Seal Shooting

There was some talk of a sportsman’s badge being earned by the person who had killed a seal, a stag, and a golden eagle. The former is very easy to kill, but very difficult to bag. It must be shot absolutely dead instantaneously, or it struggles into the water and there sinks. It has to be caught when basking on the rocks or sands, and this generally means shooting from a boat in a sea which will not be still, so that the chances of a brain shot are not great. To shoot seals when they come up to have a look at a passing boat is to wound them generally, but if they are killed they sink. Possibly the only advantage of shooting seals is to save some fish. The salmon waiting to run up rivers are made to suffer greatly very often. The seal of our coasts is not the fur seal, and has little value when shot.

Capercailzie

This is the finest game bird we have, unless it be considered that the lately introduced wild turkeys are finer; both are the offspring of imported birds, for the turkeys never were British birds, and the capercailzie after extinction were re-introduced in the Taymouth Castle district by the then Earl of Breadalbane.

The birds do not grow in Scotland to nearly the size of those of the Continent, and fine as they are they give but little sport, and are thought to be objectionable in many ways. One of these is said to be that they eat the leaders of the Scotch pine and so ruin the trees; but it is difficult to believe this to be correct, for the leaders of the pines could hardly be reached from any other branch but its own, and this would prove a very insecure seat for so heavy a bird. However, capercailzie are increasing in Scotland, in spite of the determination of many woodmen to keep them down. That they form a very pretty addition to a day’s bag, and create the excitement that variety usually affords, is true enough. There is no place equal to some of the less elevated estates in Perthshire for variety of bag. There capercailzie, roe deer, brown hares, rabbits, duck, teal, blackcock, pheasants, grouse, partridges, woodcock, two sorts of snipe, and wood pigeons, as well as a variety of the scarcer kinds of duck, may all be killed in one day. But it is difficult to beat for the majority of these varieties of game in any one way; for instance, capercailzie and black game seem to require special methods of beating covers for them, and then they are not both likely to take the same course, as the caper can make but little headway up hill and the black game can. Where capercailzie are numerous they are very interesting to drive and shoot, for it is not easy to do either properly. But they are usually too scarce for special days in October, and in August they give no sport in their half-fledged condition. Seventy of these birds have been killed in driving in one day near Dunkeld. The hens lay from 6 to 13 eggs. The full-grown cock-of-the-woods weighs from 9 to 13 lbs. in Scotland, but is bigger in Scandinavia. The hen lays late in May, and the birds are polygamous. LinnÆus gave the scientific name Tetrao urogallus to the cock-of-the-woods, which is known in Gaelic as Capultcoille. He is Tiwr to the Norwegian, and TjÄder to the Swede; Glouhar to the Russian, and Auerhahn to the German. These birds became extinct in Ireland about 1760 and in Scotland about 1780, and were not re-introduced successfully until 1837, although repeated attempts had been made.

The Quail

is rarely a winter resident in England or Ireland, but was so much more frequently in the middle of last century. Then, too, large numbers used to come to this country in May to breed here. They were supposed to leave in September, but the author believes that the majority left before the shooting season, as he has often found broods in the sixties which disappeared before the opening of partridge shooting.

They cannot be forced, or even encouraged, to migrate to this country. Instinct once lost cannot be re-created by any act of ours. The King tried turning out a lot of quail at Sandringham, where they bred, but being spared they migrated, and not one of them came back. Still, although His Majesty is not likely to try this experiment again, it seems to the author to have proved the possibility of success, provided ambition does not soar too high. It shows that if we had quail leagues in the various counties, we might greatly add to our sport by buying up the imported live quail and releasing them. If we could get Hungarian partridges at ninepence or a shilling each, who would not buy them? The quail is quite as fertile of sport and breeds as freely, and after being turned down in the spring wanders no more before breeding than the partridge that has also been turned down, but in the autumn. Consequently, although it does not always pay a single estate to turn out either, it would pay the sporting interest of a county to do it. Quail lay from 10 to 20 eggs, rear most of their young, and 10,000 of these birds can be had in the spring for about £400. That is not much for an addition of 10,000 game birds to a county in a time when each head killed costs from 3s. 6d. to 5s.; but when the chances of the breeding of these 10,000 are taken into account, it becomes a likely 50,000 and a possible 100,000 extra game birds. What does it matter that those not shot are lost to the county? They will be re-imported from Africa and Italy another season, and can be again bought alive, instead of being killed for the London hotels and clubs. We are fond of deploring the extermination of these migrants, but the receiver is as bad as the catcher, especially when he eats in the breeding season that which he professes to wish to preserve. Even on the lowest ground of self-interest, a quail turned out in England is worth many dead ones.

The scientific name of the quail is Coturnix communis, and this migrant is not to be confused with the non-migratory “Virginian Colin,” “Bob-white,” or more truly partridge, the scientific name of which is Ortyx virginianus.

Quail are beautiful birds to shoot over dogs, and although they will not drive, the shooting of them over dogs can be indulged without doing any injury to partridge driving.

The Landrail

There is no better bird for the table than the landrail, but he is hardly a sporting bird. His flight is very slow, but he is sometimes missed by quick shots who have been shooting rapid rising partridges and shoot too quickly at these slow flying birds. The landrail has from 7 to 10 eggs, breeds successfully in insect-breeding seasons, and has been shot in large numbers in a single field. A little more than a quarter of a century ago, Mr. Farrer, Mr. C. W. Digby, and Alex. M. Luckham shot 24½ or 25½ couple of landrail in a field of clover-heads at the end of Nine Barrow Down, Purbeck; and in 1905 there were 26½ couple killed in the day about two miles west of this field. Sparrow hawks used to be trained especially for taking landrails, as mentioned in Chafin’s History of Cranbourne Chace, dated 1818. In 1880 there were 211 landrails shot at Acryse Park, Folkestone, and 35 birds in one day by two guns in two clover-fields. The landrail, or corncrake, is known as Crex pratensis.

Teal

The teal breeds freely in this country, and only requires to be less often shot in the early days of the shooting season to multiply rapidly. In those early days it affords no sport, but becomes a wonderful flyer when full feathered. It has from 8 to 15 eggs. No captured teal can be made use of for breeding, but their eggs are easily dealt with, just as those of the wild duck are treated. It is possible to introduce teal to a new place by placing their eggs in the nests of moorhens. The scientific name of the common teal is Querquedula crecca.

This beautiful bird lays 4 eggs; it breeds on all suitable moorlands in this country, but the majority of the golden plover found in winter are migrants. When they first arrive, the shooter may boldly advance to a flock upon the ground, which will often not move until within range; but the bird soon gets wild, although after a successful shot the flock will often return to see what is the matter with its disabled or dead comrades. Its scientific name is Charadrius pluvialis.

Roe Deer

Too frequently the roe deer is killed in August, whereas then he is never in condition. In driving Scotch woodlands for these little deer, a very few good beaters are better than a great crowd of noisy boys. Shouting and talking leads to the deer breaking back, for they are less afraid of a crowded line of yelling boys than of the silent unknown enemy which gives but an occasional tap together of two sticks. This is a more effectual plan than tapping the tree trunks. Six beaters in this way can be effective in a beat half a mile wide, and will send the deer forward, where forty shouting boys will cause all the deer to break away at the flanks, or to lie still until the line has passed, and then to “break back.” The reason is probably that when the path of each boy is accurately to be gauged by the sound made, the deer know whether they will have to move or not long before the line approaches near, and consequently act just in that way which is best to avoid a known danger. But the few beaters, with the occasional tap of a stick, is something quite unknown, and the nerves of the deer cannot stand it. They are up and off long before the line approaches near, and they flee not to the flanks or back, but straight ahead.

Roe deer are as easily killed with shot guns as hares—indeed, more easily. The writer has known one to be killed with No. 6 shot at 60 yards range, and instantaneously dead, too. It seems to be causing unnecessary danger to take out high velocity or express rifles for these deer drives; and besides, with them it is impossible to make a bag of winged game at the same time. A rabbit rifle is hardly powerful enough to avoid wounding and losing deer, unless the vitals are hit with an expanding bullet, and as the roe is generally shot running, the author is not inclined to condemn the use of the shot gun as unsportsmanlike. No. 4 shot are equally useful for roe deer and capercailzie and black game, or the three principal occupants of the Scotch woodlands. Pheasants also can be equally well killed with No. 4 shot as with No. 6, and will be the better for the table by reason of the change. If a rifle of any kind is used, an expanding bullet is by far the best to avoid wounded beasts getting away. Roe deer are often condemned as inferior to mutton, but the writer is not of that opinion. Half the mutton is spoilt in flavour by the “dressings,” or rather “dips,” used for the protection from or cure of sheep scab—a horrible disease with a filthy cure.

The Ptarmigan

Ptarmigan are generally walked up by a line of guns when a party can all be got to ascend to the high tops inhabited by these birds, Alpine hares, and little life besides, except for the eagles, which greatly appreciate both bird and mammal. The eagle has been known to strike down a ptarmigan in the air, although it probably catches them generally on the ground. The reason why dogs are not much used for ptarmigan is that the almost constant foot scent of hares leads to false pointing or else to hunting their lines; both tricks are equally objectionable, and show that the dogs have only been partially broken, possibly in the absence of hares. In a hare country it is quite easy to have high-couraged dogs that will point hares in their seats but will not notice the foot scents. These are so seldom seen, though, that it is best, in their absence, to walk up or to drive ptarmigan. They are in a sense the wildest of British game, but it is a wildness that induces hiding for safety rather than flight. Their protective coloration enables them to deceive their greatest enemies, the eagles and the falcons, and they naturally rely on the device of absolute stillness to escape detection by other creatures. Generally they fly away at sight of an eagle, but lie stone close when a falcon comes in view. The eagle can sometimes kill them on the wing, but this is more frequently the falcon’s method, and the birds know it. In winter they change to white, and the snow affords them protection, not only because of its similar whiteness, but also because they bury themselves in it for safety as well as for food. In summer they are grey and white, showing grey from above and looking white on taking flight. It is a mistake to say that they feed upon heather; the majority of ptarmigan live winter and summer above the highest altitude of the heather. The number of birds is nowhere very great, nor could they be expected to increase very much; for the vegetation on which they mostly live is scanty on their chosen rocks, and is indeed the moss which grows on these apparently almost bare surfaces. Were numbers large, ptarmigan would be more valued as game birds, because of their greater activity in flight than the red grouse. Often they fly like rock pigeons leaving their cliff caves, and, unlike the red grouse, they frequently make very steep angle flights at a very great velocity down hill, and then they can twist and swerve and curve in a wonderful manner. To be seen at their best they must be visited in October, but it is dangerous work when a chance exists of a snowstorm. Ptarmigan are found all round the Arctic circle, although some people think the American variety a different species. The birds sold in the game-dealers’ shops as ptarmigan are nearly always willow grouse—the rype of Norway. There the ptarmigan is the Fjeldrype, and in Sweden it is the Fjallripa. Its scientific title is Lagopus mutus. The ptarmigan is monogamous, and has from 8 to 15 eggs. Neither nests nor birds are easy to find in the breeding season, and on the most open spaces, where there is no covert whatever, the bird frequently escapes observation; and, besides, the croak of the bird is very misleading, and will rarely assist in the discovery of the locality of origin of the voice. Probably the rocks assist this ventriloquism. Ptarmigan are not found in England or Ireland, and no farther south than the Grampians on the mainland, and Islay in the isles of Scotland. The largest bag ever made, as far as is known to the author, was the 122 obtained by the late Hon. G. R. C. Hill at Auchnashellach on 25th August, 1866. But the 142 obtained in the year on the whole of the Duke of Sutherland’s property in 1880, when over 50,000 grouse were shot, much nearer shows how little sport may be expected even on good ground. Ptarmigan, in common with grouse and partridges, feign lameness to draw an enemy away from their young.

The Coot

This is an excellent bird where it is found in great numbers, but is only fitted to give much sport by driving. It rises slowly, but is fast when on the wing, flies high, and takes a great deal of killing. Colonel Hawker quite rightly advised those who would have wild fowl to preserve their coots and not to keep tame swans. Wild fowl fancy themselves secure in the presence of coots, which are most wakeful when the duck by day are much disposed to sleep. Gallinula chloropus, the moorhen, gives no sport, but is good training for retrievers. LinnÆus gave the title Fulica atra to the coot. It lays from 7 to 10 eggs.

The Widgeon, or the Whew Bird

This bird breeds seldom in Scotland and Ireland, but large quantities come from abroad in the hard weather; they are the principal attraction of the punt gunner, and afford the chief profit of the decoy man. The way to find widgeon is to discover their chief food, the Zostera marina of the mud flats, and then wait for hard weather and the night, when they feed. Mareca penelopes is its scientific name.

Wild Geese

The grey-lag is the handsomest of these, and the only one that breeds in Britain, and there only in the extreme north of Scotland. It goes South early, and affords little or no winter shooting in this country. In the early autumn some flight shooting and stalking are to be had in its breeding homes.

The Pink-footed Goose

This is the principal of the grey geese to afford sport; it is this species that gives such a great deal of shooting on the north Norfolk coast, but it is not found in Ireland, which is famed in winter for its black geese—the locally miscalled bernicle, i.e. the brent goose, which, if not now found in thousands of acres, as described in Wild Sports of the West, are still migrants in their hundreds of thousands.

The brent goose is entirely a marine feeder, and is consequently, along with the widgeon, the great game of the punt gunner. There are many other varieties of geese, both migrants and introductions, like the Canada goose, but they count for very little in sport in this country, whereas in Egypt, on the Nile, wonderful sport has been had with Egyptian geese, and there is a regular harvest for Canada geese in America, where as many as 200 flighting birds have been shot in a day by one gunner. The beginner in punt gunning cannot do better than buy a second-hand gun and punt, and learn from them what he really wants, which will never be quite the same for any two men. Much depends upon the man himself, whether he intends to have assistance, and whether he has also a yacht to carry him and his punt and guns abroad. As many people have started this sport who have not gone on with it, probably advertising for the outfit would be a certain way of obtaining it at small cost, even if the gun-shops were drawn blank, which is not likely at any time. To be a punt gunner, one has to place oneself at the call of the wind, at the mercy of the wave, and to become the plaything of the tide. But then revenge is sweeping, if it is not also sweet.