Game Animals Have a Strong Odour. 109 



fresh tracks and spoor it up, and certainly this is the 

 highest art of hunting. 



I have mentioned that the pleasantest time to go out 

 shooting is in the afternoon, when the grass and vege- 

 tation are dry and the sun is losing its power. There 

 are two objections to this time and these are that if an 

 animal is shot it has to be left out all night, and this spoils 

 the meat for the white man's use. If the game is disem- 

 bowelled, or "gralloched" as they tay in Scotland, the 

 smell will carry a long way, and it is bound to attract 

 hyaenas and perhaps lions if there are any about. The 

 other objection is that should a beast be wounded there 

 is no time to spoor it up and put it out of pain, and 

 this is a very serious objection indeed, in my opinion, 

 for it is cruel to leave a wounded animal for over twelve 

 hours. 



The disadvantage about the morning shoot is that the 

 grass and vegetation, before the time of the annual fires, 

 will be soaking wet with dew ; in fact, so wet that one 

 might as well walk through a pond. However, the sun 

 soon gets strong and dries one if it is not a dull and cloudy 

 day. Such a morning is sometimes beautiful with the 

 sun's rays flashing on the dewdrops like millions of 

 diamonds, and the sprays of long grass like a highly 

 polished series of sword blades. 



Often the "couch" of some game animal will be seen, 

 and there is usually such a strong smell that it is possible 

 to tell what species has been lying there. Buffalo have a 

 strong odour, so have eland and waterbuck, and pig also 

 leave a strong taint behind. 



Sometimes I have smelt game before seeing it, and 

 animals can have little difficulty in tracing their own kind 

 by the sense of smell. I imagine, too, that the feet of 

 animals leave a strong scent behind, which enables others 

 to follow them. 



Most game move about at night, when they eat and 

 drink, and they lie up when the sun begins to get hot, 

 which is about 9 or 10 a.m. 



