New-York tribune., 1908-10-05
DEER STALKING
Luxurious Sport in the ScotisI
Forests.
London. September q

exnensive form Of outdoor sport. and couss-
quentIy it is favored by the richest people in
the smart sets as well as BY the titled land
owners in Scotland. The shooting rentals IN
either Inverness-shire Perthshire exceed
$4,000 annually This is between one-tourth
and one-ffth Of the entire shooting rentals
north of the Tweed. and is the largest record
for the Scottish shires. This is explained By
the fact that in each county deer forests are
added to the acreage for mixed shooting for
grouse partridge black game wild pheasants
hares and rabbits. The highest point IN the
luxury Of shooting is reached when host can
offer to his guests the widest possible range OF
sport in shooting and fishing. and deer stalking
is the most difficult requirement for all around
autumn and winter sport The number OF deer
forests in Scotland which are recognized shoot
ings is between $50 and 200, and a considerable
proportion Of them is reserved by the owners for
their own pleasure and does not come into mar
ket for rental Only few privileged entertain
ers can supply their friends With the mos.
strenuous and costly sport
MANY factors enter into the problem OF thu
sporting value OF land Acreage IS one. but It -
less important than variety OF soils and alti-
tudes so that there can be reserves OF territory
moor Iowland and covert-for every kind OF
shooting. Houses are let with the land and
rentals depend in a measure upon the accOEmo-
dation offered for the entertainment OF largs
parties. Accessibility Is another element. sincs
many of the shootings are too remote from rail-
vev lines to be available for people OF fashion
and environment IS equally important, since
there are certain tracts with castles and famous
estates where special values are created. When
these and other factors have been considered
there remains the previous seasons bag as an
indica ton of the amount OF game that can 20
killed and Of the stock that has been left over
The value of a grouse moor is roughly esti-
mated at 50 per brace A partridge shooting
comes lower at half the figure for grouse. This
IS because the grouse moors available for driv-
ing on large scale are mainly confined 70 Scot
land and Yorkshire. whereas there is wider
range for partridge shootings, Lincolnshire, Nor
folk Suffolk wiltshire. Hampshire and other
counties having spacious game preserves
When deer forests are taken into market for
sporting privileges the stag is determining fac
tor in the rental Acreage OF woodland counts
for less than the average number OF stays
which has been accounted for year by year. In
the Highlands the value Of every stag killed
during the previous season is roughly estimated
at $50 in the next years rental Other consid-
erations affect the values Of the mansions. hunt
ing lodges, mOors and general shootings. but the
estimates for the forests are based upon thu
stock whether undershot OF overshOt by pre-
vious tenants. As the number CT stays taken in
Scotland is about 4 800 in the course OF yea7.
the rental values Of the forests may be loosely
estimated at S675.OOO. This does not represent
anything more than a fraction OF the cost ot
deer stalking The red deer would be practically
extinct in Scotland and Ireland. as it virtually
is already in England, if systematic efforts were
not made 10 protect the preserves, TO enlaTgs
the feeding grounds. to regulate the breeding
and to domesticate the herds The upkeep Of
the stock in the forests is highly expensive, and
deer stalking which has taken the place Of tho
oldtime method OF hunting with horse and dogs
to the merry accompaniment OF the horn re-
quires the aid of trained force of fOresters and
gamekeepers and is anything but a cheap pas
time. Guests at shooting boxes where deer
with fine antlers are taken by stealth after
wearisome hours Of tramping in the dense wood
lands are expected to leave behind them tips
five times as large as they do for a grouse drive
or for protracted operations cunning over dogs
after partridges-
The King sets the style IN fashionable sport
as i'm other matters His BalmoraI estate in
cIudes Abergeldie and BaIiochbuis. covers fifty
thousand acres. with forests for red deer and
roe deer. high moors for grouse. low ground Tor
mixed shooting and ample facilities for salmon
fishing On this estate he entertain DIS
guests with many kinds Of sport, and the Tich-
est and smartest people of the kingdom, II they
have shoOtings in the North feel under Oblsa-
tfon to give their friends wide a range CT
holiday recreation In this way deer stalking
has been revived with so much energy that the
wild red deer. if not destined TO be hunted out
Of existence, are in fair way 10 be thoroughly
domesticated and exposed to the risks Of de-
terioration in size and Of losing tines IN Their
antlers. 1t may become necessary in time TOT
sportsmen to go far afeId in SutherlandshiFs
or among the western isles in order 70 Kill
royal stag with dozen points in the antlers-
The deer forests. which are let to fashionaos
sportsmen managed by the owners ranss
from five thousand TO fifty thousand acres. Tbs
AthoH forests in Perthshre. with an acreage %
thirty-fve thousand yield many as hun
dred stays a year. The Braemore estate, IN
Ross-shire. with four thousand acres toresteu'
has record of seventy-fv stays CoignaIearn'
in Iverness-shire. with thirty thousand cut q
forty thousand acres in deer ranges, has a oas
OF one thousand brace of grouse and as maHS
as sixty stags- Mr.. Bradley Martins shootiHs
at the top of Glen Urquhart. with an acreage q
twenty-eight thousand in forest is good lo1
sixty stays q season. and there are oet"10H
eleven and twelve thousand acres OF moor anu
low ground where grouse. partridges. pheasahS'
black game and hares can be shot Between
thirty-five and forty stays come out of the F@-
ley and Urchany estate, with five thouS@I-
acres. or the Patt and Riochan properties ~
Ross-shire, with fourteen thousand five hunuieN
acres, the Badanloch shooting. in Sutherian'
shire, with thirty-five thousand acres HsS'
forest. the MOy estates and other deer rams
have prouder records. but what may be eons-
cred satisfactory shooting for owner or 'e"
ant is one which will yield thousand brace =