DEER-STALKING. 13 



The most propitious day for deer-stalking is a cloudy one 

 with blinks of sunshine exactly such as you would choose 

 for fishing. When the sky is cloudless, and the sun very 

 dazzling, the herd are apt to see you at a great distance, and 

 take alarm. High and changing wind is always very bad, 

 as it keeps them moving about in a wild and uneasy state. 

 In such weather it is better, if possible, to wait till it settles 

 a little, and take advantage of the first calm. If the breeze 

 be light, they will not move much, but a strong steady wind 

 lasting for some days will always make the deer change their 

 ground, by facing it often for miles. Mist is the worst of all,, 

 as the deer are pretty sure to see you before you see them. 

 Always advance on deer from above, as they are much less 

 apt to look up than down a hill. If possible, have the sun 

 at your back and in their face. With this advantage you may 

 even venture to approach them from below. (Birds, on the 

 contrary, always look up, and it is best to stalk them from 

 lower ground.) If it is a quiet shot, and the sun is at your 

 back, wait for a clear blink 1 before making your near ap- 

 proach. Of course every one knows that it is out of the 

 question, under any circumstances, to attempt advancing on 

 deer unless the wind be favourable ; so all other directions 

 are subject to this. 



In corries and hollows it is quite impossible to know how 

 the wind will blow upon a particular point, unless you have 

 marked every change of wind upon every point of the corrie. 



In high wind, deer are always difficult to drive. Should 

 they make a pause, they will in all likelihood turn in the face 

 of a hundred men, and not suffer themselves to be driven 

 farther. As the wind becomes stronger the higher you as- 

 cend, the deer on the tops of the hills are most difficult to 

 drive. The lowest ground is always the best for driving on 

 a windy day. 



1 Before fishing a sure salmon-cast, do just the reverse. If possible wait for 

 an obscuring cloud. 



