DEERSTALKING.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12481, 18 April 1906, Page 8

DEERSTALKING.

j to the editor of "thk tress." I Sjr.—l am very glnd to sro that Dr. t Moorhou.v ha.s drawn attention to tha I way in which the ! fir-.t fallow bucks at Albury have born ; shot. If anyone imagines they will i derive any real pleasure from .shooting ' deer in that fashion they will make i great mistake. The real plerfiuro, ana ill its. after memories, lies in the staik. The actual shooting ono will almost ! entirely forgot, but a {*ccd st-alk never. In limiting the di-tanco at which Rtags .--houhl b? rhot to £00 yards i*. licwcvtT, inakins it rather i loss than noeps-ary with th<> mo<lern lew trajectory rifles, hut a Maiker <h«iikl fiKi*3vo)ir to fix hi> limit at 300 yar<!>, ,i:kl if a st.n<j is K-roncl that to !<•; liitn go and try for him another day. A- mo-t of mv irirrrl.s knnw, I have ln-en dtHTstalking rpfT.ilarly tor the paM jrC'vcn and hnvo. p;-r-

haps, been successful beyond the overage, and vet 1 have never yet shot « etag, at over 300 yard*, and only mrt\} at about, that distance or a little under it. 1 have only once fired at a stag at over that distance, but fortunately, perhaps, did not touch him. If tho point blajiK run<*e of a rifle is learned thoroughly. «ml a stationary rear t-ight i* nse<l, ciio should noror be toniptod to shoot l)i i yon<l a distance that requires a sigiit to bo taken nbove tho >tag's hotly. 1 admit that one am do Ivid shooting within 31K) yard*—l have done it myself"—but it has Imhmi aluays duo to nor Jiiivinj; thoroughly tested tho ciphting of tho rifle, or iyinw in n bn<l pi>sition. Wind will. of course, spoil one's shot, but under 300 yaixls tiiero is little risk with a good rifle of letting a stag get away, even in a strong cross-wind if he is fired at at such n short range. There are a number oi young men who are thinking of taking up deerstalking, and 1 hope t.iey will make up t-li-eir miix's before they go. that they arc really going for stalking, and not lr.oivly tor Kug shooting. One head secured at cX se range alter an exciting t-talk for an hour or two is worth half a dozen heads phot at 500 or (iOO yards, an.;l as a rule iti* oniy .'irtei- one gett* within tho Jat.er distances that tho real st-alk U\iins. Tiie-re is another uii.sjKirtsnianliko action that should !k> utteriy coudonined, and that is a pariy of btalkern volley.ug a stag at a distance. I heard of two or tliroo glaring: nvstancx><i of thif. but nm happy to r=ay it luus never taken place in connection wan par'itN witu whom I have bet'ii a>sociat<Hl. In con-lux-tion with the Albury ease, 1 should like to mention that if the head I saw in tho train at Timaru three weeks ago is one of the rosnH.«. I L...nk it is a pity that the licensee were, issued ti.'i th« hea'.ls are grown; tliat U to say, if tho lioad was a fair specimen of what can now be obtained. 1 hope that Dr. remarks will not bo forgotten by those who contemplate taking up what is such a magnificent sport if gone into in a proper spirit.— lours, etc., E. HARDCASTLE.