This illustration is taken from 'A Tour in Sutherland' by Charles St John
Deer stalking in Victorian Britain was a very popular country sport and is still popular today. Deer numbers are controlled by culling to keep the herd within reasonable grazing levels. There are different times of year when deer may be hunted. A red deer stag may be hunted from 1st July - 20th October, while a red deer hind may be hunted from 21st October - 15th February.
There are around 400 breeding pairs of Golden Eagles in Scotland. Eagles can reach a length of about 60cms, weigh approximately 10 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet. They feed on animals already dead (carrion) as well as live prey which includes mountain hares, ptarmigan and sometimes small lambs or deer. An eagle can dive at speeds of up to 90 miles an hour to catch prey.
Click to enlarge the image, read the text then answer the following questions.
Questions
- When did deer stalking become popular?
- Deer and eagles are two of today's many wildlife tourist attractions. See if you can name another six.