The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
WOMEN PREPARE FOR
SLAUGHTER of BIRDS.
English Aristocrats Take Lessons
Preparatory to Grouse Shoot
ing i'll the Highlands.
\ DEGRADING SPORT
Trap Shooting at Live Birds,
Though, Discouraged by the
Queen, is Still Prevalent.
LONpON. AiiE. 3.

LONDON. Aug. 3.
Grouse shooting opens on tho 18th. and
long before that date there Will begin
an exodus OF the London aristocracy TO
the moorlunds OF Scotland.
or course. men Will predominant, but
Of late years women have participated
E In what is called the sport, and some of
the biggest bags of a day on the heather
are credited to them. Unfortunately,
also. they too often participate III the
cruel and degrading pastine of trap shoot
ing. when the slaughter Of innocent and
helpless birds becomes with them an ap-
parcnty positive delight
3 This form Of sport Ii discouraged by
the queen, but that it is extensively In
dulged in by the sporting clubs Of tho
country there can be no doubt.
Shooting at Clay Birds.
II goes without saying that woman
no more than man can become q first
class shot without an infinite amount Of
practice and experience, and, moreover,
unless she has natural genius for the
gun a great markswoman cannot be
made, no matter how excellent her teach
ing may be, or how frequent her practice
and wide her experience. But with proper
Instruction 1t Is quite possible for the
average woman to become q very passable
shot, and there Is no doubt that the, In
creasing number OF reliable markswomen
fact that far more attention Is paid to
the education of the modern sports
woman than was the case ten or twelve
years ago.
The West London Shooting School Is
crowded at this time OF the year with
women learning tho elements Of sport
with the gun or practicing for the
'l2,h" at the Imitation birds which at
ford excellent sport for practice. SO
excellent, indeed. is this mimic sport, that
such notable sportsmen as Lord Balfour
of Burleigh, the Duke OF Roxburghe and
many others come here to get their eye
in before the shooting season opens and
the real warfare begins.
Training of Women.
The first thing an aspiring sports
3 woman has to learn is to acquire ready
and graceful style. A bad style when
once acquired can never be got rid Of; It
always ,spoils the accuracy Of aim, and
what is perhaps worse from a woman's
point of view. Is that 1t makes her look
anything but graceful.
The correct methods Of, holding the
gun. bringing It to the shoulder and taxi
ing aim have all to be studied carefully
and mastered before the embryo sports
woman advances any further In her
sporting educa ton
After these initiatory lessons have been
thoroughly mastered, the aspiring sports
over driven grouse. which is shooting OF
an exceptionally difficult character. The
pupil Is POSTED In grouse butt precisely
Il as she would be on the moors, and the
mimic birds come flying toward her at
terrific speed. the flight being rather
low. as Is usually the case with driven
game.
In this position she learns how to take
approaching shots. and by wheeling
quickly round she can practice at the
birds as they go whirring past the butts.
BY the time a sportswoman Is able to
knock over these birds with any degree
of certainty she has made considerable
Roadway TO becoming quite a passable
Z markswoman, for they are very tricky
shooting. and put her skill to a severe
test. 8
Like Pheasant Shooting Best.
or all classes of sport with the gun,
pheasant shooting appeals perhaps more
TO the average woman than any other, rs
1t involves SO little walking exercise COM
pared at all events, to partridge or
grouse shooting.
The method OF giving instruction In this
sort Of sport is to place the pupil some
few yards from high tower represent
Ing a hillside, down which the tphcasants
would come flying in real sport
The clay birds are dispatched from the
top OF the tower on their flight through
the air and pass over the heads of the
gunners below at a tremendous speed,
ahording the most realistic sport and
splendid practice.
Shooting at these clay birds is really
exciting. and II arstocratic women stop
ped at this there would be no harm done.
But live bird shooting from traps is an
other thing. and tho sooner 1t is frowned
down by public opinion the better. Shoot
ing on the moors should also be Stunned
by every woman OF dignity and refine
ment. But it the fashion, and in Eng
land the fashion rules.