391 
NOTHS ON SAMBAR AND SAMBAR SHOOTING, 
By J. D. INveErariry. 
(Read before the Bombay Natural History Society on 13th Nov., 1893.) 
Deer-stalking in India is really not stalking at all; there is no 
spying a beast from a distance, and no long approach to the animal 
for the shot. Instead of the open moor, there are ravines and nullahs 
thickly clothed with trees, long grass, and underwood, in which one 
seldom can see deer at a greater distance than 200 yards. Usually 
the shot immediately follows the first view of the stag. In fact, sambar- 
stalking consists of simply wandering through the jungle until you 
blunder on to something to shoot. Sometimes, I believe, by having 
men out on the hill-tops by daylight they are able to mark where 
a sambar lies up for the day and can take you to the spot, but I have 
never tried this myself. The young sportsman, when he starts to shoot, 
is so eager that he walks through the jungle at a terrific pace ; his . 
legs tear through the grass and bushes, the boughs of the trees scrape 
along his hat and clothes, the measured tramp of his feet canbe heard 
afar, and his progress is attended with so much noise that it isa 
wonder if he ever sees anything. Now if there is one thing absolutely 
essential to success in shooting in an Indian jungle, it is to move about 
quietly ; one’s pace should be slow, and where, from leaves or stones, 
the noise of footsteps cannot be helped, the steps should be irregular 
so as to make a noise as little like the usual tread of the human biped 
as possible. 
More shots are obtained by carefully working the ground than by 
racing over a large extent of country. If one has been out for several 
hours without seeing anything, one naturally gets a little slack, and 
many a chance is lost by carelessness. But after all the whole charm 
of sport consists in the fears and hopes born of previous failure and 
success. Who would care to shoot if one did not sometimes make 
a mess of it? As you stroll through the jungle there is plenty to occupy 
your attention. In addition to sambar you may see cheetul, the four- 
horned antelope, or nielgai, all of which are found in some parts of the 
country on the same ground. Tracks of tiger and panther are found 
in the streams and nullahs, though they themselves are seldom seen 
when stalking. 
