Deer for Hunting 9 5 



As I have mentioned before, I once hunted an axis hind, which 

 gave a very good run ; but it was a fortunate occurrence that she 

 got into a pond and was thus saved. I do not think axis deer 

 would do for carted hunting, as, from being so small and delicate, 

 they would be almost sure to get killed. 



The larger deer, like the wapiti, are too clumsy, and would most 

 likely take to road-running. 



Wapiti would likewise be dangerous to people they came across 

 while being hunted. 



The red deer is the most suitable deer for carted hunting. 



As regards wild red deer hunting, what is wanted is not at all 

 the type of deer that is best for shooting. 



In shooting, the stag with the best head and the heaviest body 

 is what is wanted ; for hunting a heavy head is a hindrance to the 

 stag, and a heavy body even more so, so that what is wanted is 

 a greyhound type of stag, with a small, light head. 



I suppose this type is produced by the survival of the fittest 

 in countries regularly hunted over, since, like foxes and hares in a 

 hunting or coursing country, the stags and hinds which can gallop 

 best and stay longest are those which survive to perpetuate the race. 



In hunting in France a " dagget," i.e. a two-year-old stag, gives 

 a much better run than an old twelve-pointer, the old stag just 

 ringing about trying to get other stags to take his place by putting 

 them up. French hounds are, however, hard to baffle, and stick 

 to their hunted stag with very little help from the huntsman. 



It was rather amusing to see an illustration in an English 

 paper lately, with the words under the picture, " Hunting in France 

 a 1'Anglaise," since hunting in England was taken from the old 



