The sportsman's book for India . letracts, he may be said to be all over the country— the plains of India proper, for he does notextend to the hills. Travelling through almost any district, youwill come across them, sometimes in large herds,and herd after herd ; you see them from the trainwindow, a regiment on the march is always afterbuck, and notwithstanding their general saddiminution in numbers, there are still localitieswhere hundreds are to be seen in a single herd,and you may get three or four good heads in aday. This antelope is a never ending source ofinterest and excitement to th
The sportsman's book for India . letracts, he may be said to be all over the country— the plains of India proper, for he does notextend to the hills. Travelling through almost any district, youwill come across them, sometimes in large herds,and herd after herd ; you see them from the trainwindow, a regiment on the march is always afterbuck, and notwithstanding their general saddiminution in numbers, there are still localitieswhere hundreds are to be seen in a single herd,and you may get three or four good heads in aday. This antelope is a never ending source ofinterest and excitement to the subaltern, and thepursuit of him supplies a perenniel and perfectlyexcellent school for exercise of his ingenuity,patience and marksmanship. His habitat is simply the natural country, thecultivated fields interspersed here and there withlight jungle or bare plain. He feeds from thesame lands as the cattle and goats of the villagersand takes heavy toll from their fields. Thoughessentially an animal of the open plain, he, how-. I DEER AND ANTELOPE SHOOTING 197 ever, accommodates himself to fairly thick forestcountry in the Central Provinces, and here somevery fine heads are to be got. But the bestlocalities for big heads are Bikanir, and thecountry towards Ferozepore from there, andGujerat and Katiawar in Bombay. In Madrasthey run much smaller, seldom up to 17 ins.,wheras in the north, nothing less than 20 ins. isa good head, and they run up to 25 ins., andeven to 28 ins. Though for the most partdwelling actually in the midst of men, the gettingof a shot is not such an easy matter, and, finetarget though an old buck presents, a beginner,or anyone who is not careful, will find it thesimplest thing in the world to miss when he doesget the chance. In stalking, you must just usethe best common-sense you can muster. En-deavour, first, to see your game before he seesyou, to which end it is well to keep the sunat your back. Take advantage of all cover;dont wear conspicuous clothes.
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