Big Game Shooting, volume 2 (of 2)

In Short

This volume is an exhaustive late-nineteenth-century expedition manual and field journal documenting the chase of Europe and Asia’s largest game animals. Assembling accounts from various experienced British hunters, the book charts journeys across frozen Arctic seas, the steep peaks of the Caucasus, the high steppes of Central Asia, and the jungles of India. It captures a vanishing era when vast wildernesses remained largely unmapped by Western travelers, detailing everything from the physiological dimensions of wild sheep to the logistics of mountain campcraft. It has endured as a primary historical record of late-Victorian expeditionary hunting, preservation efforts, and geographical exploration, offering modern readers a precise, unvarnished window into the mindset, equipment, and landscape of Victorian sportsmen.

The Story

The volume opens in the icy reaches of the far north, where hunters pursue polar bears and walruses across the shifting pack ice of Spitzbergen. High above the arctic circle, success depends entirely on navigating the treacherous floes of Stor Fjord and the Hinlopen Straits. The pursuit of the polar bear is a cold, methodical affair: hunters scan the horizon from a vessel's crow’s-nest, lower small boats to cut off a swimming bear’s retreat to the main ice pack, or stalk the keen-scented beasts on foot among jagged hummocks where a single shift in the wind ruins the approach.

From the frozen seas, the focus shifts south to the rugged mountain chains of the Caucasus and the Alps. In the deep, silent pine forests and mist-covered ravines of the Caucasus, hunters pursue the elusive tûr and search for rumors of the zubre—the European aurochs. The journey demands establishing base camps along glacier streams just inside the timberline, leaving supplies hidden in forest caches, and venturing out on foot with minimal rations, carrying only flat bread cakes, dried meat, and a sleeping bag. Across the border in the Tyrolese Alps, the pursuit turns to the chamois and mountain stag. Stalking these high-altitude dwellers requires reaching precipitous ridges before sunrise, shivering in the biting wind while waiting for the morning thermal drafts to shift upward, and carefully craning over sheer cliffs to spot game feeding near snow patches hundreds of yards below.

The narrative then expands across the vast expanse of Scandinavia, Southern Europe, and Central Asia. In the dense Scandinavian woodlands, sportsmen track the giant elk, analyzing freshly barked fir trees and shallow earth scrapings during the autumn rutting season. The hunters rely on the keen noses of native dogs and Lapp guides to outwit the deer, which use cunning stratagems—wading along lake margins, doubling sharply back downwind, or traversing stony ridges—to obscure their massive tracks. Further south, in the forests of Imperial Russia, formal drives organized by royal gamekeepers target herds of aurochs, where shooters wait silently behind uprooted trees while beaters drive the heavy, roaring beasts past clearing edges.

The final third of the book traverses the high-altitude plateaus of Central Asia and the dense jungles of India. Crossing the Pamir region via the newly built Transcaspian Railway, hunters brave extreme elevations and disorienting atmospheric clarity to stalk the magnificent, wide-horned Ovis Poli and Asian ibex across barren sandstone hollows. In India, the pursuit ranges from sitting overnight in tree-mounted machans waiting for tigers to approach tethered bait, to wading through thick cover in search of wild bison, swamp deer, and the majestic, spiral-horned markhor along precipitous Himalayan ledges. The book concludes not in the field, but with practical technical instruction: detailing the construction of field transport packs, the proper selection of Willesden canvas tents, the mechanical safety of rifle locks, and the delicate art of field taxidermy to preserve trophies for transport back to Europe.

How It Unfolds

Across the Arctic floes Hunters navigate northern seas to stalk polar bears and harpoon walruses among the treacherous pack ice. The chase requires constant monitoring of wind currents and ice movements to avoid being trapped or scented by the keen-nosed bears.

Into the Caucasian ravines Expeditions push deep into unfathomed pine forests on the headwaters of the Kuban River in search of tûr and the rare wild aurochs. High camps are pitched at the edge of glaciers, relying on minimalist gear and cached supplies.

Watching the alpine ridges Stalkers climb the precipitous crags of the Tyrol before dawn, enduring freezing winds while awaiting the sunrise thermal shifts. They spot chamois feeding along narrow ledges far below the timberline.

Tracking the Scandinavian forest giants Hunters follow the elk through dense pine woods during the autumn rut, deciphering subtle forest signs like scraped earth and rubbed saplings. The chase becomes a contest of endurance against the elk's clever tricks to disguise its trail.

Standing post in Imperial preserves Shooters take up silent positions behind uprooted trees in Russian forests while beaters drive herds of wild aurochs through the timber. Quick decisions and steady marksmanship are needed as the heavy beasts charge across narrow clearings.

Ascending the high Pamirs Travelers navigate Central Asian mountain chains to hunt the legendary Ovis Poli across barren, high-altitude ranges. The extreme atmospheric clarity makes judging long rifle distances exceptionally difficult.

Waiting in the Indian jungle Sportsmen spend long nights in wooden tree platforms watching over forest clearings for tigers and tracking solitary wild bison through dense tropical cover. Native trackers assist in locating sign along stifling, forest-clad ravines.

Setting the wilderness camp The focus turns to operational logistics, detailing horse gear, pack-saddle cinches, and balanced food supplies for extended mountain journeys. Practical instruction covers everything from choosing lightweight canvas tents to preventing indigestible camp tea.

The People

Clive Phillipps-Wolley The primary narrator and editor who seeks the solitary solitude of dark, silent forests and mist-hidden mountain peaks. He wants to explore unfathomed mountain ravines, establish secure wilderness camps, and secure rare specimens like the Caucasian tûr and aurochs. He faces harsh mountain weather, unreliable local logistics, and strict imperial game laws that protect rare beasts. Through his travels, he develops a deep respect for wilderness self-reliance, preferring quiet forest caches over heavy baggage trains.

Arnold Pike An Arctic explorer and hunter focused on navigating northern ice fields to hunt polar bears and walruses. He must contend with shifting pack ice, freezing gales, and the unpredictable movements of marine mammals. He adapts to the harsh polar environment by mastering boat handling among ice hummocks and learning to stalk game downwind on foot.

St. George Littledale A dedicated mountain hunter who aims to secure specimens of the giant wild sheep of Central Asia, specifically the Ovis Poli of the Pamir. He faces extreme high-altitude terrain, diplomatic hurdles in securing Russian travel permits, and difficult shooting conditions caused by disorienting light. Through persistent exploration across multiple expeditions, he successfully maps out hunting routes across the Asian steppes.

W. A. Baillie-Grohman An alpine sportsman driven by the challenge of stalking chamois and red deer across steep mountain borders. He struggles against shifting mountain wind currents, invisible territorial boundaries, and local poaching pressures. His experiences turn him into a careful observer of animal behavior and local alpine traditions.

Sir Henry Pottinger An experienced forest tracker who seeks the Scandinavian elk in the dense woods of Norway and Sweden. He works to outwit the elk's natural senses, dealing with dense timber, deceptive trails, and taxing physical marches. He comes to respect the natural intellect and cunning stratagems of the forest game he pursues.

In Its Own Voice

"After all, in big game hunting half the charm lies in the mystery of the dark silent forests and the mist-hidden mountain peaks."

This reflection captures the romantic curiosity that drives the authors away from settled human haunts and into unmapped wildernesses.

"A favourite trick, for example, is to wade or swim for a long distance when the simple route lies along the edge of a tarn or lake; another, to double sharply back at an acute angle and travel for a long way to leeward of their original line before resuming it..."

Here the text observes the surprising intelligence of the Scandinavian elk as it actively works to baffle its pursuers.

"The screen is then planted on a spot commanding a good view; the men on foot crouch behind it, and the horseman rides slowly off to a flank."

This moment illustrates the specialized, highly observational tactics employed when hunting wild antelope across open Indian plains.

What It's Really About

Beneath its detailed descriptions of hunts and field tactics, the book is an inquiry into human endurance, observation, and the relationship between the late-Victorian sportsman and the natural world. It examines how wilderness travel strips away urban conveniences, testing a person's patience, physical stamina, and observational discipline in unmapped environments.

The text also wrestles with early concepts of wildlife conservation and natural history classification. Throughout the chapters, the authors debate the precise scientific taxonomy of wild sheep, ibex, and deer species, pleading for naturalists to bring order to field names. There is a persistent tension between the thrill of the chase and the tragic awareness that many of these magnificent animals—such as the European aurochs and the Arctic walrus—are rapidly declining due to overhunting and encroaching civilization. Ultimately, the book argues that true sport lies not in the slaughter of game, but in the deep knowledge of animal habits, the mastery of campcraft, and the quiet appreciation of untouched mountain landscapes.

Why Read It Today

This work offers modern readers a direct, unvarnished window into late-nineteenth-century exploration and field naturalism. It appeals to readers interested in historical travel, outdoor survival, wildlife management, and Victorian culture. The prose feels remarkably vivid and grounded; reading it feels like sitting beside an experienced guide who has parsed every footprint, wind shift, and mountain pass from the Arctic pack ice to the Himalayan ridges.

While the prose is clean and authoritative, modern readers will encounter certain period difficulties. The book is dense with detailed measurements, regional geographic names, and technical discussions of black-powder rifles and cartridge loads. Furthermore, readers must navigate nineteenth-century imperial attitudes and the inherent contradiction of Victorian sportsmen who felt deep awe for wild animals while actively hunting them. Yet what stays with you long after reading is the atmospheric evocative power of the writing—the bone-chilling pre-dawn wait on an alpine ridge, the silent crackle of pine needles underfoot in a Caucasian forest, and the sheer logistical grit required to cross frozen continents on foot and horseback.