CHASING THE ROE 45 



the old dame did not appreciate its uncanny 

 approaches, and narrowly escaped with her life. 



Opinions differ as to the merits of the roe from 

 the point of view of the sportsman, but this, I 

 think, is mainly owing to the fact that so many 

 are killed in the course of the winter battues. 

 No doubt they add an element of the picturesque 

 to the bag as they are arranged in line before 

 the door of the lodge, with blackgame, woodcocks, 

 pheasants, hares, and rabbits, and perhaps a few 

 odd capercailzie ; but I for one would always 

 prefer not to pull the trigger of a shot-gun at 

 an object like a calf, although I have had many 

 an interesting and exciting day after them with 

 the rifle. It is true that "old masters" like 

 Colquhoun and St. John agree in recommending 

 shot as preferable to ball for roe-shooting, on 

 the ground that fewer are wounded ; but those 

 who humanely take the advice of these writers 

 do not sufficiently appreciate the great advance 

 which has been made since their time in the 

 manufacture of weapons of precision, of improved 

 range, velocity, and accuracy, combined with 

 lower elevation. I do not profess to be a first- 

 rate shot with a rifle, but I do not remember 

 losing a single wounded buck, although I have 

 accounted for a very large number during the 

 last twenty-five years. The hounds, if you have 

 them with you, or even retrievers or spaniels, 

 soon come up to a roe with a bullet in his 



