i88 DEER-STALKING 



Now, a sheep- farmer in the vicinity of deer forests 

 has two difficulties to contend with, neither of which, 

 in my opinion, need exist. 



The first is the depredation committed among his 

 lambs by foxes where these are not destroyed by the 

 owner or tenant of the forest. In some forests foxes 

 are regularly trapped, shot, or ' dug out ' in the spring, 

 just as is practised on ordinary shootings or farms. 

 In a few cases there exists an objection to waging war 

 against them, based on insufficient grounds, if not on 

 imperfect knowledge. In the great majority there is 

 no wish on the part of the owner of the forest to pre- 

 serve vermin of any kind ; but his people take little or 

 no trouble about it, "knowing that their employer has 

 no real interest in the matter ; while they are well 

 aware that watching a den all night on the top of a 

 hill in the month of March, or even as late as April, 

 when a bitter north-east wind is blowing, is hardly as 

 comfortable a situation as their own fireside followed 

 by bed. 



Now, there is little use killing foxes on sheep-ground 

 if there exists close by a sanctuary where they can 

 bring up their young in safety, from which they 

 issue c on the prowl ' every night when game is scarce 

 in the larder, or when they wish to vary the menu with 

 a hind-quarter of lamb. The damage done to lambs 



