34 THE KEEPERS BOOK 



also should not get into the habit of making regular 

 rounds he should vary them daily. 



When a district is habitually invaded by gangs of 

 poachers, the keepers of neighbouring estates should 

 work in unison, and should lay their heads together to 

 carry out a joint plan of campaign to frustrate the 

 villainy of the trespassers in pursuit of game. The use 

 of rockets as signals is an excellent practice and should 

 be more generally carried out. Not only do rockets 

 give warning to keepers at a distance, but they put fear 

 into the heart of the cowardly poacher, who, as a rule, 

 takes to his heels on the faintest suspicion of danger. 

 It is advisable not to give too long notice to beaters 

 as to the locale of a shoot, as poachers are apt to mature 

 their plans for another part of the ground. Late the 

 night before, or, better still, early the morning of the 

 day on which the shooting is to take place, is soon 

 enough. 



Finally, letgamekeepers be feared. There is nothing 

 like a reputation for strength to keep off the intruder. 

 There is much to be gained when the keeper is held 

 in awe. To illustrate the truth of this remark, we may 

 quote an experience of our younger and more irre- 

 sponsible days. One of the present writers had a lease 

 of a shooting in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, an 

 estate with excellent covers, in which were preserved 

 a large stock of pheasants. He had been much troubled 

 by the inroads of poachers, and had a suspicion that 

 they were, in fact, stimulated by the "softness" of the 



