Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-01
AFTER THE BOB WHITES


so K * X = q & 3 < x & X *;
Partridge shooting will be one of the chief
diversions of the huntsman for the next two
months The reedbirds have mostly gone
from the river swamps. snipe and wood
cock can be found, but the quails are sleek
and fat. skulking in the stubble. hiding in
the thicket and hedgerow roosting in
the branches of some low tree. Partridge
shooting is favorite sport in the tidewater
and upland sections of Maryland and Vir
ginia. 1t may not even be necessary for the
gunner to go outside the confines of the Dis
tricf of Columbia to start covey of choice
birds; at any rate. they can be found in any
part of the region closely adjoining the city.
The birds are now about through with their
fall running and are getting fat and lazy,
preening for hours in the middle of the day
and securing the meadows and pastures
morning and evening for food, which they
find in abundance.
The partridge schools the hunter as Sc
verely as the willy black bass does the an
gler. Like the bass, Bob White has habits
which enc must be acquainted within order
TO find him. On clear morning one should
start early, as the birds are their feed
ing grounds in the stubble, in the midst of
a bunch of ragweed or along the briar
fringed bitches. The buckwheat field is
special temptation to the partridge and
should not be neglected by the hunter.
About 10 O'Clock the birds stop feeding and
fly to some sun-exposed slope or a covert
near a stream, where they spend much time
in taking sips of water after the morning
meal. The birds remain in these places for
three or four hours laZily sleeping in the
sunshine. About in the afternoon they
start again for the feeding grounds and re-
gale themselves for the night. Finally,
about sunset the covey viii rise from the
ground and fly to some sheltered spot,
where they roost on the ground, closely
huddled together for warmth and watchful
ness against the approach of an enemy dur
Ing the night.
The partridge, or quail, as he is called in
the north, is one of the most widely diff
fused birds of the United tSates, but, as
though breeding conditions were more IA
vorable. these birds are most numerous
from the southern boundary of Pennsyl-
vania to the northern boundary of South
Carolina. They abound through all this re-
gion, and never lease it, even in the coolest
winters. The birds seem to pass the entire
period of their lives within five miles of the
places where they We're Matched. They are
essentially home bird, and the only rea-
son for their scarcity in any given locality
is because they are hunted too closely. The
partridge abounds in southern Maryland
and along both sides of the Potomac. a lit
tie back from the marshes, In the moist
meadows and among the farms of that ter
rltory. Frederick county, Maryland is a
noted resort for partridge hunters, aud the
birds seem to abound throughout the Shen-
andoah valley.
The proper outfit for hunting the partridge
is light gun which can be handled quickly,
shells loaded with one ounce of No. shot
and three drains of powder. Plenty of am
munition and good bird dog are the es-
sentiai things for this sport.
Bob White is tough little fellow and the
humane hunter will endeavor to kill him
outright. This can be done only by hitting
him fairly. and even then, so great Is the
vigor of these birds, that one mortally
wounded has been known to fly hundred
yards after being shot.
When a covey of quails is started the
birds rise from the ground with loud whirr
or their wings, scatter and fly like bullets
away from the point of disturbance. They
seem to know pretty well where they are
going ana fly in nearly an unerring line to
that point. The shot Will be. In nine cases
out of ten, a trap shot 1t Will not do to
wait. Especially is this SO If the aim is at
an incoming bird or on a cross shot. The
latter Is among the most difficult feats of
the hunter. The partridge flies with such
rapfd1ty that 1t Is well nigi; impossible to
Judge accurately where to hold the gun to
hit the bird as he is flashing by. The We
iocity of No. shot fired from cartridge of
three drains OF powder is about 300 feet a
second. The flight of partridge under full
Roadway is estimated at 90 feet a second
IL the bird happens to be flying directly
across the line of sight and is thirty yards
away 1t will take one-tenth of second for
the shot to hit after leaving the gun In
that time the bird has moved eight feet from
the line of sight. The problem, therefore,
before the hunter OF accurately gauging the
distance ihe bird Is from him and how far
ahead to fire on a cross shot is one that de-
fles everything but luck and experience.
The average of the best wing shooters who
hunt quail is one shot out of three, and
about three birds to each covey flushed
~
There are many opinions as to the best
methods of shooting on the wing when
hunting partridges. Some hold to snap
shooting-that is. firing the NOR 1T the gun
is on the object; others hold that aim
should be taken along the line of flight and
! the gun moved as 1t is fred in the same
velocity the bird is moving. In short, the
hunter of experience will figure out a
method of his own, and any rules he or
others could give are of little use to the be-
ginner. He must simply go on rousing
coveys and trying his hand at killing the
birds until he has acquired the knack for
| himself.
| Probably the most difficult shot is that of
the bird coming directly toward the hum
| ter. especially In the case of one flying with
the speed of meteor like Bob White. An
| old hunter says the way TO bring down the
bird on this shot is to take good aim and
raise the muzzle Of the gun about six
| inches justSas 1t Is fired This makes all
lowanee for the rise in the plane of the
birds flight. which Is above. dsverging
rapidly as the object approaches. Some
others say the better way is to wait until
| the bird has passed over and to fire after
him. In this case the aim needs to be
slightly under the bird or it will be missed.
|
The most essential aid TO success in par