OTTER-HUNTING 



awakens the echoes as hounds mark solidly, some 

 of them tearing at the bank in their eagerness to 

 have their quarry " out of that." There is no 

 doubt he is at home, but if there was, you need 

 only watch old Boatman swimming round and 

 round beneath the holt in an endeavour to take the 

 scent or " wash," to convince you that hounds are 

 right. 



The great advantage of meeting early lies in the 

 fact that if there is an otter or otters working 

 the water that you propose to hunt, you are 

 practically sure of finding a drag, which at that 

 time of day will lie strongly. As already 

 mentioned, otters lie rough, as well as in holts, and 

 may be found almost anywhere, often far from the 

 main river. Here is where you benefit by a warm 

 trail, for there will be no doubt as to the point at 

 which your quarry left the main river, and took to 

 a side runner, or out across country to some pond 

 or other favourite feeding ground. Supposing, 

 however, that your otter has left a drag on the 



banks of the main river, which leads hounds 



83 



