430 SPORT IN THE HIGHLANDS OF KASHMIR chap. 



to go for. This will necessarily depend largely on the 

 amount of leave that he may succeed in obtaining, or the 

 time he may otherwise be able to spare in the country. 

 There is so little game now to be had, and it is scattered 

 over such extensive tracts, that a man with only a short 

 time at his disposal should not attempt to do too much. 

 If he does, he will probably have very hard work while in 

 Kashmir, and will not get a decent bag. Three months 

 is about the shortest period in which a man can hope to 

 get shooting in some of the more distant nalas, and I 

 doubt if it is worth while going to Kashmir for less than 

 this. A year is the time I should recommend for doing 

 a thoroughly good shoot. I was there for about eight 

 months, and if I had remained on for another couple of 

 months or so, I ought to have added one or two markhor, 

 some black bears, a couple of stags, and probably a 

 common leopard to my bag. In six months a good deal 

 can be done, provided a man is prepared to work hard, 

 and does not shirk the long marching which has to be 

 got through by any one who wants to cover much 

 ground. 



If three months only is available, the choice of the 

 ground will be affected by the time of the year. If the 

 sportsman goes in the spring, then I should recommend 

 Baltistan, and suggest his trying for markhor, ibex, and 

 red bear. If he goes in the autumn he should, I think, 

 make for Ladak, and endeavour to secure some two or 

 three of the animals obtainable in that part of Kashmir. 

 Of course, if some special kind of game is wanted the 

 case is different. For instance if a man wants Ovis 

 amnion in particular, he would do well to go to Ladak in 



