Sporting scenes and country characters . immense dis-trict, and return in the evening to their accustomedroosting-place. The expedients to secure these birdsare various. The shooter, previously to their arrivalfor the night, should secrete himself beneath the boughsof a spruce-fir, or some other suitable tree, and patientlyawait their arrival, which sometimes will not take placebefore the expiration of a couple of hours, as the greatdistance to which they may have travelled during theday may delay their reaching home so early as mighthave been expected. But they are certain to must b
Sporting scenes and country characters . immense dis-trict, and return in the evening to their accustomedroosting-place. The expedients to secure these birdsare various. The shooter, previously to their arrivalfor the night, should secrete himself beneath the boughsof a spruce-fir, or some other suitable tree, and patientlyawait their arrival, which sometimes will not take placebefore the expiration of a couple of hours, as the greatdistance to which they may have travelled during theday may delay their reaching home so early as mighthave been expected. But they are certain to must be patient and attentive; and he will thenmark the caution with which they approach. For sometime, they will hover round and round before theyalight upon the branches, — attempting, apparently, tomark that all is safe. If no unusual sounds prevail,they will descend, — though with considerable caution. WOOD-PIGEON SHOOTING. 251 The gunner must not stir until some minutes aiter tlieyhave alighted; for, when the birds have done so, they. I turn round and round upon the perch before they arestill, and, as they suppose, perfectly secure. Emergingthen from his ambush, witli much caution, and making 252 WOOD-PIGEON SHOOTING. no noise,—for the snap of a stick, or a rustle amongthe undersvood, will instantly disturb them,—he selectsthe position from which to fire,—where he is certain ofhitting the greatest number. The trigger is pulled;and, if he be a good shot, four or five, or perhapsmore, will fall rattling about him. The rest of theflock will take wing instantaneously ; and off they be-take themselves in a body to a neighbouring only one shot can be obtained ; if, however,another gunner is placed in an adjacent spot, to awaittheir arrival after the first alarm, he may then, perhaps,also obtain a favourable shot; when the flock, againdisturbed, ^vill probably return to their former position;and thus alternately several opportunities will be pre-sented, and a la
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectf, booksubjecthunting
