a view to 
taking her as his spouse, assisting in the building of the 
nest and caring for her and her offspring afterward. 
Nothing of the kincf. Rascal as he is, he openly invites 
all the hens of creation to come to his love call, and 
desperately fights for their possesion with any rival. These 
battles are as fierce as those we see among our domestic 
roosters, where feathers fly and blood flows; still, they 
seldom fight to a clean "knockout" like the domestic foAvl. 
The older and stronger cock is invariably the victor, who 
thus surrounds himself with a regular harem, numbering 
often as many as five members, who stay with liim and 
whom he attends at intervals of a few days from four to 
five times. After he has followed out his natural in- 
stincts, unfaithful as he is, he leaves his hens entirely to 
their fate. This is a most remarkable natural phenomenon, 
and I believe does not repeat itself in any of our feathered 
game. 
For the benefit of those who may never have either 
seen or hunted these cocks, I shall with a few words nar- 
rate a little outing I indulged in only a few years ago. and 
which I shall not forget very soon on account of the 
rheumatism I caught at the time from crawling on hands 
and knees over wet ground and lying on my stomach in 
five inches of icy cold water, from which position I 
afterw^ard sent that little leaden messenger on its de- 
structive mission. But to the story : 
I had previously located one of the "battle grounds" 
where at early dawn the daily tournaments were being 
held, but owing to the slight cover prevailing I had so 
far had to content myself with watching the performance 
from a safe distance. On the afternoon preceding that 
memorable morning I had been figuring it out, and had 
prepared myself an artificial line of approach to within 
shooting distance by sticking .branches and twigs in the 
soft ground and arranging the whole sq that it afforded 
-the needed cover without being easily detected. Early 
the' following morning found me within about 200 yards 
from the rendezvous, and in the very act of approaching, 
when swish ! a cock came sailing over the tree tops, 
alighting right in the middle of the battle ground. To 
immediately get down on my knees was all I could do ; 
but I hadn't thought of the boggy ground, and besides it 
had been raining during the night and everything was 
dripping wet. ''Stick to it," an inner voice said — and I 
did, first suffering agony, then pleasure, to wind up after- 
ward with two weeks in bed with stiff joints. What does 
the hunter care ? 
My getting soaked at that very moment, therefore, didn't 
keep me from crawling closer and closer, every once in a 
while playing "dead" so as not to disturb my game. The 
cock in the meantime had begun his peculiar cackling, 
whistling (or better, gargling) call, and doing his funny 
acts of jumping and running around like mad. At every 
repetition of this I drew nearer, until I must .have ap- 
proached to within about 75 yards, when swish! another 
cock came flying down, alighting within 50 feet of the first 
one. By this time I had become chilled to the bone, my 
stomach felt like a lump of ice, and I was trembling from 
cold, to which was added the excitement of the occasion. 
How I ever managed under these trying circumstances 
to hit my mark afterward I can only attribute to good 
luck and the fact that I stopped breathing while taking 
aim and pulling the trigger. 
From where I lay I had a good view of the whole battle- 
field. The second cock was the smaller of the two, but 
immediately struck the fighting attitude. 
To observe these passionate knights of the forest in 
their combats has always been a rare treat to me, and 
although on this particular occasion I did not occupy a 
very enviable position, I nevertheless look back to it 
with pleasure. 
Raising and lowering their heads, with brownish-black 
eyes, over which they have a bare granulated skin of 
scarlet color — the plumage of steel-blue swelled out- 
brownish wings with Avhite bar across trailing and with 
the black velvety forked tail spread like a fan — thus they 
charged each other, all the while calling, gargling and 
hissing. • 
One who has never before seen these birds thinks they 
are going to kill each other, so desperate and fierce are 
their onslaughts, which sometimes last a considerable 
time. On this morning, though, the larger cock had almost 
a "walk over." I counted only about half a dozen or so 
rounds, which grew weaker and weaker. 
While the battle was at its height three hens (whose 
color is reddish-brown, mottled and barred with black) 
alighted close by, and I could not help comparing them 
with the seconds of a duel or the sponge holders of a fistic 
encounter. The moment the cocks espied them, their at- 
tacks were renewed with redoubled vigor, until the weaker 
one, brave as he was, had to retreat, leaving, as I found 
afterward, bloody spots here and there upon the field of 
honor. The proud victor now strutted, covered with 
glory, before the eyes of his admirers. 
Fonner observations had taught me that in case no other 
cock comes right away to replace the beaten rival, the 
victor goes off with his prize or fold soon after. Being 
prepared for this, it took me but a few seconds to have 
my little 8 mm. "reliable" speak her deadly note. 
Pr-rr-rr-rrr f went the hens. The knight lay struggling 
on the ground, shot through the neck. A bedraggled, 
soaked specimen of humanity, more rigid than nimble, 
jumped to his feet and rushed across to grasp his dearly 
bought prize — a fine, outgrown blackcock of 4% pounds. 
These are the excitements and incidents of hunting the 
European Tetrao tetrix. 
The establishment of these birds in our country should 
not be a very difficult matter. I repeat again proper forest 
management will give them what they need for their 
existence, shelter and feeding grounds. A continuous 
war against all rapacious animals must be recommended. 
Besides, I have no doubt that if thest gamy fellows are 
once successfully established they will offer a great field 
for speculation and interest. Who knows but that they 
will bring forth a hybrid at present unknown between 
themselves and some members of our own grouse family? 
In Germany the crossing of the capercailzie with the 
black grouse "has produced the Rackelhahn (Tetrao hy- 
bridus). a hybrid in size between the two, average weight 
8 pounds, which has become a very desirable addition to 
the feathered game. Another hybrid— blackcock and Mon- 
golian pheasant — has of late years been observed quite 
frequently in Silesia and Saxony. The possibilities there- 
fore o-f a cross between the blackcock and say our pinnated 
grouse are great, and their introduction should be en- 
couraged. 
The only drawback is the stupidity and foolhardiness 
of the hens, which build their nests on the ground in any 
old place. I have found one of these nests not moi-e than 
three feet from a road, over which at least a couple of 
dozen wagons passed daily and twice as many pedestrians. 
My pointer, who was at heel, pointed, otherwise I sup- 
pose I should never have known the hen's presence. 
As I have remarked above, the cocks after the breeding 
period has passed live in harmony together in the back- 
woods, and do absolutely nothing, neither for the hens 
nor their young — a very sad case of natural family aban- 
donment. ' While I could tell you still more about these 
gamy fellows, I must close for to-day and leave other 
matters of interest for some future time. With a hearty 
Auf Wiederselien! then, to the brotherhood of true sports- 
men, T. "VoN Hoffmann. 
Ctirfituck. 
Currituck, N. C, June 18. — Owing to the late seasons 
our spring bay bird shooting was a month later than 
usual. Dowitchers and robin snipe have made good sport 
up to yesterday, which is later than I ever knew them. 
There will be the largest crop of quail in this immediate 
vicinity we have ever had. There are at least fifteen pairs 
laying and hatching now on my farm of fifty acres. 
Our crop of celery seems perfect this season, and should 
cause the ducks to be abundant in the fall. 
J. B. W. 
THE blackcock's BATTLE FIELD. 
