STAGS 79 



to face the open, and trust to his heels for escape, 

 and may give the tufters much trouble before 

 they can persuade him to leave the covert. So 

 long as there is another deer within hail, a hind 

 possibly or a younger stag, the hunted one is very 

 apt to try to shift the tufters on to it, sometimes 

 indeed poking it out of the spot where it is lying 

 down, and taking its place himself. 



Q. How many calves does a hind usually have 

 at a birth ? 



A. Seldom more than one. 



Q. How are deer of different ages colloquially 

 spoken of ? 



A. As a two, three, or four year-old " galloper," 

 " old stags," and " heavy deer." They count 

 *' the rights " also, " Brow, Bay, and Tray, and so 

 many points on top." 



Q. How old should a stag be before it is 

 hunted ? 



A. Four years old at least ; though by accident, 

 or for lack of another, it sometimes happens 

 that a three-year-old is run. 



Q. When does stag-hunting begin ? 



A. Bye-days, somewhat analogous to cub- 

 hunting, begin about July 25th, sometimes rather 

 earlier ; and the opening meet of the Devon and 

 Somersetshire Staghounds takes place at Clout- 

 sham, usually about August 8th. 



Stags are hunted till the middle of October, 

 when hounds are stopped for about three weeks, 

 and then hind-hunting begins and goes on till 

 April, when stags are again hunted till early in 

 May. 



