. Grouse and grouse moors . the best of dogs, and thenature of the ground and absence of 264 THE GROUSE holding cover make it comparativelyeasy to find the birds for yourself. I say comparatively advisedly, for nobird is harder to pick up, and the un-trained eye of the Southron may fail todetect one single bird out of a wholecovey crouching among the lichen-coveredrocks not ten yards from his feet, soclosely does their plumage assimilate withtheir surroundings. The keen, trained eye of the gillie orstalker who is with you must be trustedto make good your deficiencies in thisrespect, and though
. Grouse and grouse moors . the best of dogs, and thenature of the ground and absence of 264 THE GROUSE holding cover make it comparativelyeasy to find the birds for yourself. I say comparatively advisedly, for nobird is harder to pick up, and the un-trained eye of the Southron may fail todetect one single bird out of a wholecovey crouching among the lichen-coveredrocks not ten yards from his feet, soclosely does their plumage assimilate withtheir surroundings. The keen, trained eye of the gillie orstalker who is with you must be trustedto make good your deficiencies in thisrespect, and though this may be ratherhumiliating, it is part of the price we haveto pay for the artificial life of a highlycivilised community. In fine weather the covey usuallysquats until you are close up to them,when they begin running about among therocks, to all seeming as tame as chickensin a farmyard, giving the impressionthat they will be only too easy a markfor the gun when they do get up. Nobird, however, gets quicker under weigh,. Ptarmigan ox Schiehallion. rTARMIGAN 265 and as they all rise in a bunch and swingaway round the hill, it takes good andquick shooting to kill a neat right andleft without any firing into the brown,which, though likely to be effectiveenough as they rise, is a cruel and un-sportsman-like advantage to take. On the broken and often dangerousground to be traversed, where a false stepmay mean a fall at any moment, the gunmust be carried with a primary view tosafety rather than with any thought ofquick snapshooting. Far better miss a few chances thantake risks which may easily result in anugly accident. As the ptarmigan, whenflushed, usually betake themselves tosome neighbouring top, to which, whilethey reach it easily in a few minutes, itwould take you almost as many hoursto follow them, a few gillies, whenavailable, posted on various tops to keepthe birds moving, may be found veryuseful. In fine weather the ptarmigan usually 266 THE GROUSE lie very well, and as
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectgameand, bookyear1910
