HOOTI JONATHAN -DWIGHT3&r mw | Il eee cx | IN i | Wg Mi Ml one ey i W, = oY i ip LZ} : iY eZ Wi eM” 13 ID B1TX ‘ 3S PRANK SCHLEY’S PeMPRIGAN PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING/ WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, Fe ch] c/ Fe al me DESCRIBING THE HAUNTS, HABITS, AND METHODS OF HUNTING AND SHOOTING THE AMERI- CAN PARTRIDGE; QUAIL. RUFFED GROUSE; PHEASANT. WITH DIRECTIONS FOR HANDLING THE GUN, HUNTING THE DOG, AND THE ART OF SHOOTING ON THE WING. CONTAINING A HISTORY OF THE PARTRIDGES AND GROUSE INHABITING NORTH AMERICA. ILLUSTRATED. FREDERICK, MD,: BAUGHMAN BROTHERS. 1877. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by FRANK SCHLEY, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D, C. fonTENTS. PREFACE, : : ; Whe Partridges, » Ortyx Virginianus, Plumed Partridge; Mountain Quail, California Partridge; Valley Quail, Gambel’s Partridge; Arizona Quail, Scaled or Blue Partridge, . Massena Partridge, : IIlow to Aim, and Shoot, : The Gun, how to Charge it, Size of Shot, Range of the Gun, The Killing Ranges of the Gun, Straight Forward Shots, Cross Shots, Descending Shots, Over Head Shots, ‘ Partridge; Quail; Bob-White, . Habits, Pairing and Nesting, First and Second Brood, Roosting, Food of the Partridges, PAGR, 21 68 f CONTENTS. Foes of the Partridges, Flight of the Partridges, Migration, Wandering Birds, Haunts and Habits of Partridges, and Where Found, Withholding Scent, Late in the Season, Hunting, Hunting Partridges, . “ Riring into Coveys, Wounded Game, Scattering a Covey, : How to Bag Wounded Partridges, Towering of a Partridge, The Sportsman Who Never Fails to Hit, The Excitable Sportsman, The Reckless Sportsman, : The Bad Shot, or Unskilled Sportsman, Miscellaneous Hints, Dress, Boots, Knife, Drinking Cup, Powder, Shot, Accouterments, Caps, Wadding, The Grouse, Spruce Partridge, Canada Grouse, Columbia Sharp-Tailed Grouse, Prairie Hen, Prairie Chicken, Pinnated Grouse. Franklin’s Grouse, Dusky Grouse, Oregon Dusky Grouse, Richardson’s Dusky Grouse, Sage Cock; Cock of the Plains, CONTENTS. Sharp-Tailed Grouse, The Texas Prairie Hen, The Mountain Partridge, The Oregon Grouse, Willow Grouse; White Ptarmigan, Rock Ptarmigan, . White-Tailed Ptarmigan, Ruffed Grouse, Partridge, Pheasant, . Description, Habits, Beating or Drumming of the Pheasant, Flight of the Pheasant, Migration, Foes of the Pheasant, Food of the Pheasant, . Autumn Pheasant Shooting, Shooting in Woods, and Thickets, Sporting Dogs, ; What Constitutes a Good Dog, Choosing a Dog, Dogs Adapted to Sporting in America, (RS) (G2) SS) [89) [SS XS) pS. Sy _ ~I JLLUSTRATIONs, TOTO, © / - - = FRONTISPIECE. Engraver, Harry W. Crutchfield, To Face Page Prumep Partripae; Mountain QUAIL, - ie: Engraver, H. W. Crutchfield. CALiForNIA Partripak; VALLEY QUAIL, - dv Engraver, H. W. Crutchfield, ScALED, or BLUE PARTRIDGE, - = : 2 28 Engraver, H, W. Crutchfield, MassenA Parrringr, — - : ‘ Y 33 Engraver, TT. W. Crutehfield, Parrripa@r, Quaint, Bos-Wuirs, — - - - 59 Engraver, H. W. Crutehfield, AMERICAN PARTRIDGES, Orains, 1" E : 69 I nzraver, Joseph T. Harley. Rurrep Grovusz, — - - - - - - 180 Engraver, 1. W. Crutchfield. Pica litle Os ie In presenting the American ParrripGe AND PHEASANT Enoo7inc, I have endeavored to lay before the public, in as precise and brief a forms as possible, full and trustworthy explanations of the various practical methods of hunting, and shooting, with dog ani gun, the Americas Partridge and Pheasant, which twenty-five years of almost constant pursuit in the American fields, and woodlands, in the Eastern por- tion of our country, have eaabled me to attain; adding only the assurance, that I have been prompted to this work, from a pure love and fondness for the dog and gun, and those ennobling and manly sports of which I have been for so many years an ardent follower. And if these crude lines which I have penned prove of any service t¢ my brother Sportsmen, my object will Le fully accomplished, and my labor of love will not have Leen in vain, PRANK | SCHLEY, Freverick City, Mp., 1877. TO THE SPO ik Sa EaNe Oo ASM BER © AY IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR HIGH QUALITIES, AS TRUE SPORTSMEN, AND CRACK SHOTS, THIS WORK ON PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE Aa OAR: PRN ee SCHL ys PMP ICAN FARTRIDECE AUN PHEASANT SHOOTING. THE PARTRIDGES. CF PILE Partridges are erected into the family Perdicida ra) & = 2 with several sub-families. They abound more or less ae all over the surface of the Globe. One group of the et Partridges belong to America, all the rest to the Old World. The American Partridges are erected by the auth- ors into the sub-family Ortygine or Odontophorine. They may be distinguished among the American galline by the following characteristics: Head feathered, nostrils protected by a scale, tarsi and toes not feathered, bill stout, a toothing or bidentation on the sides of the edge in the lower mandi- ble, concealed in the closed mouth scarcely noticeablé. In this family the following species and varieties abound in the United States; the name of each species and varieties and their places of residence, according to Baird, Brewer and Ridgway, are as follows: No.1. Quail; Partridge; Bob- White —This species inhabits Eastern United States, to the high central plains—Devil’s tiver, Texas. No.2. Ortyx Virgineanus; Var.; Texanus—Inhabits South- ern Texas and Valley of the Rio Grande, Republican River, Kansas, Washita River, Indian Territory. 10 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. No. 3. Plumed Partridge; Mountain Quail.—Inhabits mountain-ranges of California and Oregon towards the coast, Nevada, Eastern Slope and foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada. —Ridgway. No. 4. California Partridge; Valley Quail.—Inhabits Val- ley portions and foot-hills of the Pacific province of the United States, south to Cape St. Lucas. No.5. Gamble’s Partridge; Arizona Quail—tInhabits Col- orado Valley of the United States, north to Southern Utah, and East to Western Texas. No. 6. Scaled, or Blue Partridge——Inhabits Table-lands of Mexico and Valley of the Rio Grande of Texas. Most abun- dant on the high broken table-lands and mesquite plains. No. 7. Massena Partridge —Inhabits Chiefly on the Up- per Rio Grande from the high plains of the Pecos, Fort Whipple, Arizona, Northern Mexico, southward, on the west coast, to Mazatlan. Of these seven species and varieties of beautiful game birds, six of which, the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh, nowhere exists to the eastward of the Missis- sippi River, and have never fallen before my gun. These six I shall only notice by giving their character and his- tory, which I will produce from the best authors in North American Ornithology. The first species, Quail; Partridge; Bob-White, I offer to the sportsmen as the object of my pursuit, and the special aim of this treatise. This species being found in great abundance in the whole of the Has- tern Province of North America, and is the well-known game bird of this country. In systematizing this work I shall begin with the Ornithological description of the sec- ond variety, and continue on with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh. I shall then close this department of my work with giving a full and precise account of the character, history, haunts, habits, flight, food, &c., and the most successful methods I have used in hunting and shoot- ing the first species. Se THE PARTRIDGES. ial ORTYX VIRGINIANUS, var. texanus.— LAWRENCE. Sp, CHaR.—General appearance that of O. Virginianus. Chin, throat, forehead, and stripe over the eye, white, Stripe behind the eye continuous with a collar across the lower part of the throat, black. Under parts white, with zigzag transverse bars of black. Above pale brownish-red strongly tinged with ash, the feathers all faintly though distinetly mottled with black; the lower back, scapulars, and tertials much bloched with black, the latter edged on both sides, and, to some extent, transversely barred with brownish-white. ‘Secondaries with transverse bars of the same on the outer web. Wing coverts coarsely and con- spicuously barred with blackish. Lower part of neck, except before, streaked with black and white. Female with the white of the head changed to brownish- yellow; the black of the head wanting. Length, 9.00; wing, 4.35; tail, 2.85. Hap.—Southern Texas and Valley of the Rio Grande; Republican River, Kansas; Washita River, Indian Terri- tory. Hasrrs.—This form, which appears to be confined to the southern portion of Texas and to the Valley of the Rio Grande River, was first described by Mr, Lawrence in 1853, It has been taken in the neighborhood of San Antonio and on the Nueces River, by Captain Pope; on Devil’s River by Major William H, Emory; at Fort Clark, on the Pecos River, near Laredo, Texas, at Matamoras, and near New Leon, Mexico, and in other localities, by Lieutenant Couch, According to Mr, Clark, they were very abundant in the Valley of the Pecos, as well as in all Southwestern Texas. They were much like the common Virginia Quail in habits as well as in appearance, and to his ear the note of this bird was absolutely identical with that of the common Quail. He has often been a spectator of fights among the males of this variety. To this account Dr. Kennerly adds that he observed them everywhere in considerable num- 12 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. bers from the coast to the headwaters of Devil’s River, and also along the Pecos River; but farther west than this none were seen. In the open prairie lands great numbers were always found early in the morning in the road. The close resemblance of its habits to those of the common Partridge was also noticed. This Quail was first observed by Dr. Heermann in abun- dance on the Pecos River, although seen some days previ- ous to reaching that point. Their numbers increased as they neared civilization, and near San Antonio they be- ‘ame very plentiful. The call of the male bird is said to consist of two notes repeated at intervals, which are less loud, clear, and ringing than those of the common Ortyx Virginianus. They feed on the open prairies on grass seeds, grains, berries, and insects, and, if alarmed, they take refuge among the scattered mesquite-trees and clumps of bushes. When hunted, they lie to the dog in the manner of the common species, and, if flushed, fly in a direct line, with a loud whirring noise, caused by the shortness and rapid mo- tion of the wings. An egg of this bird, found by Dr. Heer- mann dropped upon the road, was in form and color like that of the common Quail, but smaller. Mr. Dresser states that in Texas this bird is known as the “Common Partridge” of the country. He found it abun- dant everywhere in localities suitable to its habits. Near Matamoras it was very common, and was the only species of Quail he noticed there. At Eagle Pass and Piedras Ne- eras, Where the soil is sandy, the grass scanty, and cacti abundant, he saw only one bevy, but plenty of the Calli- pepla Squamata. Near San Antonio only this Quail is found, nor did he observe any other species in travelling towards the northeast. Amongst the Bandara Hills, where he met with the Massena Partridge, he also found the Texan Quail in the valley and near the maize-fields. In travelling from Brownsville to San Antonio the Texan Quail was every- where abundant except in the sand deserts. This species was found to be rather irregular as to its breeding season, as he found young birds near Matamoras early in July, and . ., d y, t ‘ a i; an P in ’ eM 5 Ls ~ : 4 = ho = ¥ - =. = i) : - ae - j j d — . » ma _ 2 oy ~ 1 i] . ‘ re be 5: ~ : _ - . 2 + =a 7 i ; vé _ a a e oc = al — = * 4 s } - 2 q sts - = = . a Ss ee. a <= 7 en a S = 7 7 ‘ = “4 3 ‘ 7 uA ~~ * om 7 . a - . vad us | 7 . = _~ Ne . ~ J — ' s — a = . ‘ i - 4 “| : ry - . > 7: iad 7 - ' pe 24 a : : SQ SSS QQ“ Ce SSS SSS SS SS PLUMED PARTRIDGE; MOUNTAIN QUAIL, OF CALIFORNIA. THE PARTRIDGES. 13 in September again met with quite young birds near the Nueces River, and Dr. Heermann informed him that he had likewise procured eggs near San Antonio late in Sep- tember. He obtained a set of their eggs taken near San Antonio, which are very similar to those of the Ortya Vir- ginianus, but are shightly smaller.— Baird, Brewer and Ridg- way. PLUMED PARTRIDGE; MOUNTAIN QUAIL. Oreortyx pictus —Batrp. Sp. Cuar.—Head with a crest of two straight feathers, much longer than the bill and head. Anterior half of the body grayish-plumbeous ; the upper parts generally oliva- ceous-brown with a slight shade of rufous, this extending narrowly along the nape to the crest. Head beneath the eyes and throat orange-chestnut, bordered along the orbits and a short distance behind by black, bounded anteriorly and superiorly by white, of which color is a short line be- hind the eye. Posterior half of the body beneath white ; a large central patch anteriorly, (bifurcating behind), with the flanks and tibial fe: athers, orange chestnut-brown; the sides of body showing black and white bands, the former color tinged with chestnut. Under tail-coverts black, streaked with orange-chestnut. Upper tertials margined internally with whitish. Hemale differing only in slightly shorter crest. Length, 10.50; wing, 5.00: tail, 3.25.— Juv. Body, generally, pale brown, the feather s & the upper parts minutely barred with darker, and with medial shaft-streaks of blackish; lower plumage plain brown. Breast clear ashy, presenting a well-defined area. Head pale brown, similar to, but lighter than, the body, with a conspicuous vertical and lateral (auricular) broad stripe of dark umber- brown. Feathers of the flanks blackish, broadly bordered with dingy whitish. A short truncated tuft of hair-like 14 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. feathers on the crown. (Described from figures in Gray- son’s plate.) Has.—Mountain ranges of California and Oregon to- wards the coast. Nevada (eastern slope and foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada; (Ridgway). There are two quite different races of this species, but which, however, pass gradually into each other, and must be considered as merely the extremes of one species. They may be defined as follows: 1. Var. Pictus—Pure ash confined to the pectoral region ; the russet-brown or rusty-olivaceous of the upper parts covering whole neck and crown; forehead entirely ashy. Wing, 5.25; tarsus shorter than middle toe (1.27; middle toe, 1.30.) Hab—Washington Territory, Oregon, and up- per coast region of California. 2. Var. Plumiferus——Pure ash covering whole pectoral region, and crown, nape, and upper part of back; the gray- ish-olivaceous above confined to the posterior parts. Fore- head distinctly whitish. Wing, 5.25; tarsus longer than middle toe (1.27; middle toe, 1.25.) Hab.—Sierra Nevada, and Southern California to Cape St. Lucas. Hasirs.—The Mountain Quail of California is said by Dr. Newberry to be similar in some respects to the common Partridge of Europe. It is nowhere very common, but occurs sparingly throughout the entire length of California and Oregon to at least the Columbia, and probably beyond it, having much the same range with the Californicus, though everywhere a rarer bird, and always confined to the hills and mountains. Its habits are similar to those of the other species of this family, but it is less gregarious, and is more shy. It is usually found in the chaparral, where it is put up with difficulty, as it seeks safety by running on the ground rather than by flight. On the first of August, at the base of Lassen’s Butte, Dr. Newberry found a solitary hen with a brood of very young chicks. The brood scat- tered like young Partridges, uttering a piping note like that of young chickens, and when all was still, again were re- called by the mother with a ¢e/uck, much like the call of the THE PARTRIDGES. 15 common hen. The party frequently saw coveys and broods of these birds, the young of which were about half grown, until they reathed the plains of Pit River. None were seen in the Klamath Lake basin, the country being too bare and flat. They were again met with among the hills bordering the Willamette Valley, and were found from the Columbia, almost uninterruptedly through the Siskiyou, Calapooza, and Trinity Mountaing, to California. They are favorite pets with the miners, by whom they are frequently kept in confinement, and not unfrequently command a high price. Their flesh is said to be white and excellent, and fully equal to that of any of the family. According to Dr. Cooper, this Quail is very rare in Wash- ington Territory, a few small coveys having been met with about Vancouver, as he was informed by the officers in the garrison. He never succeeded in finding any, though he hunted for them several times with a dog. They became quite common south of the Columbia, towards the prairies of the Willamette. He inquired especially for them in other parts of the Territory, but never heard of them. In California, south of San Francisco, this bird is said to bea rare curiosity to the market-hunters, one or two sometimes occurring among flocks of the California Quail. It is known to them as the Mountain Quail. Dr. Suckley states that the birds in the Willamette Valley were introduced there, . and that they are now multiplying rapidly upon the prai- ries back of Fort Vancouver. With a very little care it is thought the whole of the Territory may become well stocked with them, as the absence of foxes west of the Cascade Mountains and the mild open winters are favorable for their increase. Dr. Heermann found the birds of this species wild and dif- ficult to procure, flying and scattering at the least symptom of danger, and again calling each other together with a note expressive of great solicitude, much resembling that of a Hen-Turkey gathering her brood around her. During the survey he observed these birds only once, and then but for a few minutes, as they were passing through a deep canon 16 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. : leading down to Elizabeth Lake. They were seen by the hunters on the mountains surrounding Tejon Valley; but though he went several times in search of them, he ob- tained none. Mr. Ridgway met with the Mountain Quail on the foot- hills of the Sierra Nevada, in the vicinity of Genoa and Carson City, and also in the mountain ranges lying imme- diately to the eastward of the Sierra. It was quite rare and very difficult to discover, and when found was gener- ally met with accidentally. He obtained it in November in the thick chaparral at the eastern base of the Sierra Ne- vada. In May he secured a pair in the cedar woods a little to the eastward of Carson City, and in December a flock was met with on the Comstock Mountain, near Pyramid Lake. Its call-note when a flock is scattered is almost ex- actly like that of a Hen-Turkey, only proportionally weaker. When a flock is startled, they utter a confused chuckling note, something like that of the common eastern Quail. The male has a very pleasant crowing-note which sounds some like koo-koo-koo’e. The settlers in Nevada, say that, previ- ous to the settlement of that country by the whites, this Quail was not found east of the Sierra Nevada, and affirms that they followed the wagon-roads over the mountains, in the rear of trains and wagons, for the purpose of picking up the grain scattered along the road. Mr. Ridgway does not give full credit to the truth of these statements, as he was informed by the Indians at Pyramid Lake, that, within the memory of the oldest members of their tribe, it had always been found in that vicinity. An egg of this species taken by Dr. Canfield, near Mon- terey, California, measures 1.45 inches in length by 1.10 in breadth. It is oval in shape; one end is considerably more pointed than the other. It is of a very rich cream-color, with a reddish shading, and unspotted.— Vol. L/L, Baird, Brewer and Ridgway. L Tee ‘ ¥ 7 - —- : - ‘ f g > ! ¢ - , 7 = : ; : ; : - : , 7 a i * 7 - hd ‘ ~ = ' i é . can - n ‘ A A - | ¥e Fi 7 , ( . « ‘ n ¥ ’ ae | bay a ‘> ‘ 4 7 4 ? s! ‘, f ee @ - fi 7 » v. de a— j se < = » A ° . wn \ \ AY NY \ = NN \ AN by Sp cate NO black. Anterior half of body and upper part plumbeous; ; the wings and back glossed with olive- hat fos pf the stiff feathers black; behind this a white trans- rse band which passes back along the side of the crown; this white, anter iorly 2 and laterally, isa black suff: n. The vertex and occiput are light brown. Chin-and— roat black, margined laterally and behind by a white beginning behind the eye. Belly pale buff anter bork! #4 ge-brown rounded patch in the middle) and white he feathers all margined abruptly with black. ers OM the en af badly ‘Wha the back, sivcaked - rally with white, Beatie tm Of fh and sides of neck fs the margins smd dba. black. Under tail-coverts bavawellyy: vinoaked ventrally with brown. gintihar without, ne white and black a the head; 2; tail, 4.12, - ung. feat as in the dal female. qa parts pale n Joie mptsied tr BPevENIO | with black; sia em fonateead aire ee sdeeiasica seh an iatiistiniot au -vieular. spot. Beneath plain dull white, -Hazn.—Valley portions und foot-hills of the Pacific Prov- ince of the United States, south fo Cape St. Lucas. } - Hasirs.—This beautiful species, acéording to Dr. New- . ~ herr y, is called the. Valley Quail in California, to distinguish a it from the Plumed Quail, which inhabits the hills and the t by: ’ 1“: vt ‘ \ \ id \ " iA CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE; VALLEY QUAIL. ; — THE PARTRIDGES. 17 CALIFORNIA PARTRIDGE; VALLEY QUAIL. Lophortyx Californicus.—Bonap. Sp. Coar.—Crest black. Anterior half of body and upper parts plumbeous; the wings and back glossed with olive- brown. Anterior half of head above brownish yellow, the shafts of the stiff feathers black; behind this a white trans- verse band which passes back along the side of the crown; within this white, anteriorly and laterally, isa black suffu- sion. The vertex and occiput are light brown. Chin and throat black, margined laterally and behind by a white band, beginning behind the eye. Belly pale buff anteriorly (an orange-brown rounded patch in the middle) and white laterally, the feathers all margined abruptly with black. The feathers on the sides of body like the back, streaked centrally with white. Feathers of top and sides of neck with the margins and shafts black. Under tail-coverts buff, broadly streaked centrally with brown. ‘Female similar, without the white and black of the head; the feathers of the throat brownish-yellow, streaked with brown. The buff and orange-brown of the belly wanting. The crest short. Length, 9.50; wing, 4.32; tail, 4.12. Young.—Head as in the adult female. Upper parts pale brown, finely mottled transversely with black; scapulars and feathers of the back with yeillowish-white shaft streaks, widening at the end of the feather, and with a large black spot on each web. ‘ Chick.—Ground-color dingy white, tinged on the head, wings, and upper parts with pale rusty. 104 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. agony ; would often come directly towards me, bleeding from the eyes, and be captured, a single shot having hit them in one or both eyes, going through and blinding them. Tow- ering Partridges should be marked down very accurately, if not they will not be found, as the distance between is very deceptive; they give out but little scent, and unless the dog gets his nose right on them he will not find them. But I have often noticed on finding these birds that they were not as far off as they seemed to be when first marked down. When a wounded Partridge mock towers, and comes down with wings extended, you should approach with due caution to bag it; the bird not being dead will often rise and fly away when you are in the act of picking it up, and even when in your hand. THE SPORTSMAN WHO NEVER FAILS TO HIT. 105 THE SPORTSMAN WHO NEVER FAILS TO HIT. One I en shot with sportsmen who had the reputation of killing twenty-five Partridges out of twenty-five shots, it made no difference where the birds were found, and with others who had killed every bird that would rise. I have shot with some who had the reputation of killing every time they would fire, and again with those who have said they could kill nine Partridges out of ten all day long, one day after another, the season through, in cover or out of cover. I have heard such romancing a thousand times, and I have always found, when the experiment was tested by actual experience in the field, that the sportsman who had the reputation of never failing to hit a bird was always a slow, miserable, poking shot. Where he would kill one bird, a good, quick, expert sportsman would kill and bag a half dozen in the same time. It is impossible to kill every Partridge you fire at Some times the shot spreads widely and the bird escapes being hit, it matters not how perfect your aim may be. At other times you may have perfect aim, and by a slip, or a stumble, or by the sun getting in your eyes, or a bush or a tree intervening, or the bird darting or turning off just at the moment of drawing the trigger, you may miss. When- ever you hear of a sportsman who can kill twenty-five Partridges out of twenty-five shots, and can kill such a number without missing, and he can prove it by some of his sporting friends, you can rest assured that, if he is tell- ing the truth, the way it is done is by picking out in the open fields all the slow flying, easy, and certain shots, and refusing to fire upon all birds that he is uncertain of’ kill- 14 106 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. ing. Itis the difficult and uncertain shots that try the skill of the sportsman, and it is these shots particularly that a good sportsman loves to make successfully. One difficult, cramped, and uncertain shot, at long range, that brings down the game, gives more real enjoyment and pleasure to a good shot than forty slow-flying certain ones, because it tasks his skill to the utmost to bring the-bird down. It is the number of doubtful, difficult, cramped, and uncertain shots by which a sportsman kills game in a day’s hunt that makes him superior in skill to the man who refuses to fire except when an easy, certain chance offers at short range. The sportsman who takes every chance when in the field, or in the thicket, or wood, and fires whenever a bird offers a chance to be hit, if he kills three birds out of five, day in and day out, is doing excellent shooting, and where one sportsman comes up to this standard of shooting you will | find five hundred that will not. A good shot can go out in the open fields the first of the shooting season, when the birds are young and tame and fly very slowly, and by pick- ing out his birds to shoot at, he can kill, if birds are plenty, a large number in a day’s hunt, and by only shooting easy and certain shots at short range, and refusing all long range and difficult ones, he can kill in this way a good number of birds before he misses. But late in the season, in De- cember, when the birds are strong and wild, and fly like bullets, it takes a good, quick shot to bring them down. I have yet to see the sportsman who can, at this advanced period of the season, kill every bird he fires at, whether he picks his shots or not. It is not the sportsman who kills the greatest number of birds without missing, in a day’s hunt, that is the best marksman, but the sportsman that kills the greatest number of birds, or bags the most game, in the day’s shooting. I. haveseen sportsmen, when in the field, who had the reputation of being expert marksmen, and men that never failed to hit, and in order to sustain this character would manufacture all kind of excuses for not shooting at birds that offered the fairest mark. Being afraid of missing they would go poking about, aiming at every THE SPORTSMAN WHO NEVER FAILS TO HIT. 107 bird that would rise, and dwell on the bird in its line of flight, and then, perhaps, would not fire, “it being a beau- tiful mark too.” And the whole day would be spent in this manner, in poking and sighting at birds in order to fire six or seven certain shots where there was no possible chance of missing, and keeping a correct account how many times they would fire, so that they could tell their friends that they had been out shooting and had killed every bird they had fired at. All such shooting is too tame to talk about. In order to sustain a reputation as the sportsman who never fails to hit, you must fire upon all Partridges that offer a chance to be killed, in bush or out of bush, the difficult, cramped, and uncertain shots, as well as the easy, certain ones, at long as well as short ran ge. 108 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. THE EXCITABLE SPORTSMAN. papae. 3 , “omy. OME sportsmen, when shooting, are subject to ungov- ernable excitement, and all they can do to restrain Oe’ this feeling, at the time, seems to serve only to in- a crease it, and they find it impossible to become cool and calm. Therefore, it is a great drawback, and prevents them from becoming accurate marksmen—(sportsmen who are so unfortunate as to be inflicted in this way.) It will depend altogether upon the state of his mind or nerves as to whether the sportsman will shoot well or ill. If he shoots wellit will be at the time when he has the least anxiety about killing his game, or when he is most successful in his shoot- ing. One or two clean misses, or unsuccessful shots, or balks in the morning, will generally upset the whole day’s shooting with him. He will become over-anxious to kill, and over-anxiousness will bring on nervousness, and over- whelmed with excitement his nerves will become unstrung, and under these circumstances he will be likely to continue to shoot badly the balance of the day. But should the ex- citable sportsman be successful in the morning, and kill, clean, two or three birds, or bring down a doubtful shot, this will give him confidence, and he will continue to shoot good the whole day, or at any rate so long as everything oes evenly and smoothly with him. But if the least tri- fling circumstance should change the case, or make it other- wise, it will cause him to shoot badly, or at all events very uncertainly. An excitable sportsman is very precarious in his shooting. When a covey springs suddenly the noise or whirr of the birds’ wings throws him off his guard. He excitedly pitches the gun up, and in a flash blazes away, in a hurry, without taking any aim. When walking up toa dog that is pointing a covey, where the birds are all scat- THE EXCITABLE SPORTSMAN. 109 tered around, he gets into a nervous trepidation, and when the covey springs he fires away with an uncertain aim, and shoots altogether differently from a man who is perfectly collected and cool. ‘To remedy this excitement when shoot- ing at a covey, or walking up to a dog when he is point- ing, the excitable sportsman must learn to regulate himself. He must practice coolness, and must learn calmness. He should make it his duty to master his feelings and become less anxious, and not care so much about killing his game. If he makes these things his study he will accomplish much towards making himself a cool, accurate marksman. I have seen sportsmen who, when the dog would point a covey, became so excited and nervous that the whole frame would shake as if with an ague, and I have seen others who, when a Partridge would rise suddenly from under their feet, would be so frightened by the noise that they would fire before the gun would be to theshoulder. I have seen others again, when a hare would bounce up unexpectedly from out of the grass, stand and gaze at the hare as it was bounding off until its form melted in the distance, or disappeared in the cover, and forget they had a killing piece of machinery in their hands. I have seen others who, when a bird would be advancing toward them, would fire before the bird would get within killing distance of the gun. I have also seen others who, when they were taking aim, became so excited that their limbs would shake so violently it would be im- possible for them to hold the gun steady. Some I have seen completely paralyzed for a moment when the game would spring, and they would stand and look at the game going off without firing at it. Again, L have witnessed others sneaking cautiously up to the game, so as to get a close shot, whose hearts would beat so rapidly that, after they had fired, on asking them a question, it would be im- possible for them, for want of breath, to answer it; and others I have seen chase game, which they had wounded with one barrel, until they were nearly exhausted, and then let the game escape, and forget the other barrel of the gun was charged. I have seen sportsmen so nervous and 5S 110 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. excited, after they had fired, that their hands would shake so violently that it would be the greatest difficulty for them, at the moment, to charge the gun again—all because of their excitement. An excitable sportsman shoots best when he is alone ; in the presence of others he generally shoots badly, being too anxious, and afraid of missing or of losing his reputation by being beaten. An excitable sportsman will generally shoot differently every day, accord- ing to the equilibrium of his nerves. He may go out one day and shoot exceedingly well, the next day he may go out and shoot miserably; the least excitement or annoy- ance will upset his nerves at any time, and consequently his shooting will vary accordingly. My advice to all ex- citable sportsmen is to practice self control, and learn to be calm ; be less eager, master yourselves so as to be able to reg- ulate your every motion when in the field, and when in the act of shooting. When this is accomplished you have gained that which all good marksmen possess—a steady hand, and firm, and quiet nerve. THE RECKLESS SPORTSMAN. 111 THE RECKLESS SPORTSMAN. % GUN isa very dangerous weapon, even in the hands 5; of the most careful sportsman. Thousands of acci- * dents have occurred by guns in the hands of the most careful and experienced sportsmen, and how often, after they have used every care and precaution for years, do we hear of sad and melancholy accidents occur- ring which destroy the peace and joy of a whole family, by the loss of a father or a brother. How often do we hear of a father losing his arm, a brother his eye, or a particu- lar friend his hand or finger, or being injured for life by the accidental discharge of a gun through reckless- ness, or in the hands of some reckless person. Such acci- dents frequently occur with guns in the hands of the most careful and experienced sportsmen, and they will certainly occur sooner or later with reckless sportsmen. So in hand- ling such a dangerous death-dealing weapon as a gun you cannot be too careful. When out shooting never have the muzzle of the gun pointing towards the person you are with; be on your guard and be watchful of this under any and all circumstances, and never have the gun pointing in such a direction that you could possibly shoot yourself un- der any circumstance, but always remember to keep the muzzle of the gun pointing in a direction that, if the gun should accidentally go off, the charge would be harmless. If you are shooting a muzzle loader, after discharging one barrel of the gun, never forget to throw the muzzle of the gun downwards, and give it a slight tap or so before charg- ingitagain. This will empty the gun of any little remnant that may remain in the barrel, which sometimes contains a spark of fire, and if the gun is charged, especially in a hurry, without getting it out, the spark will ignite the 112 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. powder, and you may lose a finger, or one or both eyes by the explosion. On entering a house with a loaded gun, if it is a breech loader, withdraw the charges. If it is a muz- zle loader always remove the caps off of the nipples of the gun, especially if you set the gun away; if the caps are not removed from off of the nipples a blow on them will discharge the loads, and if itis drawn towards a person, as it often will be by thoughtless people in lifting it, or re: moving it from place to place, it will be likely to go off, and perhaps cause a serious accident. The same precaution should be used when getting into a vehicle, and in carry- ing the gun on long tramps, where it is frequently removed from vehicle to shoulder and from shoulder to case. The proper way is to withdraw the charges, or leave the nipples without caps, and place on the nipples, in place of caps, cotton or tow; you can then let the hammers down and the gun will besafe. Never put caps on the nipples of a muzzle loader until you have finished charging the gun. Never toss the gun up whilst drawing the charge when the gun is capped. Never charge one barrel of the gun when the other is cocked and capped. When in the field, and in ex- pectation of a shot, always carry the gun with the ham- mers raised, so you will be ready at the instant for any chance that may offer. But on coming up to a fence let the hammers down, and in getting over the fence push the muzzle of the gun in front of you. Don’t pull the gun through the fence, or stick the gun between the rails of the fence, and then get over. It is better to push the muzzle of the gun in front of you, and climb over the top. In this way you will run no risk of having an accident by the hammers catching in drawing the gun through. Many sportsmen have been shot by pulling the gun recklessly through the fence instead of climbing over the top, and pushing the gun in front of them when getting over. When running around making a circuit to get a near shot, or running after or chasing wounded game, always remem- ber to keep the muzzle of the gun pointing upwards, for if you should happen to stumble and fall when running, and THE RECKLESS SPORTSMAN. 83 the point of the gun is downward the muzzle will be driven into the ground, especially if the ground is moist and soft, and if the gun goes off, or is discharged in this situation the barrels will be almost sure to explode, and you may lose your life by the explosion. But if the muzzle of the gun is pointed upward, there will be no risk of an explo- sion. When standing on a fence, or walking a log, or jumping a ditch, or getting in or out of a wagon or boat, or walking along in a road going or returning from a hunt, when stopping at a spring to drink or resting for awhile, always have the hammer of the gun down. Whenever you stop at a spring to drink, or to eat your lunch, or in any manner rest for awhile, instead of standing the gun up against a bush, twig or tree, as all reckless sportsmen do, lay the gun down on the ground, and you will have less chance of an accident. Should the gun be standing up it might fall and strike the hammers and go off, and per- haps shoot you, your friend or dog. When shooting in swamps, woods or thicket with a companion never fire upon a bird or animal, it makes no difference how fair the shot may be, unless you are certain of the whereabouts of the position of your companion. You had better let the bird or animal escape without firing, than to fire recklessly and perhaps hit your companion. In walking in thick undergrowth with a friend, where it is difficult to force the way, and you are compelled to walk on behind the other, let the foremost man hold the muzzle of his gun in front, and the rear man hold the muzzle of his gun point- ing backward, so that if a twig or bush should happen to catch and raise the hammer, and discharge either of the guns, there will be no damage done. Thé same precaution should be used in sneaking or crawling up to get a close shot. If one man is behind the other the foremost should carry his gun with the muzzle pointing in front of him, and the rear man should carry his gun with the muzzle pointing backwards. When in the field, where the birds are all scattered around, and in expectation of a shot, the gun should be carried with the hammers raised. Ifthe ham- 15 114 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. mers are down, in the excitement of raising the hammers, when a bird rises unexpectedly, the thumb will oftentimes slip, especially if the hammers are damp, or the thumb moist or wet, orthe thumb benumbed by cold, while the gun is ready for immediate use, and only has to be pointed to be discharged. When shooting with a muzzle-loader, and you make a mistake, and put two charges down in one bar- rel of the gun, or get the ramrod fastened in the barrel, do not fire the gun off, as some reckless sportsmen do, and run the risk of losing a limb or your life by the gun bursting, which is often the case when discharged in such a condi- tion, but remove the charges, or the ramrod, and do not run any risk by recklessly discharging the gun. When firing off the gun never hold the butt against your stomach or bowels, the kick or recoil of the gun sometimes is very se- vere, and death has been caused repeatedly by such care- lessness. Never lie down flat on your back, or lean your back against a rock or tree when firing your gun off, for the recoil of the gun may be the means of breaking your collar bone. Such accidents frequently befall ignorant and reckless sportsmen. In carrying a gun, when in expecta- tion of a shot where the birds are all scattered around, carry it with the muzzle pointing downward, but when just walking the field, and not expecting a shot, carry your gun on your shoulder, with the muzzle pointing, upwards. When you stop for a moment never rest with your hands over the muzzle of the gun, this is a dangerous, reckless fashion. Some sportsmen have this habit, and it has been the cause of many accidents. For instance, when the dog comes in he may run and jump up against you, and should his foot happen to slip and strike and raise the hammer the gun will be discharged, and the probability is you may lose your hand, or perhaps both by the explosion. In conclu- sion I shall say, not only to reckless sportsmen, but to all gunners, and to all shooters, and to all those who handle guns, be careful when handling a gun, and never forget for one moment, not even if you have been told that the gun THE RECKLESS SPORTSMAN. 115 is not charged, that you are handling a death-dealing weapon, which requires the greatest care and watchfulness, not only to prevent it from destroying your own life, but also the life of some fellow being. 116 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. THE BAD SHOT, OR UNSKILLED SPORTSMAN. HE bad shot or unskilled sportsman is generally a =; man who possesses but little idea of discrimination, and one who lacks keen observation and judgment. ver He is an excitable and self-willed sort of fellow, and when a Partridge rises he becomes so overwhelmed with anxiety, being afraid he will not kill the bird, that, very often, he fires without taking aim, and of course the bird goes on without being hit. When a covey of Partridges ‘rises he bangs away in a hurry without selecting out one bird of the covey to fire upon. The consequence is he fails to kill, but thinks he ought to have killed at least half a dozen. He magnifies asmall covey of ten or twelve birds to be the largest number he ever saw in one covey, and thinks forty birds must have arisen, and that he ought have killed five or six of them at the lowest. The whole covey flies off without being watched, or marked down, and after the excitement wears away, and the gun is recharged, he starts off in a great hurry, and goes hunting around and about to find where the birds have gone, and perhaps will spend a half day searching before he finds them, whereas by a lit- tle observation at the time of flushing the covey he could have marked the birds all down to a certainty. The bad shot or unskilled sportsman is no judge of distances when in the field. Sometimes he fires way out of range of the gun where there is no possible chance of killing. At other times he fires so very close that if the bird is hit it is torn to pieces, and, perhaps, will not be in a condition to carry home. On the other hand, should the bird be hit at a long distance, it will possibly just have its wing tipped. If this is the case, a regular foot race will immediately ensue with the dog and the man, and if you accompany him, unless THE BAD SHOT, OR UNSKILLED SPORTSMAN. 117 you take good care and protect yourself by dodging behind a tree, or a rock, you will stand a good chance of being shot by the accidental discharge of the gun in the hands of the unskilled sportsman while racing, especially if through brushwood, hanging branches, or bushes. The bad shot’s, or unskilled sportsman’s dog will become suspicious of him. He will perform all kinds of little tricks. For instance, when he points a covey he is anxious’to get his mouth on the birds, and is conscious of his master missing, and of seeing the birds fly off, as he has often done before, without having a chance to mouth one; he will take the chances for himself and pitch in before his master gets up to him, and when the birds are on the wing he will take after and chase, and try to catch them. If his master tries to check him from racing he will pay no attention to his call, but wil become hard of hearing, head strong, and ungovernable. Should the bad shot, or unskilled sportsman, by chance happen to kill a bird, the dog will be likely to bite it or chew it up before he gets up to him, because he so seldom gets one to mouth, and when he does he makes much of it, by biting or chewing it up. The bad shot, or unskilled sportsman, when shooting with other marksmen, has many false excuses for not killing. For instance, when a Par- tridge rises and flies off he fires in a hurry, without taking aim, of course he misses clip and clear. He will then say, “1 would have killed that bird, but just as I pulled the trig- -ger my foot slipped, and it threw me clear out of kelter. The next shot I hope I will be more fortunate.” Again, a bird rises and flies off, he bangs away; the bird is missed clear as a whistle. He then says, “did you hear my gun hang fire; what a pity, such a beautiful Shot, too. I would have riddled that bird if my gun had not hung fire. It hung fire so long I did not think it was going off, and just as I was in the act of taking it from my shoulder, to my utter astonishment, it went off.’ The next bird rises and flies across the bad shot, and he being no judge of distances, and having no knowledge of shooting cross shots, or birds flying around, or across to the right, or left, he fires, and 118 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. ? again he misses—the bird flies on most beautifully. He exclaims, “did you see the feathers fly out of that bird. Why, I almost picked it. If my shot had been larger I would have bored a hole right through it, but my shot is too small entirely.” The next bird rises and flies off; he bangs away with the same result. The feathers carry off | the meat, and he contends the bird hangs a leg, and will die; that his aim was perfect, but the powder was good for nothing ; that if he had good strong powder his shoot- ing would be more effectual, it not being strong enough to kill the birds when hit. He goes the whole day long shoot- ing at Partridges and missing them, and every time he misses he manufactures some excuse to suit the occasion. A bad shot, or unskilled sportsman, shoots in too much of a hurry as a general thing. He makes no allowance in shooting in a strong wind for the shot‘to be drifted off from aright line. He makes no allowance for the falling of shot in shooting at long range. In shooting cross shots he ar- rests the motion of the gun, at the time of drawing the trigger, instead of continuing it in the line of flight of the bird. A bad shot may start out and find a large number of Partridges, in a day’s hunt, but will kill few. He will return in the evening with an empty bag, stating to his friends that he found plenty of birds but they were very wild, or he saw plenty of game, but, after discharging his gun several times, he unfortunately lost his shot out of his pouch and was compelled to return home, but if he had not lost the shot, he would have filled the bag. Other times he may tell them when he has returned from a hunt, that he found dead loads of birds, but he only fired two or three shots and those were very difficult ones; that he sue- ceeded in killing two out of three, and would have killed the third, but just as the bird raised, a farmer cried out, “get off of my land,’ which threw him off his guard and he missed. The balance of the day afterwards he met with the same luck—just as fast as he found a covey he was driven off the land by farmers, and this prevented him from filling his game-bag. Bad shots or unskilled sports- THE BAD SHOT, OR UNSKILLED SPORTSMAN. 119 men only kill Partridges flying straight off, and that too at short range; because they have no power of judging distances, and no knowledge of shooting cross-shots, which requires a combination of movements to be successful. A young sportsman should beware of going shooting with a man who has the reputation of being a bad marksman. It is better to go out with a skilled marksman, for if he con- tracts the habits of the bad marksman, it will be difficult to get rid of them. A bad shot, or unskilled sportsman will spoil the best broken dog in the world, and should a sportsman want to purchase a-well-broken dog, my advice is, never buy one from aman that isa bad shot. Never loan a well-broken dog, pointer or setter, to a man who shoots badly, for if you do you can rest assured that the dog will be spoiled. He will contract bad habits; he will learn to run in, or chase, or become careless, or run after the birds without pointing them; he will become ungov- ernable, and it will be almost impossible for you to control him afterwards, unless you thrash him and keep strict watch over him. The bad shot, or unskilled sportsman, is a great protection to Partridges. He goes out and finds and flushes the covies, and fires away both barrels with- out killing any, and the covies become scattered in every direction. Should the good shot come along, he finds it impossible to get up a covey, because they have been flushed and scattered by the bad shot. The good shot may get up one or.two scattered birds and kill them, whereas if the bad shot had not gone that way and flushed and scattered the covies, the chances are two to one that the good shot would have filled his bag out of the same covies, going over the same ground. Bad shots frighten the Partridges and make them very wild and shy. I have seen Partridges fly clear out of sight over the tops of the highest trees, and hide themselves in holes in the ground, and under cord- wood and old drift, in musk-rat holes, stone fences, and under roots of trees, stumps, hollow logs, stone-piles, wheat- stacks, corn-shocks, piles of rails, sink-holes, and in every 120 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. conceivable place they could hide, where a dog oftentimes could not scratch them out, so frightened do they become by being driven up so often, and shot at by bad shots, or unskilled sportsmen. MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. WA MISCELLANEOUS HINTS—DRESS FOR PART- RIDGE SHOOTING. 73 MITE olor of the Partridge shooter's clothing, pants, 34 coat, and vest, should as nearly as possible correspond SWSt with his natural surroundings, or at all events it 8 should be of some dull drab color, that which would not be likely to attract much attention. In autumn, when the foliage and vegetation is turning yellow, a light brown or yellowish-drab will be found to be as near the tint as any. For material every sportsman has his own fancy. As far as I am concerned I prefer strong fustian or cordu- roy. The coat should be a short sack, and should fit easily and comfortably, with plenty of pockets. The game pockets should fill the whole of the inside of the skirt. Being thus prepared you can carry a large bag with much less trouble than with the ordinary game bag. agen 0) a . 7 ’ - en | : & i r; t ‘— v! . : . ithe ‘ 3 ny a 4 é = i ; ro & sr te — a iim As ; - oe ; Be le Fo RSS od: st fled Apt \ 4 ae A] 7 s 7 A h 4 ae ot ene - My i ’ *« * 1 mre Ge At. t F! ‘ : * — ‘ PE lb 2 é « RUFFED GROUSE: PARTRIDGE; PHEASANT. 181 the American Ruffed Grouse. It derives its name from a peculiar tuft of numerous (twenty to thirty) bread, soft, glossy, black feathers, on the sides of the neck, which it sometimes raises as a ruff. As this bird is known so gen- erally in Maryland as the Pheasant, and by no other name, I will call it the Pheasant, because many of our sportsmen would not know the bird by its true name Grouse. The Pheasant is found wherever wooded country is met with, throughout the Eastern portion of North America, from the Atlantic Coast to the Rocky Mountains, and from Georgia to Nova Scotia. They also often occur in consid- erable numbers in the low lands, and were discovered by by Mr. Audubon, breeding in the thickest canebrakes of Indiana and Kentucky. They are found in nearly all the Southern States, being abundant in Virginia, the Caro- linas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and it is said as far to the Southwest as Natchez, Mississippi. Dr. Newberry, as has been stated, did not encounter this bird within the limits of California, but found them very abundant in the wooded portion of the Cascade Mountains, and in the Willamette Valley. The Oregon species were generally darker than the Eastern varieties, but the habits were apparently every- where the same. The Pheasant is generally found in small flocks, except where they have been much hunted. When this is the case, they are more frequently found singly, or rarely more than two to five together. These game birds have their homes in the woods, mountains, and hills of our country. They delight in the rocky sides of mountains and hills where springs and small running streams abound. They are particularly fond of high, sloping, rocky, wooded hill-sides, which border on such streams, especially those which are sheltered by the pine, hemlock, laurel, and other evergreens. They always prefer the densest woods and thickets, and are but seldom found in open plains. They love to frequent ravines and thickets, especially those which extend out from the mountains and hills. These places are their favorite feeding grounds. The Pheasant is more or less polygamous. Their love season commences in 182 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHBASANT SHOOTING. March. The male only remains with the female until the latter commences setting. They then keep by themselves unless recalled by the female, when its eggs have been de- stroyed. Pheasants have been taken young and tamed, and their eges have been hatched under the Domestic Hen, but they seldom live until fall grown. The nest is very rudely constructed, consisting of only a few leaves laid in a depression. The female places her nest on the ground in some retired spot, frequently at the foot of a stump, bush, tree, orlog. The hen generally lays from six to twelve eges, of a yellowish color, and of an elongated oval, pointed at one end. The young brood, a8 soon as they are free from the shell, follow their mother in search of food. She calls to them with a chuckling note, and when come upon by a sportsman the young birds hide, and the hen resorts to the same artifice as the Partridge (Ortyx) does to allure the sportsman away from her young. Ina short time the voung birds become strong enough to fly a short distance. The cocks do not assist the hen in taking care of the young brood—they scatter around singly, and frequently get to- gether in small bands until Fall, when they all again asso- ciate indiscriminately together in search of food, both young and old. If the Spring is early, warm, and dry, the young birds will be large enough to shoot by the 15th of August, but if the Spring is late, and cold, and wet, the brood will be small both in number and size of the birds. T have shot birds of the young broods in Maryland and Virginia, on the first day of August, that were apparently as large asthe old birds; and then again the next year, on the first of the same month, [I have sprung them when they were not much larger than a Partridge, which was owing altowether to a difference inthe season. ‘Take the seasons on an average, the first of September is the proper time to commence shooting the voune broods. About the first of September, as a general thing, the voung birds are equal in size. but not in weight, to the old ones; and though they have not the power and rapidity of flight of the old birds, I have always found that by the first of September RUFFED GROUSE; PARTRIDGE; PHEASANT. 183 the young birds could fly plenty fast enough to elude any but well-practiced sportsmen. As the trees and bushes are full of leaves in places where they are found, and they get under way and out of sight in a wonderful short space of time, unless the gun is handled and leveled quickly, and the sight is taken true by a good shooter, they will not be stopped. No. 6 St. Louis shot is the size to bring them down. With any smaller size of shot you will often be disappointed in bagging them if you fire at any distance over thirty-five yards, even though your aim is true. 184 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. BEATING OR DRUMMING OF THE PHEASANT. “‘Ffearest thou that bird? T list’ned, and from ’midst the depths of woods Heard the signal of the Grouse, A sound like distant thunder; Slow the strokes at first, then faster and faster, Till at length they passed into a murmur and were still.”’ Bryant. iN some of our districts, the woods, mountains, and d hills of our country resound far and wide with the (og sound of the beating or drumming of the Pheasant. a ? This sound is a very singular noise. It is a kind of rumbling sound, or a tremor in the air, very much like the rumbling of distant thunder. When this sound vibrates from hill to hill, it is a difficult matter to locate the exact spot from whence it comes. This rumbling sound is called beating or drumming of the Pheasant, oad on a clear, still day, may be heard a long distance off. This peculiar sound is made by the beating or drumming of the Cock Pheasant, as has been described by Mr. Audubon, in this way. “The male bird, standing erect on a prostrate decayed trunk, raises the feathers of its body in the manner of the Turkey Cock, draws its head towards its tail, erecting the feathers of the latter at the same time, and raising its ruft around the neck, suffers its wings to drop, and struts about on the log, a few moments elapse when the bird draws the whole of its feathers close to its body, and stretching itself out, beats its sides with its wings in the manner of the Domestic Cock, but more loudly, and with such rapidity of motion, after a few of the first strokes, as to cause a tremor in the air not unlike the rumbling of distant thunder.” BEATING OR DRUMMING OF THE PHEASANT. 185 I have many times detected this bird by this peculiar sound, and shot him, but it always required my greatest skill of observance to distinguish his exact location, as this rumbling sound in the woods and hills is very deceiving. Toiling, I have often climbed to the top of a rugged moun- tain, under the impression the sound came from that direc- tion, all the while keeping a sharp lookout in the advance, and proceeding cautiously with my finger upon the trig- ger of my gun, for, by the repeated thumping, I would think I was close on the bird, but I have been too often mistaken. After all my trouble, it would frequently turn out, when I had thought I was right, that the rumbling sound proceeded from the hill opposite the one I was on, or some other neighboring locality. This beating or drum- ming of the Cock Pheasant is a very singular manceuvre, and why this bird resorts to this peculiar performance, and makes this sound, is left only for us to conjecture. Some suppose that the male bird resorts to this means to draw the hen to his presence; others suppose that this peculiar noise is the male bird’s only plan of drawing the hen from her hiding place during the period of incubation; others suppose that this sound is produced by the bird when he is in search of worms in a log. From my observation of the beating or drumming of the Pheasant, I am compelled to reject the reasons which have been assigned for it. I am unable to attribute it to any special cause, and I have concluded that it is altogether a natural habit for the bird to perform this singular manceuvre. I have shot Pheas- ants, when they were beating or drumming, in all the months of Autumn; and I have heard them drum in the night, and in all the months of the year, except when the weather was cold, or when the ground was covered with snow. The drumming by the male is frequently made on a rock, stump, or stone, as well as on a log. The drum- ming place of the male: This spot is situated in their haunts—in places where they live. Around in the locali- ties of these points, they may be found in all seasons of’ the year. 24 186 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. FLIGHT OF THE PHEASANT. yur Pheasant is a strong and powerful bird on the spo; Wing—there are few birds that can equal them in “a rapidity of flight. On being disturbed the Pheasant e rises from the ground with strong wing, and tremen- dous whirring noise, and flies off with the greatest ease, and with wonderful rapidity, through the thickest woods. There is much variation in the flight of Pheasants—some- times they will mount almost perpendicularly into the air before flying off; at others they will rise and fly off just above the laurels or along within four or five feet of the ground; at others they will rise and fly, skimming along elose to the ground, then slyly disappearing from view. Pheasants generally fly straight off in a bee-line, but before settling they usually take a turn to the right or left, sweep around and alight. The flight of Pheasants varies greatly in regard to distance. During the first of the shooting season, when the birds are young and tame, and the trees and bushes are ful! of leaves, the flight of Pheasants is about equal in distance to that of the Partridge (Ortyx); but as the season advances and the trees become leafless, their flight is much longer, particularly if they have been much disturbed; should this be the case, they spring in greater terror, and usually fly out of sight before they alight. Pheasants generally fly with the wind, and when the wind is blowing a gale, they fly like a streak of light- ning, especially the old ones, and in order to bring them down, the shooter must be alert and quick in handling the gun, or they wili not be stopped—they will soon get out, of sight, or killing range of the shot. Their movements are very quick when they spring, and in a gale, unless the shooter bas a keen, quick eye, they will fly twenty feet be- FLIGHT OF THE PHEASANT. 187 fore he gets a glimpse of them. The startling noise and flutter that a Pheasant makes, when springing from the ground, is very apt.to shake the shooter’s nerves, or throw him off his guard, and by this means, as much as any other, the bird escapes being bagged. I have seen Pheasants spring at the feet of sportsmen and fly off and escape without being fired at, “offering a beautiful mark, too.” The sudden spring, accompanied by the startling whirr and flutter, would throw the shooter off his guard, and the bird would fly away and escape with impunity, while the shooter would stand and gaze with astonishment at the unexpected and lightning flight of the bird. A full-grown Pheasant, late in the season, flies at the rate of ninety miles an hour, at least—that is, twenty-six hundred and forty yards a minute, or forty-four yards in a second, and in a breeze the bird will fly one-third swifter. If, therefore, a Pheasant springs at your feet at this velocity, and you re- quire one second to bring the sight to bear upon him, he will be out of ordinary range, and the chances are three out of four against the bird being stopped. If it is flying across, and you dwell one second on the aim, the chances are three out of four you will miss him. If it springs at your feet and flies off in your rear, and you lose one sec- ond in turning and getting aim, there are three chances out of four the bird will not be bagged. If it springs ten yards in advance, and flies straight off, and you require three-fourths of a second to pitch the gun to the shoulder, and draw a bead on him, the chances are three out of four the bird will go freely on and escape unharmed. If it darts down the moment after being fired at, and flies and skims along close to the ground, and your dog pursues it close and hotly, there are three chances out of four it will mount and light upon a tree, and unless you are very careful, un- derstand your business, and have a sharp eye, there are fifty chances to one he will escape your notice and evade being bagged. When brought down among thick laurel growth only wing tipped, unless you have a smart, swift dog to give chase, or fire upon him with the second barrel 188 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. and stop him, there are a hundred chances to one he will outrun you and escape. It frequently occurs that when you come upon them suddenly, that they will squat and lie close, until you stop or have passed by, when they will whirr up, and fly off like lightning to the densest part of the cover. When the snow is soft, deep, and drifted, Pheas- ants, when they are hard pursued, will occasionally fly right into it, and get covered up, or pitch into it and come out again, a short distance in advance, and in this way fre- quently escape pursuit. When a brood of Pheasants are dispersed they bave no call to reassemble them together again—they wait until chance brings them together, which it generally does, at their haunts, or feeding grounds, or places where they go to scratch or drink. MIGRATION. fHEASAN'TS do not migrate, but like the Partridge, (Ortyx), shift their quarters on the approach of Winter to thicker cover. The distance is not ex- ? tensive nor general. Pheasants will stray some distance from the woods, let the cover and food be ever so good. Rarely I have found them two or three miles from the woods in open fields, and shot them. Then again I have come across single Pheasants in the open fields, among covies of Partridges, at least four miles distant from any woods or thickets. I recollect once, while Partridge shoot- ing in company with Thomas W. Morgan and Major B. H. Schley, in Frederick county, Maryland, of coming across a single Pheasant among a covey of Partridges in the open field, some three miles distant, apparently, from any woods or thickets, and we drove the bird at least two miles through the open country, before we brought it to bag... It FOES OF THE PHEASANT. 189 would always rise and fly before we got in killing range of it. Then again, I recollect once, while Partridge shooting, of springing a single Pheasant out in the open field near the Monocacy River. The nearest wood to this point was on the Linganore Hills, about two miles distant. The bird escaped from me by flying across the river. One month afterward I traced this same bird, by sportsmen springing it from place to place, and from time to time, through Fred- erick Valley, until the bird was driven to the Catoctin Mountains, about six miles distant. These birds had stray- ed from the woods and lost their way and did not know which course to pursue in order to return, FOES OF THE PHEASANT. HE Pheasant has many foes to contend with, inde- pendent of man, that continually haunt and lurk in oe their wake: The red and gray Fox; the roving, ? rambling Mink, travelling its roundsin the darkness of night; the industrious, enterprising little Weasel, search- ing every nook, hole and corner for its prey; the fidgity Raccoon, with his acute sense of smell; the quiet, sneak- ing Polecat; these animals all prey upon the Pheasant whenever an opportunity offers, and they destroy a large number of these birds, both young and old. There are several species of birds which also prey upon the Pheasant, and attack them whenever a favorable chance is presented. The large Chicken Hawk carries off the strongest and old- est birds. The Pigeon Hawk, (falco columbarius), this quick-flighted, daring guerilla preys upon the Pheasant, and there is no animal or bird whose attack is more fatal, than that of this quick-flighted assassin. The American Crow is a great foe of the Pheasant. This nest robber de- 190 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. stroys a large number of birds when they are quite young or on first being hatched, and it takes every opportunity to pilfer the eggs from the nest of the laying and setting hen. FOOD OF THE PHEASANT. 191 FOOD OF THE PHEASANT. ¥HEIR food consists of berries, seeds, grain, and in- ; sects. In Summer their principal food is grosshop- as pers, ants, ant-eggs, wild strawberries, dewberries, a blackberries, raspberries, and whortleberries; later in the season and in the Fall, dogwoodberries, sassafras- berries, gumberries, the different species of wild grapes; later in the Fall, and in the Winter, their principal food is chicken grapes, blackhaws, persimmons, greenbriarberries, sumacberries, and different kinds of seed; also, nuts, acorns, and beach nuts, wheat, corn, apple seeds, &c. In extreme Winter, towards Spring, when the ground is covered by a deep snow, and they can find no more food hanging upon the vines and branches to subsist upon, when they are forced by hunger and starvation, they feed upon the buds and leaves of the mountain laurel, (Kalmia Lati- folia), which is said to impart a poisonous character to the flesh. Instances of poisoning have been known to occur from eating Pheasants, when laurel leaves have been found in their crops. As for myself, I have never experienced any inconvenience after having partaken of the flesh, but there is good authority for these charges, some of which I will quote: “This well known evergreen inhabits all sections of the United States, being especially abundant on the sides of hills and mountains. It is from three to ten feet in height. The leaves are possessed of poisonous narcotic properties. They have been analysed by Mr. Charles Bullock, of Phila- delphia, and found to contain gum, tannic acid, resin, chlor- ophyll, fatty matter, a substance resembling mannite, an acrid principle, wax, extractive albumen, yellow coloring matter, lignin, and salts of potassa, lime, and iron.”— American Journal of Pharmacy, XX., 264. 192 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. “Dr. N. Shoemaker published, in the North American Medical and Surgical Journal, two cases of poisoning which resulted from eating a Pheasant, in the craw of which lau- rel leaves were found. The symptoms were nausea, tem- porary blindness, pain in the head, dyspncea, pallid counte- nance, cold extremities, and a very feeble pulse. In both cases relief was afforded by vomiting, produced by a table- spoonful of flour of mustard mixed with warm water. A case of similar poisoning is related in the Edinburgh Medical Journal, (May, 1856, page 1014), Wood d& Bache, Sid: Pheasants feed by moonlight as well as by day. They roost on the ground. They can see in the night and can fly then, as well as by day. They roost just where sleep overtakes them. I have frightened them up at all hours of the night. On approaching them they would become alarmed and fly as readily as they would in the day. I have frequently seen it stated that when a number of Pheasants are in the same tree feeding, several may be killed if you are careful to shoot the lowest one each time. I have never found this to be the case. In their native haunts, where I have pur- sued them, I have frequently found Pheasants, in dogwood trees, feeding on the berries. I have found them in gum, and haw trees, and also in grape vines, and when I had the luck to find more than one in a tree, I was always careful enough to kill the lowest one first, but not in one instance did I ever succeed in getting more than one shot at them in the same tree; at the report of the gun the upper ones would spread their wings and speed away swift as bullets. AUTUMN PHEASANT SHOOTING. 193 AUTUMN PHEASANT SHOOTING. “Tt is brilliant Autumn time, the most brilliant time of all, When the gorgeous woods are gleaming ere the leaves begin to fall; When the maple boughs are crimson, and the hickory shines like gold, When the noons are suliry hot, and the nights are frosty cold ; When the country has no green but the sword-grass by the rill, And the willows in the valley, and the pine upon the hill; When the pippin leaves the bough. and the sumach’s fruit is red, And the Quail is piping loud from the buckwheat where he fed ; \ When the sky i is blue as steel, and the river clear as glass, When the mist is on the mountain, and the network on the grass ; When the harvests all are housed and the farmer’s work is done, And the woodland is resounding with the spaniels and the gun ”’ ANON. iF all the sports with dog and gun there are but few | in which nature presents such charms, beauty and scenery, to an observant sportsman, as the sport of w Pheasant shooting in Autumn, in America. Among ua Nee hills, ravines, rocky rifts, and secluded wood- land dells, amidst moss-covered rocky hillsides, where mountain springs, and small running streams senate shel- tered by the boughs of pine, nemioes laurel, and other ever- greens, amidst woodland foliage, rich and ripe, with every tint of Autumn shade and color, among mountain rills, streams, and brooks, and waterfalls clear as crystal, among these native haunts of the Pheasant, nature reveals her sweetest charms, and most beautiful scenery. Here in Autumn she revels in her most luxurious garb, and mocks the feeble efforts of the Poet’s pen, the Painter’s eye, and Artist’s pencil to portray her inimitable splendor. Among such landscapes the true sportsman will conduct you with dog and gun, without a thought, for this is the place, as « 25 194 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. rile, where the home, haunts and habits of these wild, watchful, secluded, mountain birds are found. These game birds are brought to bag in various ways—they are taken in traps, in nooses and snares, and, when on the wing, with dog and gun. To be successful in shooting Pheasants on the wing, it requires great skill and excellence in handling the gun; at the same time there is no sport that so much depends on the perfect coolness, and quick action of the sportsman, as Pheasant shooting, and I am not aware of any other sport in which the nerves of the sportsman are more fully tested, than in this delightful recreation. Pheasants require careful watching to mark them down. You must eye them very closely in their Ime of flight, and when you lose sight of them through the cover, or in the distance, keep your eye on their line of flight, and far in advance; they very often show themselves when coming down, by a motion of their wings, or in some other way, long after you have lost sight of them. Our Pheasants are found usually in the most dense covers, and the dog that is best adapted to their pur- suit is a well-broken, easily controlled, diligent and steady Pointer or Setter. I have no preference for the Pointer over the Setter for this sport, when either possesses the following qualities. He should have a good nose, and should stand firm, and should carry his head well up, and when the weather is calm, or going either with or against the wind, he should scent his game from twenty to forty yards distance, and draw upon the scent slowly with cat-like vaution, and have judgment enough to be content to stand before flushing up his game, fast and firm upon the scent, with head high, and tail stiff, from ten te twenty yards from his game, as these wild birds will not always lie to allow a much closer point. With a Pointer or Setter with these qualities, and these alone, will Pheasants, over dogs, be suecessfully shot. ‘Phe Pheasant, when frightened from the ground, offers the best and fairest mark to be killed, when they mount up into the air before getting headway on the wing. Flying around or across they offer a fair AUTUMN PHEASANT SHOOTING. 195 chance to be killed, as the shot hits with full force, and one or two pellets will stop them. Flying straight forward they offer a bad chance to be killed, and you must draw upon them very quick, or they will be out of range, and they must be hit hard to be brought down. With a dog that_you can depend upon, and it is best to have with you a companion, go into the woods where you know Pheas- ants abound, hunt out the ravines and gullies, and the thickets which extend out from, and along the edges of the woods, hunt regularly the sides of the hills, especially if they are rocky and grown up with bushes and laurel, look well to the ground where grapevines abound, especi- ally if there are grapes hanging on the vines. If possible, hunt the dog so be will have the benefit of the wind in his favor, as he will scent his game much farther when the wind is in his favor, than he would otherwise. When your dog trails or scents a Pheasant and comes to a stand, and you can depend upon him standing to his point, make no noise, speak not a word, and if the ground will admit of it, make a circuit to the right and left of the dog, slowly and cautiously upon the bird, so you will encircle him between your friend, dog, and yourself. When come upon in this way and flushed, he will mount up into the air and fly off, and will offer a beautiful mark. Now, if you are a good shot, and you are quick in handling your gun, and are care- ful not to let your nerves get in a flutter, but take the bird quick, before it gets too well on the wing, it will be yours. Should the lay of the ground be of such a character that it would not admit of your making a circuit to the right, and left of the dog, to encircle the bird, other tactics should be used—advance slowly and cautiously behind the dog, to within six or eight feet of him; on coming up to this spot let your companion stop and stand fast, you make a circuit around to the right or left to one side, and a little in ad- vance, as the nature of the ground will admit; the advant- age is that when the bird is flushed, whatever direction it should happen to take, it will be impossible for it to fly off and escape, without offering a fair chance to be killed, by 196 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. exposing its vital parts to a cross or side shot, from one or the other of you. Remember, these stragetic movements should never be attempted, except over well broken, staunch dogs. When Pheasant shooting with dogs of such a char- acter that you cannot depend upon them to stand firm upon their game, the best plan to pursue to be successful, is to mark the birds down, keep your dogs behind you, and walk the birds up. In this way, when your dogs start a Pheas- ant, watch the bird in its flight, mark the course it has taken, call your dogs in and keep them behind you, and follow on the bird’s line of flight the course it has taken, and when you have gone far enough, or close to the place where you thought it settled, step off right or left from this line twenty or thirty feet, turn squarely to the right or left, have your finger upon the trigger, and keep a sharp lookout, taking a direct course running with your first line ; when you have reached your limit of distance that you sup- posed the bird to he, turn to the right or left from twenty to thirty feet, according to the thickness of the cover, and take a course backwards parallel to your first line. So con- tinue on in this way until you have been over, in parallel lines, all the ground that is likely to contain your bird. Should you fail to get the bird up, let your dogs out, hunt them close around and in your sight, give them plenty of time and they will be apt to find it. Should it get up too far in advance, or escape by plunging into thick cover, which it-is almost sure to do, don’t get in a rage or curse your luck, or get discouraged, but take it coolly, call your dogs in and keep them behind you, and follow on after the bird as before. Stick to him, for the oftener it is driven up, the more chances you will have of bagging it. After being driven up several times in succession, it will lose its courage, and lie closer, and become tamer and tamer, and less capable to evade pursuit, and finally will offer you an excellent opportunity to bag it, by rising close at your feet. A Pheasant generally flies straight off in a bee line, but before settling he usually turns to the right or left and sweeps around and alights, and by this trick he is apt to AUTUMN PHEASANT SHOOTING. 197 mislead you, and escape being found, which frequently saves his life. By following the rules I have given, and perse- vering in them, if you are a good, quick shot, not one Pheas- ant in a hundred will miss your bag. 198 FRANK SCHLEY’S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. SHOOTING IN WOODS AND THICKETS. Fast flying shots and running game Shoot without closing either eye to aim. SCHLEY. (¥ [LE gun for shooting in the woods and thickets should * be ashort barrel, No. 12, 13, or 14 guage. The length wey of the barrel should not be more than twenty-nine o inches. ee eee arte. %e Panis 8 fa ier 45 IVA