CHAPTER TWO THE ROE DEER 



pointed horns. Of course I had no more to urge in his be- 

 half. In its native wilds no animal is more timid, and eager 

 to avoid all risk of danger. The roe has peculiarly acute 

 organs of sight, smelling and hearing, and makes good use 

 of all three in avoiding its enemies. 



In shooting roe, it depends so much on the cover, and 

 other local causes, whether dogs or beaters should be used, 

 that no rule can be laid down as to which is best. Nothing 

 is more exciting than running roe with beagles, where the 

 ground is suitable, and the covers so situated that the dogs 

 and their game are frequently in sight. The hounds for roe- 

 shooting should be small and slow. Dwarf harriers are the 

 best, or good sized rabbit-beagles, where the ground is not 

 too rough. The roe when hunted by small dogs of this kind 

 does not make away, but runs generally in a circle, and is 

 seldom above a couple of hundred yards ahead of the 

 beagles. Stoppingevery now and then tolisten,andallowing 

 them to come very near, before he goes off again. I n this way, 

 giving the sportsman a good chance of knowing where the 

 deer is during mostof the run. Many people use fox-hounds 

 for roe-shooting, but generally these dogs run too fast, and 

 press the roebuck so much that he will not stand it, but 

 leaves the cover, and goes straightway out of reach of the 

 sportsman, who is left to cool himself without any hope of 

 a shot. Besides this, you entirely banish roe from the cover 

 if you hunt them frequently with fast hounds, as no animal 

 more delights in quiet and solitude, or will less put up with 

 too much driving. In most woods beaters are better for 

 shooting roe with than dogs, though the combined cun- 

 ning and timidity of the animal frequently make it double 

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