The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-27
4 Game Bird That Calls rs~ Al . Hunters
skill

No game bird. in the opinion % mos.
wing shots. makes n greater demand on
the hunters skill than tho riifed grouse
known a. pheasant and partridge sc-
cor,iing 10 locality Ii is a bird who's,
range extends over almost the entire
continent. is prolific and a. hardy a. II j.
prolific Its extreme wsriness and great
intelligence. and tho dense and some, mes
haun,- have served II well in dafying the
skill Of the sportsman. IN. cunning Of
IN. pothunter and IN. ravsges Of wily
four footed enemies and winged ma
rauders
The ritfsd grouse ~ naturally a solitary
bird and is NOR. frequently { ound in
nairS than in cocks. although early IN
ih.. fall when the -3ring broods hav"
reached maturity they keep together
until they ar" scattered nv the winter
or follow IN. promptings OF nature and
seek the solitudes alone or IN pair Vt
the mating season IN. cock bird seeks
the top- OF old logs and with n peculiar
bs.i, ng Of his wings sen IL forth into tn"
woods th. familiar drumming sound that
~ believed 10 have a. its purpo-" -"
calling OF the female to his side.
Tho hen grouse lays ri least dozen eggs
not infreuucnily = doz-n end a half in
Wild and isolstod places. where sh" makes
her crude n, ST and the brood is hGtchcd
carly in June The nests are hunted
a.s,dlou-ly by the crow and the fox and
hundred. II eggs are mad" away with b;'
them aud nests broken up. When nest
Is thus destroyed th" ne, provides hcr-
self another one and lays again. IL the
second nest 10 robbed Of it's eggs tho hen
n yes Nd the effort IN raise n family until
the next spring Tho first nest being I'm
disturbed. she hstchcs ono brood. which
comes carly in JUNE. Tho young grous"
begins to fiy when IL II ten days old and
has n ma gIca' faculty Of concealing ifs.if
among the leaves and grass so completely
that II NAV lie almost beneath the feet Of
n person " no ia pecring about to discover
the suddenly disappearing it'll" bunch
Of downy feathers and escape detection
The old bird POSSE sses the same faculty
and can hide 40 successfully in a tree or
on tho ground fha, the sharpest eyed
pc-=ou may stand whe-" IL IL croucling
iIIs, above him or walk over the spot
v hero ~ IL lying without discovering II
or without the bird giving a sign 81 its
pr-senc.
Tn" setting hen grouse. the cock y hen
ai-orlsd in his drumming and the grow
ing brood ct ell times arc the special
prey Of the noi-el..ss and snakeiike weasel.
and IN" chicken hask destroys many "a
calIOS brood
HiIl=ide- whore the growth IL hemIoc.S
or al her evergreen timber and the under
growth matted laureis or kindred tangle
OF thIckst arr favorite resorts Of the
rIfTsd grouse. while they are also pariial
10 swampy coverts. moist swaes and old
grown up clenrings. a. a consequence
Of this surrounding itself with such
wooded protection ruled grouse shoot
ing must always h" done among thick
growt M OF brush or dense wooded rnalcs
and IN" getting up Of one Of these
birds from its refuge ~ about a. much
like n fash ~ lightning and clap
% thunder az one might imagine the
for. II can whirl away o,it ~ sight among
"a sudden aa man can 'be made
Therefore perfect success a. a grouse
wing shot .csunot he had without n dog
thai knowS it, business grouse dog
must ~ broken and trained to Thai game
especially Sometimes tho bird will liz
close and flush almost under the no@"
" tho hunter Then again 10 will get
up a long gunshot away Put up NJ tho
bottom % n hill the grouse will in nine
cases oft of ten take its fight toward the
top. something's tracing on the way. hut
usually rising over tho summit. whore !;
will sUrrIy lpe fosind again. lying closer
than when iirst put up. II the bird rises