72 DEER-STALKING 



own. Bad weather has, of course, a different signifi- 

 cance in dealing with different forms of sport. Rain 

 and mist are its most objectionable forms for stalking 

 and shooting, frost, of course, for hunting, and bright 

 sun for fishing. Now, my own experience, and I 

 believe that of most deer-stalkers, is that more deer 

 are killed on a wet, stormy day than when the sun is 

 shining and there is not a breath of air. Naturally, 

 this does not apply to days when the rain is accom- 

 panied by thick mist and you cannot use your glass. 

 Nor does it apply to forests where deer are very 

 scarce, still less to stalking on sheep-ground when 

 the glass is hardly ever in its case. But once find 

 your deer on a wet day, and you make a much better 

 job of it than you would do in very fine weather. 

 Deer are neither so restless nor so much on the 

 alert. I remember once, when staying with a friend 

 who owns one of the best forests in Scotland, refusing 

 to go out on a day when it was raining 'cats and 

 dogs ' and blowing half a gale. There was a young 

 relative of my host staying in the house, a very keen 

 sportsman, whom I knew would be sent out if I 

 declined, so I let him have the chance. He accord- 

 ingly started, and came home, having killed in fair 

 stalking six stags, one of them with a magnificent 

 head, and fired off seventeen cartridges. The next 



