The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-23

So u pair. That Ia another working OF the law
Of supply and demand.
Tho meat Of the woodcock Is all dark. 1t Is
tender. :, not mushy. having a delightful
firm springiness. It possesses all the d~elicacy
OF the quail without it's dryness: is as rich as
the snipe without a suspicion Of rankness. It's
juices are idyllic and 1t Is OF exactly the right
size. In that four Of the birds are enough for a
hungry man without being too much. Res
taurant cooks are Inclined to broil the wood
cock. but this is a mistake 30 grave that 1t
amounts almostt to q crime. Light faky dough
should be moulded into a pan large enough at
the bottom to permit Of four Of the woodcock
being laid in IL on their backs. Their heads
should be In the centre. which will cause the
long bills to project upward in a bunch. They
should be sailed sufficiently and then literally
busted with paprika. Water should be poured
on them until they are half way submerged.
Reverently add four tablespooniuls OF Madeira,
or a hiRh-cIass port. Cover with a thick crust
OF dough. permitting the bills to project
through Its centre. Bake slowly. The aroma
which will arise from this pie when its brown
lid Is delicately cut Is not describable.
The peculiar habitat OF the bird and his
corkscrew flight make him probably the most
difficult OF winged marks. In the daytime he
remains always in thickets. copses or cane
brakes. He must have moist ground upon
which to sleep and in which to do his occa-
sion al daylight boring. and moist ground in
the South means always dense underground.
Indeed. some OF the places most favored by
the woodcock are so thickly overRrown that "a
rabbit finds difficulty In getting through. In
such places the hunter sends in his cocker
spaniel. II he has one. knowing that the dog
will flush the bird with his shrill. constant
barking. and trusting to luck to get a shot as
the woodcock clears the tops Of the trees or
canes. Generally. however. a mar and a
pointer may work their way through almost
anything that grows in shape Of woods and
%entangling vines. and it must be admitted that
the difficulties OF it lend to the sport a peculiar
fascination that does not pertain to any other
form OF American shooting. 1t 10 a characteris-
tic OF the woodcock that he will not fly far hori-
~zontally when disturbed. He does not see we'll.
even in the shadow OF the oaks and Expresses.
and he fears that II he let's himself out in a
straight line he will run into something. At
night he sees as well as an owl. His flight.
consequently. when he rises before the heavy
tread Of the pointers owner. or before the yelp
OF the spaniel. Is confined to Q spiral shoot
straight upward and n drop to earth almost as
perpendicular. II not struck he will hit the
ground probably not more than fifteen yards
from where he left it. In cane or other kind OF
swamp he might "a well be q hundred yards
ava SO far as any chance OF shooting him is
concerned. The flight is nothing like so fast
as the buzzing dart Of the quail or the wide
swinging zigzag Of the jacksnipe. but it is
highly eccentric.
From the woodcock's point Of view, he has
but one fault. That fault is to be found in the
instant's pause before the downward swoop is
taken. For tho fraction Of "A moment the bird
hangs motionless between the shooter and the
sky. Probably it is for a time not longer than
tho tenth part of a second. yet in that period
the experienced hunter Of woodcock will nail
his quarry eight times out Of ten. il a clear
view is afforded. 1t is only n trick. and once
acquired is so easy that il becomes a trilie
monotonouS. 1t is not everybody. however.
who can learn it. 1t requires a quick eye and
a nicely Of judgment that do not belong to all
men. There is nothing funnler. however.
than to walk with a frst-rate open-ield
shot when he first tackles the woodcock
in Louisiana cover and see him score
miss after miss. while u far inferior workman.
who knows the game. will Ill his bag with
exasperating rapidity. For this kind OF shoot
ing there is no weapon comparable to the
double barreled hammerless. OF sixteen gauge
and cylinder bored. The stock should be
straight. as all birds are fast risers. and the
commonest error is understanding. No. 10
sllot are plenty large. The best dog is the
thoroughly broken pointer. The small cocker
gets through the underground with more ease.
but he Will not stand. and il q shot is obtained
at one bird OF every four flushed the man with
the gun Is in luck. The pointer should be of a
light color-liver and white Is good-because a
dark dog is harder to find in the swamp. Most
pointers are excellent retrievers. which is q
necessary thing in swamp shooting. and when
properly broken they do not mind water at all.
Thara Ia n Of r,Np0 attraction In fha iaAn u1pnm
OF the woods. and most steady woodcook-
shooters are men Of a solitary disposition.
The boards OF Spanish moss hang about in
funeral fashion. and though one may hear the
breeze moving through the tops Of the trees
ono cannot see a twiR move. The crack OF the
gun in the intense quiet seems doubly loud.
and the man and the dog are drawn even moro
closely together. 1t Is not unhealthful in the
swamps In the winter. all OF the malaria being
held in allegiance by the frost. and there is
nothing which will give a sportsman a keener
appetite than q long day amid the vines. creep
ers and giant trunks. 1t is hard work from
start to ending.
Although shooting woodcock in cover is q
trick or a knack whose possession does not
evidence remarkable skill. any more than its
absence indicates a lack OF IL. the bird furnishes
one form Of sport wherein every quality OF the
crack shot Ia called into play. Just when the
upper edge Of the sun has sunk to within a half
degree OF the western horizon and the twilight
gray steals over the ho!lows. the birds begin to
forsake the recesses in which they have slept
during the day. and seek the fields for their
night Of feasting. They rise straight up from
the centre OF the swamp to a height OF 800
yards. then. with the long bills pressed against
their breast feathers and with their wings bent
forward and arched. they begin a down-Grade
shoot to the feeding grounds. two miles away.
Under such circumstances they travel like bull
let's. Tho shooter takes his stand from so to
100 yards from the edge of the woods, with his
back to them. He has his dog between his
knees. because he will have no time to do any
retrieving for himself. The birds pass over
him at from thirty to forty-flve yards in air.
and he takes them II he be wise. going from
him. In this way the shot penetrate more
easily through the thick coating OF feathers
and he gets more OF u line shot. Shooting at
crossing birds to the left or right is more diff
cult than any form Of duck shooting known to
man. The twilight here is very short. Within
twenty minute OF the passing Of the first
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