92 STAG-HUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



Stray deer. Mr. Bisset, it is true, went in more than 

 one year to Eggesford after a wanderer or two, but 

 did not always succeed in finding them. Moreover, he 

 never went there after the year 1872, and previously 

 to that year he could well afford the time, for he could 

 not venture even to kill all the warrantable deer that 

 he took. 



It was therefore necessary to prepare at once for a 

 long hard season with the hinds, as the only chance of 

 shortening the numbers of the herd. For deer are not 

 killed so easily as foxes ; there is no cub-hunting or 

 other such easy chance (digging for instance), by 

 which foxes when unduly numerous may be easily 

 kept down. Accordingly Lord Ebrington hunted 

 regularly his first season from August 3rd, 1881 to 

 March ist, 1882, and had extraordinarily good sport 

 both with stags and hinds. Altogether in eighty-nine 

 days the hounds accounted for twenty-six stags and 

 fifty-seven hinds, killed ; in addition to which six 

 young male deer and three crippled deer were also 

 killed ; the first of course by misadventure before the 

 hounds could be stopped from them, as is always the 

 case when hind-hunting. In addition to these nine 

 more deer also met their death, some having been 

 found dead in the covers, others killed by sheep-dogs 



