238 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



them well dried in front of the fire. This rule applies 

 also to the case, which, if damp, is apt to fog the glass. 

 A waterproof cover to slip on when the glass is in use 

 will be found a great protection. 



I will not go into all the " pros and cons " of different 

 rifles you could write volumes on this subject, and 

 every man knows what rifle he prefers. The great thing, 

 to my mind, is to hold them straight. I have often 

 heard the very best of rifles abused for inaccurate shoot- 

 ing, when the real cause was "stag fever" a very 

 common complaint. As a stalker, you will most likely 

 be provided with a rifle of some sort to shoot hinds with 

 in the winter, and, with a little practice, you can soon 

 suit yourself to any rifle. Remember always that, like 

 your glass, you cannot be too careful with your rifle or 

 that of your "gentleman." They should be cleaned 

 immediately after you return from stalking, and hung up. 

 Some sportsmen of my acquaintance clean their rifles 

 themselves, and do not trust any one else to touch them. 

 Of course this is the safest plan, and no blame can 

 be attached to the stalker if anything goes wrong. I 

 should advise having a rifle sighted not too finely 

 to shoot point-blank at a known distance, say 100 

 yards, and then you can work up or down, i.e. now 

 higher or lower for longer or shorter distances, which 

 will as a rule vary from 80 to 200 yards. 



Try to avoid getting too near your deer, and do not 

 encourage the novice to try long shots. 



The stalking season over, the sportsmen having all 



