BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



happened to wound a deer and it sought refuge with one of 

 these small herds, there was no scruple about slipping stag- 

 hound or lurcher to bring the wounded quarry to bay. When 

 the old unprofitable sheepwalks were abandoned as such, and, 

 in obedience to the demand for forests, given over to the deer, 

 the herds increased in size, as many as two or three hundred 

 banding together. If under such circumstances a wounded 

 deer joined the herd pursued by a dog, the whole crowd would 

 be frightened away, and probably take up its quarters on a 

 neighbouring forest where dogs were not allowed. 



The deerhound was a very necessary assistant in the days 

 when sporting rifles were much less accurate than they have 

 since been made. A hundred yards, says Captain Ross, was 

 the limit of range, practically speaking, and many stalkers 

 used a smoothbore, which could be depended on up to seventy 

 yards : some smoothbore users put ball in one barrel and slugs 

 in the other. Thus a vast number of deer were wounded and 

 would have escaped, had not deerhound or other fast dog been 

 held ready to slip and bring it to bay. 



Great attention was bestowed on the dogs employed for 

 this work. Lord Breadalbane had a famous kennel of dogs 

 which he used exclusively for bringing deer to bay : these were 

 mostly a cross between foxhound and greyhound, but some 

 were foxhound-deerhound cross. 



Deer-coursing was a very old sport in England. Turber- 

 vile says : ' We here in England do make great account of such 

 pastime as is to be seen in coursing with Greyhounds at Deare, 

 Hare, foxes or such like. . . . First for the course at the Deare 

 (especially if it be a red Deare) you may devide your Grey- 

 hounds into three sundry parts, viz. Teasers, Side-layes and 

 Back sets or Receytes. By this worde Teasers is ment the first 

 Greyhounde or brase or lease of Greyhoundes which is let slip 

 either at the whole hearde, to bring a Deare single to ye course 

 or els at a lowe (lone) deare to make him streine before he come 

 at the sidelayes and backsets. For a deare is of this nature, 

 that when he once hath set his head forwarde any way he will 



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