XIV. 
British Deer Heads. 
A great deal of nonsense is talked about feeding deer. The stock is usually so large 
that, unless the deer do get some artificial food in the winter to help them through, they 
start on their period of horn growth in such bad condition that good heads are an 
impossibility. The late Lord Lovat considered feeding bad policy " unless absolutely 
necessary." There are very few forests in Scotland nowadays where it is not absolutely 
necessary. The area of land afforested has not increased proportionately with the 
increase in the numbers of the deer, hence the annual correspondence on the degeneracy 
of the Scottish stag. Another important point to bear in mind in this connection is 
that in forests subjected " to that fatal yearly tenancy " a stag has not time to grow 
a really good head. He is at his prime at twelve or thirteen. How many stags are 
allowed to reach that age in the majority of forests ? Again, it is a much easier matter 
to shoot a stag now than in the days when Scrope sallied forth in Athole or Charles 
St. John pursued the muckle hart. A shot at two hundred yards is nothing out of the 
way in 1913, and but few stags whose death warrant has been signed escape. There 
are far too many hinds also, and it is open to discussion as to whether killing the yeld 
hinds every winter, as is done in most forests, must not have a prejudicial effect 
on the stock. I am not one of those who, speaking very generally, consider that 
Highland heads have deteriorated. Sixty, seventy, eighty and a hundred years ago 
a very small proportion of stags were killed compared to the annually increasing 
numbers of the present day. Heads were not valued then as they are now, and doubt- 
less the majority have been suffered to sink into oblivion. In one respect, however, 
thev were superior. Speaking, again generally, the most obvious comparison between 
the heads killed before 1875 and subsequent to that date which were shown at the 
exhibition was the lack of " style " of modern heads. So far as actual measurements 
go, there is very little to choose between the best heads of recent years and those killed 
during the middle of the nineteenth century. But in actual " style," thickness, rough- 
ness, shape, etc., the old heads were, on the whole, superior. In this sense heads have 
deteriorated. 
There are many fine sports which it is possible to enjoy in these islands ; deer- 
stalking holds its own with any of them. It takes place amid surroundings which, apart 
from all other considerations, place it on a plane by itself and on land which is 
absolutely and entirely useless for any purpose other than the support of game ; it is 
surrounded by an atmosphere of romance which no other sport can rival, and calls 
into play many of those qualities which we admire most. Long may it continue ! 
Frank Wallace. 
