PARTRIDGE SHOOTING 
be exercised in shooting only at birds which are either high over head or 
have passed on. If the covert be thick, a great deal of time will be taken 
in the pick up, and the chances are that many will be lost. The late Lord 
Leicester was a master of the art of half-mooning, and in fact of everything 
connected with shooting. He kept his party in great order, and woe betide 
the gun or beater who was out of place. 
In the opinion of many this is the cream of the sport. To enjoy it at its 
best, the estate must be large, the fences good, and the stock abundant. 
But excellent sport may be enjoyed on small beats, when the skilful 
generalship entailed by consideration of wind and boundaries makes 
up for the smaller size of the bag. 
That driving does good for the partridges on an estate is an acknow- 
ledged fact ; but it must be carried out in moderation to suit the seasons 
and the numbers of birds on the property. 
Provided two lots of beaters are used, the weather fine, and the guns 
above the average, each being accompanied by a loader, it is only in a very 
good year indeed that a beat will stand a second day’s regular driving, 
though, of course, when covert shooting, it will vary the entertainment 
and improve the day’s sport to include one or two drives between the 
coverts, and that should do no appreciable harm to the stock. 
It all depends on what the host desires. He may be a very busy man, 
with many interests and other shooting engagements, which will only 
enable him to go over his ground properly once. In a case like this he 
naturally wishes to realize to the very best what is on the beat. He will 
therefore pick his team of guns carefully, and shoot late in October or 
early November, when his partridges will be at their strongest, and will 
have everything planned to make the best of that particular beat or series 
of beats. 
Equinoctial gales or rain may spoil the best laid plans, and it may be 
necessary to go over the beats or some of them again, much to the advantage 
of those who are asked to the “ second time over.” On the other hand, the 
host may be a man of great hospitality, with few temptations to leave 
home, who loves to see his old friends round him, and wants to make his 
shooting go as far as possible. Where this is the case, the driving party 
will generally consist of a small number of guns — ^four or five — ^with only 
one gun each, and one set of drivers. Excellent sport will be enjoyed, the 
beat will stand a similar attack later on, and by running two beats into one, 
quite a good third day may be obtained. 
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