132 STAG-HUNTING ON EXMOOR. 



ago. Of course, theoretically, barren hinds alone 

 were selected for the chase in the spring, but in prac- 

 tice this was impossible. Nevertheless, before he gave 

 up the hounds, Mr. Bisset was twice compelled to 

 hunt into April ; and the present master, including 

 the few by-days always allowed at the end of July, 

 before the season properly begins, was obliged in 

 1882-3 to hunt in no less than ten months of the 

 year. 



The great difference between wild deer hunting and 

 other hunting is, that you cannot hunt any deer as 

 you can any fox (up to a certain time of the year) or 

 any hare. It is not even enough to hunt a male deer 

 during stag-hunting and a female in hind-hunting. 

 Both stag and hind must be above a certain age. In 

 order, therefore, to be sure of a warrantable stag he 

 must be duly *' harboured ; " and this " harbouring " 

 is one of the most important, interesting, and difficult 

 parts of the chase of the wild red deer. 



The deer, as is well known, feeds at night, and 

 about daybreak returns to cover to sleep through the 

 day, and the place where he lies down is called his 

 "layer," or "bed." The harbourer's business is to 

 find out as nearly as he can where a good stag is 

 lying, so as to be able to tell the huntsman where to 



