HUNTING DIARY

It is very interesting while I ponder over the nostalgia. That was a winter morn. I was a DAV College student and staying at Koraput. As I am an idealistic and romantic person I appreciate visiting different places and read hunting diaries of different renowned hunters. During summer vacation I used to read the Shikar stories written by Late Gadadhar Roy who belonged to Odisha. His favourite hunting ground was Patia Jungle nearby Barang, Odisha. One of his stories I may mention below.

One winter morn late Mr. Roy accompanied by his fellow hunter late Nityananda entered in Patia as he heard a sad news that one leopard had killed a cow in the cowshed of a farmer, a local resident, and carried it off into the forest.

So at once he set off to the Forest with his double barreled gun and some cartridges. He and Netera tracked and followed the foot print of the tiger in the rising sun shine smoking a bidi. About one hour already passed when both of them reached nearby a ravine. They saw a massy bush beside the ravine which was vibrating. Out of suspicion they stepped ahead very slowly without any sound and reached a distance of 300 metres from the bush. They also heard a grumbling noise which fixed the idea of becoming their doubt to be true. Roy was experienced and famous Odia hunter during that period i. e. British India. Hence both the friends climbed up the trees separately which were Banyan trees. Both of them marked the spotted back of the ferocious leopard which was busying itself on eating the flesh of the dead cow. The spot was very clearly visible to them.

Then Dhoom Dhoom Dho.... The sound of gun firing had shaken the leaves of the trees of the woods and informed the follower drummers that the enemy of their livestocks was no more. Then the success made the hunter twins so happy that their joy knew no bounds and they began to dance with the villager-cum-drummers. The wrist watch beckoned 1 pm and they returned the village with the leopard which was carried by ten numbers of men in a stretcher. As per the then custom late Roy stood on the dead tiger beside Netera and were snapped a photograph. Then the tiger was brought before the District Collector and the owner of the victim was paid compensation and Mr. Roy, the hunterof Odisha was also rewarded with a golden badge of unicorn.

It was sharp half past mid night. The locality was silent and dark. Stray dogs were barking here and there surrounding our Govt quarters as sometimes wild bears were haunting the site. I felt so happy and was so engrossed that I had already forgotten to take my supper. Then I washed my face and hand after easying myself and slept only after drinking a glass of earthen pot water and slept with an empty stomach as I knew from my granny that late night food bad for health as that food is being eaten up by discontented spirits and vampires. Then saluting Motiaalmaa, the goddess of our locality I slept on a deep seep which made me dreamt of a beautiful forest park.

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