The sun., 1893-10-30
HUNTERS TALES OF DEER.
LOVES AND CUNNING or BUCKS and
DOES ~ PENNSYL TLNII WOODS.
Savage Courtship orthe Bnck ne He Chaser
His Prrtner Through the woods-uow
the Deer Takes TO Water to Evnde tho
Honpds, and n. Other Means OF E.cnpe.

hDIIfl III. In. bpt. az FROM Ine mluNlO
OF October until the middle of November Ia tho
best time to hunt deer" sAd a veteran Potter
county hunter. Tor they are not disturbed
by dogs they will be found at rost in their IA
| rorite retreats. the bucks and does together.
| During that tiiue thu deer are less wntchful.
the males and females being absorbed In low
| ing attention TO each other The does during
that timo hunt up the bucks wherever they
may be in the woods A month later they are
| lying from the bucks. and It is thon that tho
| woods ara full OF running deer. the does flying
TO escape from the bucks. and the bucks pur-
suing tho does. determined that they shall not
| escape. 1t is then that does nre routed out
Ivy tho hunter or hound from unexpected
, places-in tangled laurel thickets. from
| under the gnarled roots and out OF
| the thick t0ps Of fallen trees. In
| old scrub ouk clcarings. near human
habitations. and even among tho cattle in
nearby pastures. And it is then the bucks are
| found tearing wildly about in all sorts OF un-
heard OF localities and in the ugliest OF m oods.
| Tho does are hiding away. or trying to hide.
| IRON their passionate lords, and the bucks are
raging about In search OF such hiding places.
| A buck. discovering n doe thus endeavoring to
seaucstrate herself will STAMP and hook her
| until he drives her out. when tho chase will 60
| on again. over hills and through valleys and
across streams. Such Is the savaRery OF the
! bucks during this running time that they have
! been known to gore and stamp to death does
unable to escape and refusing to submit to
! them. Although the running season is the
favorite with hunters for enjoying the sport OF
| deer hunting. no doe should then be killed.
With every doe killed. during the running s.a-
son. one. and perhaps two. deer arc removed
! from the future stocking OF the woods.
| when deer are much hunted their oars be-
! come exceedingly acute. ! have seen them
| spring from their beds and bound away like
tho wind before | had come within 200 yards
/ Of them. and although / had touched not q
! single hush or twig In approaching the game.
and although no man twenty yards distant
! could have heard the soft tread OF M mocca-
sins on the light tracking snow. Deer too.
are able to measure with intuitive correct
ness the distance and character Of sounds
| They will often lilo all day within hearing OF
the normal sounds OF the backwoods settle-
ment. the noise Of the woodsmnn's axe. and
the shouts OF the lumbermen and teameters
| The loud swapping o! trees with frost their
| crcaking or falling before hard winds. cattle
crashing through the brush while feeding In
the woods Will not alarm resting deer. but
the faintcst pressure Of the leaves beneath the
hunter feet will send 1t flying.
A deer can ste a moving object a long way.
On one occasion saw a deer on a ridge watch
away. VA as i we'll knew. Tie % intervenns rive Ing coun e
try was opcn. nnd the hunter was approaching
vet myself. After while he came into the line
"f my vision. appearing not much more than n
deer which made un. its mimi that the man
was duite near enough. and. throwing its head
on no an s ost at 1est
deers eyes are not good. They cannot
Pf Il the man 9GH is motonlas But et sF him move
even finger while the deer's eyes are turned
IA hi.l al t.,, nnch fl,,I
have tree between it and the discovered
danger AMI bound away INTO the protecting
IT 10 feed. the skilful and alert hunter may ad-
vance several steps nearer. until at last he
S.ss % f e o eseatn
from pursuing hunters and dogs and an
"S w5e % eer "o sst
has pnt long distance aliend OF his pursuers
he VIII stor and go ''SK h.n on ,s his trass
tremendous bound from the trail, OF to
on. sir nlways at M SPOT s rrGm which nsh ne can n
close and and hides He sees the hounds pass by: by
to his feet. and speeds away across country in
another direction. Before the dogs have un-
buck he is mi es AWAY Experienced and OBJ
servant woodsmen know this trick o. the
with % scanni"E the brush on 'ea each Hn side @
as they iolIoW the hS, dogs ana IT,, often catching
1T is Il favorite BELIEF among deer hunters
that deer. pursued BY hounds, when t takes
to stream will always go down with the
instinct teaches it that Il goes ny its scent mt
will pass down with the water and the dogs
quarry Just ns they had on land. This is In
teresting but nity years, OF active, and OBJ
more than abundant but Just AS careful OF
their lives as they are to-day when they are
be Water does not carry the scent Of
deer with 1t. but on the contrary. DESTROYS
m might ,p aHo TO dstss5 Ss scent o
deer's sweat on the surface of water
Or in raSsss tss Of snYa rGm it's mouth
knew one bred SO fine as thar. When hound |
ed deer comes % to water it always vs. takes til % the
eagerly un. down. and ahead. It's mind is
Straight, across, lust as It's Judgment has de-
cdei. II the water t. deer enough Tor the |
is not tho deer trots or lopes; it does not
Gonnd aonG ri l. ala on nnd fHr 1T
he rnE nsnnt @ its est arc in the water it's scent Is
lost to the doge. at least until such time as
they may lie anle to find it again where the
wv " sTh" sent Of the deer being lost tho instant
the animal enters the water. how is the trail
the deer always goes down stream. and acts
accordingly. may recover the trail and he may
long in getting his dogs on the scent again.
In none Of thu mountain streams that deer fly
10 WnCn mo nDunuN are on tnelT tTHCk can u |
person go many rods. either up stream or
down. without coming TO fallen tree lying
across II. or some other obstruction in its bed.
which deer following the stream will have to
get over, The hunter, WHO knows his busi-
ness Will first satisfy himself that the
deer hasn't gone straight across. and
will then so in one direction along
the creek until he comes to the first log or
channel obstruction. If the deer has taken
that direction. that log or obstruction will be
wet on top from the water that dripped from
the deer while climbing over it; II il is dry
the hunter knows NJ once that tho deer hasn't
gone that way. and consequently must have
followed the stream In the opposite directo
after which the discovery OF the spot where
the deer left the creek and resumed it's course
through the woods is only a matter OF time.
Whom deer are in tho very pink OF condition
Is tho time when they cannot legally ne shot.
That is along in June and July, when they are
IL the red coat and slick. glossy and fat.
animal than deer in the enry spring. when
it's coat, especially the bucks. is u grizzlish
gray. patchy and scrhggly. There isn't hand
somsr animal to look at than the deer in its
Glstentng red coat, In August deer is in the
ifa haip NJ hat hu IL hn