PARTRIDGE SHOOTING 
of one of these very long drives : “I can’t make these birds out, they 
won’t drive. Why a sight more birds broke back over our heads than went 
over the guns the reason, of course, being that they declined to be pushed 
any further from their homes. 
Of course late in the season, with a gale behind them, they will, 
especially if packed, fly a mile or more; but early in the season, i.e., up 
to the middle of October, the shorter the drives are in reason the better. 
It sometimes happens that there is a covert very inconveniently placed 
in the middle of a beat, into which many coveys will disappear; and the 
keeper, though he may particularly wish to bring off a drive in that direc- 
tion, is afraid to do so, for fear of losing all his birds in the wood. 
This may be easily prevented, provided the covert be not a very wide 
one, by lining the guns quietly under the near side and close to the fence. 
Owing to the background of trees, the partridges will not see them 
until it is too late ; they will then rise thoroughly frightened, and most 
likely fly clean over the wood to the desired ground on the other side. 
When arranging the different drives, it will save a great deal of time 
and much unnecessary talking if the position of each gun be marked out 
by a withy placed in the ground, this will ensure the line being straight 
and the guns a proper distance from the fence and from each other. 
Some men are always keen to be looking over the fence if it be a low 
one, thus showing themselves to every bird in the next field directly they 
fire, and very likely spoiling the drive. If a fence be so low that it is easy 
to shoot over, it is far better, especially if it is likely to be an up -wind drive, 
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