The Science of Hunting the Otter. 169 



most probably be found, basing his conclusions on 

 the indications at hand in spraints, seal, scent, 

 size and colour of the water, state of the weather, 

 and hour of the day. Then he will proceed to act 

 on his conclusion and wait upon his hounds to tell 

 him whether it is right or wrong, never forgetting 

 that the unexpected happens more frequently in 

 Otter-hunting than in any other form of the chase. 

 On hot days, particularly in August and September, 

 Otters will be more frequently found lying out than 

 in holts ; and indeed in my experience quite thirty- 

 five per cent, of all the Otters I ever saw found 

 were lying out. I have heard some Masters say that 

 hounds will not voluntarily hunt the heel drag of an 

 Otter, but if left to themselves will put themselves 

 right. This is not my experience, and " Otter " 

 Davies thought that '' heel too often affords the most 

 enjoyable scent." So that until an Otter has been 

 ''sealed" up or down, or in rocky rivers his spraints 

 found on the down-stream side of a boulder or the 

 reverse, it is not safe to decide whether one is 

 hunting heel or not. 



An Otter often takes the water at the end of his 

 night's work, and instead of going on up stream 

 drops back with the current to his holt, leaving no 

 trace. The unimaginative Master, coming to the end 

 of the drag, will press on for a mile or so hoping to 

 pick it up again and encouraged perhaps by hounds 



