HUNTING & SHOOTING IN CEYLON 



THE HOG DEER 



The true hog deer (Cervus porcinus) is found in Ceylon, 

 but, as it is confined to a strip of country lying a little 

 inland from the coast between Kalutara and Hambantota 

 in the Southern Province, it is more than probable that 

 it has been introduced into the country from India. 



It is absolutely identical with the Indian species, and 

 in appearance is a very small reddish-coloured elk with 

 short legs and a clumsy body. 



In actual size the buck is rather smaller than a spotted 

 buck, and the antlers are three-tined, approximating in 

 appearance to a very small elk head. I have had no 

 personal experience of this deer, never even having seen 

 one, and the information I am able to give my readers 

 has been kindly supplied to me by gentlemen who have 

 seen or shot the animal. It frequents swamps and swampy 

 scrub, and is especially fond of lying up in the long grass. 

 It has also a great partiality for paddy fields, and is often 

 spoken of as the " paddy field deer." It is a nocturnal 

 feeder and rather given to breaking into native gardens 

 and helping itself to the contents. 



As concerns the shooting of this animal, the only prac- 

 ticable way seems to be by driving. A deer having been 

 ascertained to be in a block of scrub or swamp, the 

 guns are posted in likely situations and natives employed 

 to drive the animal out. If it has to cross a piece of 

 open on its way to safety it will do so at a great speed, 

 and will need a good shot to hit it. If any species of 

 cover is available, however, on the line of retreat, it will 

 sneak along with the utmost cunning and be very hard 

 to detect. Cases have been known of these animals being 

 practically kicked up and shot by snipe-shooters in the 



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