THE MANAGEMENT OF DEER FORESTS 129 



wind, or to what was done there on the previous day, 

 or to other circumstances, how the ground should be 

 worked. The other way is to subdivide a beat into 

 two, three, or four portions, giving to each sub- 

 division its fair turn, but not allowing except in the 

 case of following a wounded deer, and not always 

 then the party that is out on one of these sub-beats 

 to encroach on another during that day. Which 

 of these two methods should be adopted depends 

 absolutely and entirely on the nature of the ground. 

 It would be as absurd and impossible to deal with 

 the whole ground that is under one man's charge 

 as one beat in the forest here, as it would be to 

 take the opposite course in a forest like that of 

 Glen Feshie. Of course where a beat is subdivided 

 no part of the ground is disturbed on two consecu- 

 tive days. Thus if there are three subdivisions, 

 each of these is worked twice in the week, on the 

 supposition that the wind and weather are suitable 

 for stalking. 



I cannot conclude this chapter without a word 

 of warning against surrounding a forest with a deer 

 fence. This practice is very rarely adopted, so the 

 word protest need not be employed. A forest thus 

 treated is ruined for certain. It is only a question 

 of time. No fresh blood can be introduced, and the 



K 



