THE BUSH. 151 



game in the bush is to move very slowly so as not to be more noticeable than you 

 can help, and also this gives time to look well in every direction ; besides, the slower 

 you go, the more silent will be your advance, which gives the twofold advantage of 

 your being less likely to be heard and of permitting you to hear the better. 



The advantage spoken of so far has all been on the side of the game, but, 

 assuming the game itself is moving and the hunter proceeding slowly and in dead 

 silence, he may find that he is able to get the better of the game ; for it is very 

 difficult for grazing game — and especially a herd — to move in absolute silence. If 

 they are feeding off leaves and branches they must now and again betray themselves 

 by a cracking twig or the tearing off of a branch, so the hunter should be always 

 listening intently, and when he hears a sound should be more than ever on the 

 alert. The advantage will then rest all on his side, for he will know of the presence 

 of some animal, whilst it is still in ignorance of his proximity. He can then put 

 himself in the position of the stationary object behind imperfect cover and in 

 shadow watching for the moving object. The object which generally meets his 

 gaze on such occasions is a rump withdrawing behind a bush, or a pair of horns 

 bobbing up and down. 



However, the moving object does not necessarily draw towards the watcher, and, 

 after waiting in vain for the animal or some other member of the herd to step into 

 view, he generally finds it necessary to advance if he is to obtain a further glimpse. 

 If he does so, the advantage lies with the game once more, and he himself becomes 

 the moving object. He must, moreover, get into a position from which the greater 

 part of the animal is visible. The animal, on the other hand, needs only to see but 

 the smallest particle of the hunter's person, and an end is put to all chances 

 of success. 



So, if the sportsman must advance, he should try to locate by sound or otherwise 

 the exact positions of as many of the herd as possible. He must also keep near 

 bushes, and must not trust to the animal's not seeing him from the other side of any 

 one of them, behind which it has just screened itself. Likewise it would be as well for 

 him to advance in a crouching attitude, so as to be able to see beneath the branches ; 

 and such an attitude leaves less of his body to be seen, and also puts him on the 

 same sight-level as the animal, so that if the animal can see him he ought equally 

 well to see the animal, particularly as he is looking for it and knows, more or less, its 

 exact whereabouts, whilst the animal is keeping a look-out in no one particular 

 direction. Directly the hunter is discovered by the animal, either in the stalk or in 

 walking through the bush, immediately the animal starts up and pauses a moment to 

 look at him, he has to decide in that instant whether he will shoot or leave it alone. 



