The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-03-27
SINGLE BIRD DOGS.
VALUABLE QUALITY NOT OFTEN DE-
vELOPED BY THE TRAINER.

One of the most valuable qualities
of pointer or setter is the ability to do
single-bird work, though it is not often
taught the dog by his trainer. 1t is
more valuable in fact, than range or
speed and ability to find bevies when
they are scarce and feeding widely.
A bevy when flushed always re-
solves itself into single members, each
bird looking out for itself, and the
birds pitch separately, each quail 60
ing into hiding without regard to CON-
panions. The single-bird dog is then
able to work them out one by one
without disturbing the others, afford
ing his owner the very best of shoot
ing while the ranger goes tearing
through them either flushing two or
three at once, or else failing to find any
of them.
Nor is there prettier light to be
found anywhere in the field than
bright and experienced dog at a task Of
this character. He knows what is
needed as we'll as his master. His ac-
quired intelligence joins his inherited
power of scent and he gives an exhi-
bition worth any mans remembrance
whether he be a sportsman or not.
The single-bird dog is more often
born than made, which is to say, that
there are many dogs which have
a natural aptitude for the work and
many others which can not be taught
to do it. But, however good the dog
may be at the start, he always gets
better as he gets older and is at his
best after six seasons IN the field. Lat
er in life than that the pointer should
be permitted to spend his days by the
fire in winter and in the backyard in
summer, enjoying the rest he has done
so much to earn.
The natural single-birder can be told
from his less worthy brother the mo-
ment be begins work in the field
whether birds have been found or not
The ranger, the leggy ribbed fellow
with long nose and pendulous ears
who believes that the sum of his duty
is to cover as many laps in day as
possible goes tearing hither and thith-
er, rushing over vast amount of ter
ritory and often finding birds merely
because he runs into them.
Often, too, he runs over them and
sends them in air when 800 yards from
the shooters. His fond master cannot
be brought to see his fault, however {;
his dog has found the birds if even he
did flush them.
The single birder inspects his ground
with wise eye. He has been out so
often thas he knows the time of day
and what the birds should be doing.
He hunts only those places where
birds should be.
He sees no sense in racing over
acres of bare ground. He will nose
gingerly along fences and bitches. If
there be clump of briars or other
thick cover in the field he will approach
it slowly from the leeward side.
He is never in a hurry. He gets
the first faint scent of the prey and
Immediately notifies the gunner by
slackening his pace and stiffening his
muscles. He approaches slowly and
suddenly drops into the rigid pose
which denotes the point or stand.
The work Of his dog from first to
last is instructing and inspiring. He
is so sure of himself and exerts his
wonderful powers with such unfailing
intelligence that he makes up more
than half of the sport of the day.
Then when a bevy has been flushed
and scattered he is in his glory. Often
he will work up dozen birds from a
place not three times tue size of a com.
mon room-work them up singly 80
as not to disturb the others, dropping
to the ground at each discharge and
going out to retrieve only when order
ed.
He goes about this as stealthily as
cat, scarcely disturbing the broom
sedge or woods or briars, and it hap
pens often that he will throw down
his head and make stand with his
nostrils within two feet of the hiding
quail upon which his glowing eyes are
fixed.
When dcg-breakers and trainers
come to be more of sportsmen they
will know more of single bird work,
and then they will turn out better dogs.
N. y Sun.
SCOT talking machine at home?
"Yes."
What did you pay for it p