190 DEER-STALKING 



eagles. A pair of peregrine falcons will kill more 

 grouse than any number of foxes. 



It is also supposed that killing foxes causes a 

 great disturbance in the forest. This, too, is an error ; 

 at least, in my own experience, such disturbance has 

 no effect whatever in scaring the deer. Operations 

 are all over long before the stalking season begins. 

 There need be no noise beyond the firing of a shot 

 or the indistinct yelp of a terrier at the bottom of a 

 deep cairn of rocks, and, if there was, it would not 

 prevent deer from returning to the place the next day 

 if so inclined. 



Under these circumstances, and seeing that it is a 

 very sore subject with farmers, it would be well if 

 those owners or lessees of forests who object to the 

 destruction of foxes would reconsider the subject, 

 and if those who are free from prejudice would make 

 inquiry and see whether their servants do really use 

 their best endeavours to clear the ground of animals 

 so destructive to the property of their neighbours. 



The only other serious difficulty between the sports- 

 man and sheep-farmer is when sheep belonging to 

 the latter stray into the forest and are not allowed 

 to be fetched back. It would be unreasonable to ex- 

 pect the tenant of a deer forest to allow shepherds and 

 dogs to go through the ground collecting sheep during 



