I ferrets a
goodish few rabbits on bright nights in winter.
'As for the pheasants, I gets them mostly about acorn-time; they comes
out of the plantations then. I keeps clear of the plantations, because,
besides the men a-watching, they have got dogs chained up, and
alarm-guns as goes off if you steps on the spring; and some have got a
string stretched along as you be pretty sure to kick against, and then,
bang! and all the dogs sets up a yowling. Of course it's only powder,
but it brings the keepers along. But when the acorns and the berries be
ripe, the pheasants comes out along the hedges after 'em, and gets up at
the haws and such like. They wanders for miles, and as they don't care
to go all the way back to roost they bides in the little copses as I
told you of. They come to the same copses every year, which is curious,
as most of them as will come this year will be shot before next.
'If I can't get 'em the fust night, I just throws a handful or two of
peas about the place, and they'll be sure to stay, and likely enough
bring two or three more. I mostly shoots 'em with just a little puff of
powder as you wouldn't hear across one field, especially if it's a windy
night. I had a air-gun, as was took from me, but he weren't much go: I
likes a gun as throws the shot wide, but I never shoots any but
roosters, unless I catch 'em standing still.
'All as I can tell you is as the dodge is this: you watch everybody, and
be always in the fields, and always work one parish till you knows every
hare in un, and always work by yourself and don't have no mates.
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