
Among the Deer
In the Woods and on the Hill - A Stalker Looks Back
Duff Hart-Davis(Author)
Quiller Publishing Ltd
Published on 21. April 2011
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-84689-096-3 (ISBN)
Description
In this absorbing memoir Duff Hart Davies looks back over fifty years of watching, stalking and writing about deer. From his first experience of fallow in South-East England to his many sojourns among the reds of the Scottish highlands, he has spent countless hours in the woods and on the hill, learning more with every excursion. Along the way he describes some memorable characters and captures the grace and mystery of this elusive quarry.
Reviews / Votes
"The author's reports of stalking fallow in the English woods are fascinating, and he is illuminating on their habits and group behaviour. He tells of the Stonar Park herd that got drunk on crab apples, of titled poachers and eccentric chatelaines of signature private estates... The author knows the hills and relishes their culture and legends. The queer spirits of the Highlands, a land much de-peopled, he understands. He vividly recounts tales of sprites, kelpies and spectres. Above all - the critical thing - he understands the people. Right at the end comes the key phrase: 'I have never spent a day on the hill with a stalker I did not like.'... When the chips are down, Mr Hart-Davis heads for the hills. He rents stalking in the Scottish Highlands and has been everywhere. He rubs shoulders with lofty society, which tends to ownership of deer forests. Somehow, on the high tops, sheltering under a bluff as a chill storm blows by, there is no room for ceremony. Stalking is a brilliant leveller. There are the stories, the long days, the triumphs and the exhaustion, and there are the injuries and the tragedies. Adding spice, there are the disappearances, the human ones. Lastly, the laughs, often in the nature of stalkers, self-deprecating ones." Country Life "A stalking memoir that may be among the greatest of our generation. This is a brilliant and totally absorbing memoir by a sporting sage who has written or edited 50 books and clearly has a deep, respectful admiration for all British deer. It will be of immense interest to all who pursue deer in our woods and hills... The author effortlessly brings to life the many characters involved in this book, and has a fascinating grip of the Scottish vernacular and a rare ability to transfer dialect to the page without losing any of its meaning... A healthy dose of humour is interspersed throughout this extremely entertaining memoir. One particular chapter really had my splitting my sides. It starts with the author collecting a new rifle from a gunmaker in Mayfair and being apprehended by the police en route to his place of work, Fleet Street, on a bicycle... Among the Deer is a must-have for every stalker, or indeed anyone with an interest in British deer. It is a refreshing read, written by an experienced hand, that easily captures the grace and majesty of our quarry and the wildness of our hills and woodlands." Sporting RifleMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84689-096-3 (9781846890963)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
04/2011
Quiller Publishing Ltd
€30.00
Available for download
Person
Duff Hart Davies has written or edited over fifty books on a wide variety of subjects. A deep interest in natural history led to Monarch of the Glen, a history of the Highland deer forests. For many years he worked as Literary Editor and was a contributor to the weekly Country Matters column for The Independent.