BUCK-HUNTING, 247 



eager of the field generally attempt to single him out, and divide 

 him from the does with their horses, which feat often takes a 

 considerable amount of hard riding before it is accomplished. 

 Here there is a difference between this chase and that of the 

 red deer, because in the season, when the stag is hunted, the old 

 hart is generally alone, or accompanied only by young male 

 deer, and he often lays so close that they are found and go 

 away first ; so that, if he is known to be in the covert, it is 

 only to stop the hounds, and draw again until he is roused ; 

 whereas the buck evinces a disposition to run with the does. 

 How this would be if he was hunted at the same season, viz. 

 autumn, I cannot say, never having seen it ; but so it is in the 

 spring. By the way, why the New Forest bucks are always 

 hunted in April, instead of after Midsummer, when the 

 venison is in the best season, I have never heard. With 

 the bucks as with stags, the young ones run best, and 

 nothing will give such a chase as a "pricket" or two-year- 

 old deer ; so he is often selected, though, according to the 

 rules of venerie, it certainly is not orthodox to hunt him. 

 I have, however, known "a buck of the first head," or 

 "great buck," show extraordinary fine sport. When once 

 the buck is singled out, and hounds laid on, there is not 

 much difference between his chase and that of the stag, except 

 that the buck does not run so boldly, and is more inclined to 

 circle after the manner of the hare. Even if he goes away, his 

 points are not so stretching as the stag's, though I have seen 

 one chased across a good part of the forest, and at last driven 

 out of it; in fact, they have been killed some few miles 

 beyond its real boundaries. This is not often the case, but 

 very good runs occur within it ; and even where they ring 

 a little, the scenery is so much alike that, on the principle of all 

 runs being straight to a stranger, very few know it. Towards 

 the close, when a buck is tired, I thirds he has even more shifts 

 to elude his pursuers than the stag, and that is saying a great 

 deal for him ; in fact, then it requires the greatest patience on 



