AND MANAGEMENT, 9 



the size of the deer himself, will reveal the age; 

 breadth of forehead is an unmistakable sign of an old 

 buck ; breadth of palm has exceptions. Bucks occa- 

 sionally being "stag-headed," and in the case of a 

 very old deer there will often be found very inferior 

 horns. This falling off generally takes place after the 

 eighth year, at which age bucks are seldom kept in a 

 park. Sir Victor Brooke has in his possession a pair 

 of horns of this description, which belonged to an old 

 buck that had been specially reserved for stock ; at the 

 base of the horn is what is termed the " burr/' uniting 

 it with the head. 



The buck venison season commences on the 5th of 

 July, though stall fed ones are killed as early as April 

 or May ; these have been put up as soon as convenient 

 after the rutting season, when the old bucks are low in 

 condition, and are easily taken with a good deerhound. 

 I will speak more fully of this in another chapter. The 

 bucks now fat in the park demand our attention ; those 

 showing six or seven years old are the fattest and best. 

 As Mr. Shirley has told us on good authority, the sixth 

 year is one in which the buck increases in weight in a 

 much larger proportion than in previous years. At 

 the commencement of the season the herd of deer may 

 be easily approached with a rifle, a poly-groove with a 

 round bullet being generally used, as it would be 

 dangerous in most parks to use a conical ball. After 

 a few bucks have been shot they will be very sus- 

 picious, and then in order to kill one quietly, great 

 care must be taken. When more than one is to be killed 

 it is a good way to shoot them from horseback, and if 

 the horse is very quiet they may be shot through the 

 head before they are heated. In many parks the 

 bucks may be killed by shooting them from a tree, 

 another person, who understands driving deer, moving 

 the herd quietly towards him. When one only is 

 wanted the keeper, either by riding quietly round the 

 herd will shoot one from his horse, or he will stalk one, 

 taking care not to let the deer get the wind of him ; 



