Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-08
COST OF BRITISH HUNTING.
Millions SpeHt Every Year in Grouse
Shooting and Deer Stalking.

Millions spent Every Year in Grouse
shooting and Deer Stalking.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.
1t is something like thirty years since
the late John Leech in the pages of
Punch depicted a sportsman resting on
heathery knoll and chatting to his keeper.
He had been totalling up in his minds eye
what would be the full bill for his annual
shooting holiday, and made the somewhat
startling explanation to the old Highland
man that every dead bird in the bag will
have cost him half a guinea" Mercy on
us. sir was the response, its a good
thing didna' get only mair o. them!'
Since that period grouse shooting has be-
come more fashionable, and though the
orthodox way of determining the rent is
guinea per live brace-that is, moor that
will yield 400 brace drawing 400 giineas-
yet many side luXuries, such a bit of
good salmon or trout fishing, nice yacht
ing anchorage, good roads for cycling, or
proximity to golf links, will add to the
above charges quite 100 guneaS more.
Keepers wages will be fully included in
the above. unless under special circum-
stances, the landlord, of course, having the
full services of the latter throughout the
rest of the year. when he will possibly send
in large numbers of rabbits and other game.
| The rent having been paid by check be-
forehand to the London grouse agent. the
real work of disbursement commences. If
| the lessee has been unused to the gun he
will require d pair of new fowling pieces.
! as Notwithstanding the quickneSS with
| which breechloaders be charged, every
| man is supposed to have an attendant load
! er with spare gun at hand. This will cost
| him from fl2O to flGO. In the gun room.
| as guns for guests. there will be required
| three other pairs of cheaper Birmingham
| manufacture, which will run to EGO more,
| or with cartridges lOading machinery
| some tltO in ALL. In regard to the last
mentioned item, though cartridges are
usually supplied loaded by the gunmakers,
! in of running short it is always
| thought advisable to have some empty cases
| and loose powder and shot in hand. more
| particularly so in places inaccessible, by
| rail. AT three shots to grouse, which is
| fair shooting and three shots also for each
| of various other game. the ammunition bill
| will run to $50 or so, much depending on
| the skill OF the sportsmen and the nature
of the weather. On f4to moor the railway
| fares Of lessee, family and servants. with
| posting and carriage of luggage. will be
very rarely under, t1g9, if special trains
| are chartered, quite as much more. Plate
and linen are usually hired from London,
| and for three months, will, with carriage
| of the latter to London laundries and back,
| but little washing being done at the lodges,
amount to TO- possibly TO more if the
party is a large one and full stay be made
at the end of October for deer stalking or
salmon fishing. Horses and carriages are
now almost invariably hired from London
posting masters. together with services OF
d relia bic cOachman, and the bill for such
will break well into another hundred pound
note. There will be three gilies at IA a
month each for bag and luncheon-hampel
| carrying and for driving work; As Del
day for twenty heaters for eight drives
will make the wages bill well up to $50
In regard to the cost of upkeep of lodge
for the season, that all depends upon the
Il. y,
and the lavishness of the host. Lessees
there have been whose ratio of expenditure
was something like a guinea and hall
the live bird, while brace of old bachelor
! sportsmen quartered In a farmhouse have
| taken their three hundred brace of birds
for an inclusive bill of something like f1aD
and succeeded in doing the thing exceeding
| ly well at that. "...
| Deer stalking rents now run to sonnet hins
| like $40 per live stag. a forest of forty
stays requiring a check to be paid in ad
vance of IL 900 Some of the larger forest:
run to between t3OD and t4,JD the RECORD
price having been f3,W0. paid by the lat,
Earl of Dudley to the Marquis of Breadal
bane for Blackmount, in Argyllshire. 4
pound of expenditure to pound of rent i.
the ratio OF outlay up to f2.HO, at E.. tU
, LIS I'd. and above that. los. The wage bill
is mostly for gillies and ponies, few
stalkers permanently engaged, togethe
with the forester. being paid by the land
lord. AS with grouse shooting, the house
hold expenditure varies according to TIL
lavishness or economy of the lessee. Thu
! double barreled deer stalking rife of a.
bore. generally used in all the large fores IS
cost 40 guineas. and frst-class deer stalk
, ing glass. which is Indispensable in TN
, stalk. will run rom Il los to f20 Their
are a few minor accessories. but save tn
rifle and the glass. the deer stalkers outti
is simple and inexpensive. In the old day
deerhounds of the gaunt, shaggy-muZZle
breed made familiar to us by Sir Edwin
Lardseer We're considered indispensab BILE
and the best and truest bred specimen
! from the kennels of the Lochiel tn
I Duke of Atholl or other large Highland pro
$ prietors who had cultivated the ancien
y strains. could only be obtained on paymen
e of long prices. These are now, however
| but little used their work being don
j. | chiefly by cheap collie crackers" which
/ | following on the trail of wounded deer
keep well out of the reach of the antler:
. Their barking brings up the sportsman, VIII
| finishes off his work with second bulle
. | Against all this expenditure there is a re
: | turn for dead grouse and venison, but
: bears such small comparison to the genera
l. outlay that ii is generally left out of cor
sideration in renting moor or forest.