Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1879-10-11
DEER HUNTING IN THE ADlRON'
DAOKS,

At seven the hunters arc OFT. Three OF
four dogs are started on as many..trails by
the hunters who often take long tramps
through the thick woods for that pur-
pose. Generally, however it takes only
few minutes to find q track, and the dog
starts, baying as he goes ut irregular IN
| tervas on the trial made, perhaps, the
night before. He walldcrs about uncer-
tuiny for a time, as the deer has fed, and
then ~oes off straight and quickly out OF
hearing behind some wooded hill. Inc
hunter knows then that the deer hat lett
off feeding; that the dog has not reused
HIM as yet, but that he is probably lying
at rest after his nights travel. SO the
hunter uses his oars instead Of his eyes
he listens for the sounds. The air is full
of murm1rs; now he thinks he hears the
dog, but it is only some great tiy buzzl"S
rods away. An hour is gone the ear Is
tired of it's straininG, and he scans the
BAY. 1t may be the deer has come to WA
ter. il often does before the dog is heard
He looks along the border Of the lakes
where the leaning cedars make Il dark
zone; many an unpracticed eye has miss
ed the game in that deep shadow. lie
sees tloatiny objects far down th, lake Il :
which he strains his eyes; it is loon
that laughs at him and dives and f'o2ts
away. The lily pads rise from the water
l with the breeze and cheat him into anoth-
er long debate between the sense ana
e reason. Another hour is gone and eye as
IS well AS ear is tired. Biueberries or rasp-
e berries are thick about him, and he picks
a them and gives an occasional glance about
the lake. A crash comes across the lake
+ from the hill to startle the strained senses
1t is some great tree falling III the woods
q that lars the earth, shocks tho air, an'
l. makes the water lap the pebbles on th'
beech. In the hush that follows the faint
rs est baying of the hound is heard. f.r OF
ed but quite distinct. Echo makes play
k! thing of the sound, throwing it from hi
o. to hill, giving it to you fl irst at one point
r. then from another, cheating you all Ill
IN. time. You spend two whole hours III lis
teuinr to that sound, and then i6 Gle
down again, and your guide concludes til
5h deer has gone to water i'll some dlsti1n
lake And then you push otf yonr boa
er- for Il start homeward; when all at ono
ON the hill side. close to the place "hel
the doc first took the trail he breaks OF
py again. loud and urgent. barking, yelpin
tn and bowling in one continuous stream
,,- noise, He has the deer ahead of HIM til
time sure enough. Now everything
ha' excitement; there is no fatigue in eyes
it ears. Round the hill they go, deer AZ
or dog, up the lake shore toward the hea
,o1- ..Will he 20 in there we ask. ''No," I
,oN = piled the guide, eve never watch TIL
his placc." Back they come. right towa
our Watching place. '.Will he come in n
ily we inquire. Not yet," is the reply: I'll
chase turns and goes rapidly up a brD'
bed toward High Point; another turn al
ny back they come, this time through
swamp. We can fee, the pcrpleNity
div the dog as the marshy soil defeats !
wa, scent. and breaks his baying into
'eo freo,. eut and impatient howls. L
'ck- swamp is passed and as the chase leads
has in a straight line parallel with the sho
|ier. orr Guido fairly shouts, "Ihat deer
,a ours: there he goes straight for Gre
i''' Forkcd and light into BIS hands," '
wait minutes that seem hours. ''N
doesn't he shoot ? the deer is III the
lone before this - and BIS ii ile cracks t
=, miles away, and the hunt is up. +
lie' hours of steady watching gives us Il dc
the II is the story of Il rcprcsni tativo hi
, re- which might have been varied in Il sc
of wavs and ended i'll dctcatat last.