60 HUNTING 



3. Difference hetiueen riding to stag-Jwunds and riding 

 to fox-liounds. 



1. Difference letiveen stag and fox for Jmnting 

 purposes, — With the exception of a vixen in cub, or 

 suckling cubs, a fox is always runable, i.e. fit to be 

 hunted. A stag is seldom hunted before he is five 

 years old — never before he is four years old. Hinds, i.e. 

 the females of the stag, are hunted as soon as they 

 are strong enough to run before hounds. A " warrant- 

 able " stag means a stag fit to be hunted. The age of 

 a stag can be told at a glance by his horns, as under : — 



Yearling, no horns ; two-year-old, a short spire ; 

 three-year-old, spire lengthened and "brow-antler " pro- 

 jected ; four-year-old, horns eighteen inches in length 

 and "bay antler" projected ; five-year-old, " tray antler" 

 projected and two points on the top of one horn ; six- 

 year-old, brow, bay, and tray, and two points on each 

 horn ; seven-year-old, brow, bay and tray, and two points 

 on one horn and three points on the other ; eight-year- 

 old, brow, bay, and tray, and three points on each 

 horn. 



The expressions " two on top " and " three on top " 

 mean respectively a seven-year-old and an eight-year- 

 old stag. A stag sheds his horns annually in the 

 spring, and they are replaced in about fifteen weeks. 

 During the period of replacement the stag suffers great 

 agony and weakness owing to loss of blood. 



Stag-hunting begins in the second week of August, 

 and continues till the first week in October. Then the 

 rutting season, alias the stag's honeymoon, commences, 

 and, like that of the human being, lasts for about 

 three weeks, after which hind-hunting commences, and 

 lasts till the beginning of April. It must be further 



