SHOOTING IN NEW FOREST 261 



rough shooting, in all weathers, when a few 

 blanks must be looked for, it is not a record to 

 be despised by the sportsman who is not solely 

 a shooter. Nor must I overlook the record of 

 my neighbour Colonel Austen, who, shooting always 

 alone, and rarely employing any conveyance, 

 averaged 138 snipe to his gun for ten consecutive 

 years this in addition to other game. As, for 

 instance, in one of the years I am referring 

 to his grand total was 472 head, of which snipe 

 accounted for 116 only. 



The figures I have given were a fair criterion 

 of what was done in the way of shooting in the 

 Forest in my day by the fairly active division. 

 There were of course, as always, some sports- 

 men who, becoming advanced in years, could no 

 longer make the most of what is undoubtedly 

 rough shooting in every sense of the word, both 

 as to rough walking and long distances to travel. 

 But there are many who set great store upon 

 the healthy exercise they get combined with 

 amusement. But, taken all round, the New Forest 

 is the poor sportsman's paradise. He can for 

 the small sum of 20 get 50,000 and more acres 

 to shoot over, with the certainty that there is 

 something to shoot. He generally impresses his 

 gardener or his groom into the service as beater. 

 If he employs a man from outside, no remunera- 



