Muckle Hart of Benmore facts for kids

The Muckle Hart of Benmore was a very famous red deer stag. It was hunted by a naturalist and hunter named Charles William George St John in the 1800s. St John wrote a book called Short Sketches of the Wild Sports and Natural History of the Highlands. In this book, he told the exciting story of hunting this stag for six days and five nights. The hunt ended dramatically on October 1, 1833. Many people read St John's story, and the Muckle Hart became known as the most famous red stag in British hunting history.

Who Was Charles St John?

Charles St John was an English gentleman who loved nature. He moved to Scotland when he was young, around 1833. He spent his life fishing, hunting, and watching wild animals. On October 1, 1833, he hunted and killed a very large red deer stag. This stag was known as the Muckle Hart of Benmore.

St John first shared his story about hunting the Muckle Hart in 1845. It was part of a book review written by his friend Cosmo Innes. Later, St John wrote more about the hunt in his own book, The Wild Sports and Natural History of the Scottish Highlands, published in 1846. His exciting story was printed many times in different books.

The Great Hunt for the Muckle Hart

St John's story tells us about the long and challenging hunt for this special stag.

Day One: The Discovery

One Sunday, a shepherd named Malcolm told St John about a huge deer track. Malcolm believed it belonged to the "muckle hart of Benmore." This stag was famous for being incredibly big and very clever.

Day Two: The Start of the Chase

The next day, St John set out with his loyal helper, Donald, and his dog, Bran. They hunted a wildcat but saw no sign of the stag. They spent the night with Malcolm in his shieling, which is a small hut shepherds use in summer. The next morning, they finally spotted the stag. But when they tried to sneak closer, the stag smelled them and ran away. They had to return to the hut.

Day Three: Helping a Friend

On Wednesday, St John helped Malcolm. He hid near a dead sheep and shot two golden eagles. These eagles had been killing Malcolm's sheep. After that, they continued their hunt for the stag. Still, they saw no sign of it. They ended up sleeping in a small cave in the rocks.

Day Four: A Rainy Night

Thursday brought a new footprint, but heavy rain soon made them lose their way. In the dark, they heard music from a fiddle. They waded through a river that was waist-deep. They found a small hut where people were secretly making whisky. They spent the night there.

Day Five: Alone in the Mist

On Friday, St John decided to continue the hunt alone. But he got lost in a thick mist. He shot two grouse (a type of bird) and ate them. He then slept outside in the heather plants.

Day Six: The Final Showdown

Saturday dawned bright and sunny. St John finally spotted the stag again. He carefully stalked it, meaning he moved very quietly and slowly to get close. He could only get a shot from the front, but it seemed to hit the hart.

St John put down his rifle and walked towards the stag, which looked like it was dead. He had his knife ready. When he grabbed one of the stag's antlers to finish the job, the stag suddenly jumped up! It threw St John to the ground. St John was trapped against a bank. He quickly threw his plaid (a Scottish blanket) over the stag's head and stabbed it with his knife.

The stag then stood in a loch (a lake), trying to escape. St John realized he needed another bullet. He had to carefully shave down a bullet with his knife to make it fit his rifle. Finally, he was able to shoot the hart in the head, ending the long hunt.

The Trophy Antlers

In his stories, St John didn't describe the antlers much. He only said, "What a stretch of antler!" when he first saw the hart. St John's family later said the Muckle Hart was very heavy, weighing about 30 stone (which is about 190 kilograms or 420 pounds).

Years after the hunt, two experts, Lionel Edwards and Harold Frank Wallace, looked at the mounted antlers of the Muckle Hart. They described them as "a well shaped head with thick horn, and very good brow points 13 inches long." They even included a photo of the mounted antlers in their 1927 book, Hunting and Stalking the Deer.