24 MY SPORTING HOLIDAYS 



country, and the density of its cover, being out of 

 all proportion to the stock of deer. 



But take such an island as Tusteren, close to 

 Christian sund, which certainly ought to be as good 

 for deer as Hitteren. I have known of splendid stags 

 being killed on this island. In 1882 I shot a stag 

 there that weighed over 30 stone. But the stock of 

 deer now on it, and on Stabben, its neighbour, is, 

 I believe, hardly worth mentioning. Yet it possesses 

 all the natural characteristics of a perfect little deer- 

 forest. Its area is over 50,000 acres. High peaks 

 and succulent mountain grasses, dense forests of pine 

 and birch interspersed with lake and stream, sheltered 

 glens and corries, and good meadow and marsh 

 feeding, are all to be found on Tusteren, combined 

 with close proximity to the mainland, where the 

 roving stag can find all the summer range he can 

 possibly desire. The hostile factor in the case is I 

 speak confidentially the strongly-developed poaching 

 instincts of its inhabitants. An absolutely close time 

 for Tusteren has more than once been enacted by law, 

 with a view of getting up its stock of deer. I believe 

 such an enactment still exists. But venison has a 

 ready market in Christiansund and Throndhjem, and 

 no questions asked. It is also a valuable article of 

 winter diet at home ; while the inhabitants of Tusteren 

 have long possessed the cheap rifles already mentioned, 

 along with a thorough knowledge of moving deer to 

 passes. Some of them are good poaching stalkers 

 and fair shots, and, when in want of meat, not in the 

 least particular as to the age or sex of the deer. My 

 readers can draw their own inference. 



Moreover, all Norwegian farmers have ' corn 

 rights,' which in Hitteren we were careful to buy 



