The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-11-17
BY EDWIN NJ. HAsBRoUCK.

BY EDWIN VI. HASBROUCK.
Born and reared among the hills of /
Central New York and with school days |
spent in the New Hampshire hills. one
Of the writer's earliest recollections OF the |
woods is the springtime drumming OF the
rufred grouse or pheasant. as he is more
commonly called. Just so soon as old
BOreas began to relax his grip and the
southern hillsides to show the effects OF
the suns rays, one listened for this in
fallable sign Of approaching spring. Just
as here in Washington we listen for the
first pepper" 80 in the North we listened
for the first drumming OF the partridge
to tell us that winter had gone and that
the good old summer time was again on
its way.
More than once as a boy has the writer
| sneaked through the woods in an effort 10
surprise the performer in the act, but only
upon one occasion old he succeed. Later
in the season he has flushed the female
from her nest and seen the treasures only
too carefully hidden away beneath log
or overhanging rock. and stiu later IN the
season has como upon that same mother
/ bird. cautiously leading her progeny
through the woods and endeavoring to
bring them up in the way in which all
good little partridges should go. The fol-
lowing fall he has tramped those same
woods with dog and gun and endeavored
TO bag a few OF these seIf-same little
partrid8es, now grown to goodly size, and
/ found that they right well had learned
/ their lesson.
Twenty years residence in Washington
has not served TO dim those memories.
and when one April morning the old IA
IHiliar sound came from a hillside while
he was driving through the country. it
evoked score Of questions from the
farmers and considerable personal inves-
LEGATION. The net result was the discovery
that grouse, while by no means abundant,
are present with..i twenty miles OF Wash
ington in sufficient number 70 insure the
getting OF one or two in a days hunt. In
May Of the same year l discovered a
mother bird with brood of tiny chicks
and refusing 10 be Igyed away By a feiEned
lameness, succeeded in catching three Of
the little fellows beneath the leaves where
they had taken refuge. Cute little rascals
they We're. for all the world Ike young
bantam chicks. and after admirlpg them
a few moments l set them at liberty and
bade them so 10 their mother. whom
heard anxiously choking" in the brush
In July 1 found presumably the same
bunch still together, good flyers now. and
giving every promise OF affording all kinds
Of sport in the fall.
Fine Days sport Assured.
He who loves the woods in the autumn
months can find one more chance in this
very prince Of all autumn sports-grouse
shooting. True, there is not the abun-
dance of birds that one finds in more
farmed localities. but II he will be salts
fed with one. two, or at most three
birds as a makeshift for something bet
ter, and withal enjoy a glorious days
! outing, he can be very sure OF getting Il
ana that. too, by boarding a morning
train and returning the same evening
a tireless hunter il takes to follow the
grouse, and a staunch and well trained
dog A dog broken only to quail will, as
a rule. be utterly worthless when he
strikes his first pheasant. although the
majority very soon learn what is up, and
il takes only a short experience TO con
vert a tirst-class quail dog into an ex-
' cellent worker for grouse. Many dogs
= are broken 10 both. and owning a good
quail dog. one will do wisely if he tries
him out thoroughly before separating
himself from hard-earned dollars for q
grouse dog.
! Armed with the old reliable twelve-bore
one can reach the woods between Falls
r Church and Fairfax Courthouse In short
2 order; or by taking the railroad. the al
[ most unhrOken region in the vicinity OF
, Herndon. Either OF these localities is
/ Culpndid hunting Ground cont, fv,s
quite a number of the birds I'm question
1 but rest assured you have got 10 work
I for every one you get Farther away
report has 1t that the birds are really
abundant at Round Hill, while in a GER
- tain locality in Calvert County. Mary
, land, a few still survive
D Syyiffer fhnn GrcnSed IiUhfnInr