THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
on and perhaps move herd after herd, and create a commotion over the 
vv^hole forest. Some stalkers, who ought to know better, are wonderfully 
careless about this; and take all sorts of risks in this respect; but it never 
pays in the long run for, sooner or later, the best ever seen in the forest 
may be put away by just chancing it. It really matters little if you have 
been successful with such a man and killed a stag, or stags, with fuller 
knowledge you will see that the ground has not only been cleared for that 
day, but there will be no stalking on it for at least two or three days after- 
wards. A first-rate stalker kills his stag on his beat, and leaves one for the 
next day, and the next, if necessary. 
There are, of course, many occasions on which the wind is in the wrong 
airt, and it is always best to be cautious; but the difficulties of dealing 
with this are often sadly overdone; and the wind often blamed when, in 
reality, the owner or his head stalker fear to send deer to the neighbouring 
ground. Prejudice and local jealousy are, unfortunately, common in 
Highland forests, and are mainly due to the cramped conditions under 
which these forests exist. 
On the other hand, the wind may be quite wrong, and the young stalker 
should not try to induce his guide to try a stalk which, if it fails, as it pro- 
bably will, will spoil the beat for a week. 
Another thing which the young stalker should remember is that he 
must not be greedy to kill too many deer. Having shot his stag it is well 
to be content for that day, unless the deer falls within such a distance 
of the lodge that it can be easily carried there, for a dead stag ought 
never, in any circumstances, to be left out for the night, especially in wet 
weather. Of course, there is no reason why a young sportsman should not 
enjoy the pleasures of the chase on equal terms with his elders; in fact, 
it is desirable, in the true interests of sport, that he should do so; but the 
stalker must see a reasonable chance of getting the second stag home 
that night before consenting to a second shot. It is not very common to 
approach deer uphill, and though it is easy on the part of the stalkers 
to see ahead, it is also much easier for the deer to see them. In consequence, 
ninety -five per cent of stalks are taken downhill, when the young stalker 
does not see what is going on in front of him. The beginner must then 
notice how his leader takes advantage of every depression, never crawls 
over fiat ridges which may suddenly become skylines from below, and, 
if he is on hands and knees, never raises that portion of his person which 
should naturally take an inferior position. 
136 
