The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-12-17
A Book About Deer Hunting.

Although deer stalking is esteemed by
sportsmcn the highest and so to speak. most
scientific kind of hunting. its practice has in
this country been confined for the most part
to the backwoodsman or frontiersman. 1t Is
true enough that many Of our best shots
men born and bred in cities but their expert
craftsmanship is only ono of the elements
which go to make up proficiency in the art of
bringing down the deer. Few amateurs have
time for the acquisition OF the experience de-
rived from actual life in the forest while. on
the other hand. there has been an almost
utter lack OF printed information or In
struction upon the subject Most attempts to
eucdate by description this branch of hunt
ing have been. like The Deer Shakers"
of Frank Forester. short fancy sketches. not
fitted to convey any definite instruction. Ca
tons well-known work upon the deer is de-
icient upon other grounds for while the au-
thor deals extensively with the anatomy.
physiology. and natural history OF the animal.
il did not fall within the scope Of his purpose
to discuss those habits which it ia essential for
the deer hunter to understand The absence
of any treatise at once explicit and authentic.
on subject Of keen interest TO sportsmen. has
led Mr.. THEODORE 5. VAN DYKE to publish the
results Of his own extended experience and
close observation in volume. entitled The
stu HUteT' (Fords. Howard X Hulbertl.
Deer are still found, it seems. in nearly every
State in the Union. though in many States they
are not now numerous enough for still-hunting
unless upon snow. In Canada and the north
ern tier of States in the great West in most Of
the Southern and Southwestern States. in near
" all the Territories, and on the Pacific coast
they are still to!erably abundant. But ii is
quite impossible. SO Mr.. Van Dyke tells us, to
lay down any rule for determining the specific
tr,, in bat 4 ..,.-
time. for there is no other kind OF game whose
movements and habits are so Influenced by eli
mate. season. elevation. and shape of ground.
tho presence of snow or flies the supply Of
water. and the amount OF hunting to which the
animal is exposed. In your ATTEMPT to
decide in what section deer or antelope
will be plenty enough to AFFORD you good sport.
You will have to rely on the general reputation
of Il range. and information gained from those
hunting or dwelling on it: and after having
exhausted these sources of instruction. you
will probably have To resort 10 personal inspcc-
ton. According to the author OF this volume
few reports are more trustworthy than the
general reputation Of a range, and few on the
other hand are more baseless than specific
assertion OF its game producing qualities. The
opinion of persons who are not hunters is Of
no great value regarding any kind of game.
always possible to accept the statements OF
good hunters. Unless they are actu-
ally engaged in hunting at the time.
they cannot tell on what particular part
Of tho range the deer happen to be
most plentiful while. if they are hunting.
stranger can scarcely expect them to intro
duce him to their best preserves. That, ac-
cording to Mr.. Van Dyke. is somewhat thicker
cream than can he reasonably expected to rise
even on the richest milk of human kindness.
On the whole, his advice to the amateur deer
stalker is. Il he goes out for only two or
three days sport. merely with the aim OF kill
ing deer for the sake of saying he has killed
one, TO try his best to win the good will OF some
professional deer hunter and il necessary to
pay him a fair price to put the stranger in the
way Of good shot. Ii the amateur deer
stalker cannot do this, no is recommended to
go homo and leave deer alone. for in spite OF
all tho information conveyed in Mr.. Van Dykes
book, the chances are that he will never find
anything to shoot at.
In chapter on the Senses OF the Game and
the Hunter" Mr.. Van Dyke tells us that
the amateur deer stalker must begin by totally
rcconstructng his notion Of the circum-
stances in which he may be ablo to see and
bring down his quarry. The sportsman. who
is perhaps doservodly proud Of his marks
manship. but who happens to bc unfamiliar
| with this species Of game is apt to go wander
| ing among the woods with his eyes fixed about
fifty yards ahead OF him. expecting at every
turn to dcscry n large, calf-lke object standing
broadside to him. in n nice, open glade pa
tently awaiting bullet. Now. the first
| thing, according to the author, that the
deer stalker must do, is to lay aside
every idea Of how u wild deer looks
that has been derived from the Imagination. or
| from pictures, even wnen these are drawn by
| lirst-ratc artists, No picture unless of i'm
mcnsc size and made by an accomplished hunt
en- who is also II skilled draughtsman can con-
vey amy notion OF the impression deer makes
upon the eye when seen upon his native heath
under the circumstances in which you will al
most always have to soc him to got u shot. 1t
is very seldom. indeed. that You see tho whole
of deer's body at once. and then YOU See /,