18 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



the book. As to districts, it depends on whether 

 a man has obtained permission to shoot an 

 elephant under any circumstances, or whether 

 he is restricted to a certain animal or herd 

 doing damage to cultivation. The same may 

 be said with regard to the time of year. To 

 the man who has obtained the sanction of the 

 Local Government to kill an elephant, I would 

 say try the districts of the Upper Chindwin, 

 the Ruby Mines, the Arracan Hill Tracts, 

 Shwebo, Mandalay, or Magwe. Anywhere, in 

 fact, where elephants are to be found throughout 

 the year (see the list of districts, with their 

 respective possibilities as regards sport, at the 

 end of the book, together with the map). To 

 obtain sport in the districts above mentioned, 

 the latter end of May and the whole of June 

 would be the best months. The undergrowth 

 is still low, while the ground is soft enough 

 for tracking. A month earlier it is like iron ; 

 a month later the undergrowth has sprung up 

 to a height which may vary from four to eight 

 feet or more, while the leaf-shedding trees and 

 bushes have donned a new garb in grateful 

 recognition of the early monsoon showers — 

 all very pretty and artistic, but exceedingly 

 trying to the hunter. Therefore, if shooting 

 outside the dry zone, do not be beguiled into 

 trying for elephants in the cold weather, except 

 in independent territory, when, in view of the 

 long journey entailed, and the constant marching 



