The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
ADEER HUNT WITH
rs TINE pRACTIoE of HUNTING WITH
MT SPORTSM4NLIKE9

FROM Behind n Jack Light ne = SALT
Lick q. the Adirondac Contriv-
nnce U-ed-The Eyes OF the Dying Doe.
Men who have shot deer In every way known
10 hunters and men who never got any nearer
70 killing n deer than sitting In n boat and
watching the guide shoot have been talking .
good deal lately as to whether or not IL Is
eportsmnnlIko TO shoot n deer from behind a
lack light said Lieut.. Oscar King, at the Lo-
tos Club, one day last week. MY experience
in lacking deer was confined TO one hunt. snd
I am not prepared TO cay that II was sprrrs-
manlike. I had killed many deer before that
one, but none under similar circumstances,
and mono that haunted me rs that doe did.
shooting deer on n runway. stalking them
when the first snow falls. or blazing away 90
them from horseback. IA they do In Florida.
are all good and legitimate WAYS To kill them.
But padding up to them In the dark, dazina
them with a bright Jack light. and then firing
both barrels Of buckshot at them Ia not a feat
to be proud Of. in my opinion. l did II for tho
first and last time five years ago on Round
Pond In the Adirondack. ] went up there for
my ..ealth and incidentally to do a little fish
ing. To get the most health and the most fish
q man should cut loose from hotels and live
in camp, and that was what l did. Adam. my
guide, had q log lean-to. matched with bark,
and there he made me co mfortable. II was
an ideal camp for n sportsman. When we st
settled. Adam spoke up one night and sSt3.
Lieutenant, don't you think a little ven-
ison would be worth getting2'
"'Just what we need, ADAM said 7, 'buS
how are we to get It Mt this time of the year,
Adam knew that I had never been in the
Arirondacks before. and he explained to mo
that we might jack our deer or watch for them
at q lick half q dozen miles above our camp.
I decided TO try the deer lick hrst, and an hour
before sunset of the next day Adam and
padded across the pond, out the inlet, and
into the river. A short row up the river
brought us to the landing where we might
drag our b, at up on the bank and conceal IL
in the bushes. We followed the trail over n
hill for half a mile and then down into a little
valley partly filled by n swampy pond 40 mar.
row that one could shoot across It with the
reasonable expectation Of doing damage. Salt
had been. strewn around an old stump near
the water. and that was the spot we were to
watch. Adam told me later that these salt
ticks were against the game laws, and they
certainly should be prohibited. We concealed
ourselves within easy range OF this salt baited
stump, slipped cartridges loaded with buck
shot into our double arrelled breechloaders,
and waited. Nothing came but mosquitoes and
punkies. Do you know what a punky tsp
Well. he is smaller than a mosquito. and he
has about twice as much bite. He combines
the viciousness Of the black fly with the per-
sistence Of the mosquito and he IS always.
two hours, after several millions Of punkies
had lp1ched from my blood weakened. I
tested my guide. po-
replied. I don't want any yenison II I must
pay for II by losing so much blood and 30 we
re!""F.nTfSd is t. Is 's eDIPx to ! T Ss 4 'G Soo9 Sf1g, d ,oy ,ssa.
Ing said Adam the next morning. and II you
%ish vii vii rig up a Jack. and we'll Try our luck
much prospect Of IT raining
Il wanted some velnison. and by that time
simply memories, so / decided to try lacking.
Each guide has his own fads about a jack light.
attached this to a round. thin board about the
size of the top of q silk hat, Then he tackled
strip Of harness leather three inches broad
Sull's,eye rested securely on the top of this cap.
the movements Of the Wearer's head
81 the T Boat, want ssfa 'h hdpm5 Jack f., llFht xc m tns
pointed right and at DO justice @1 To lis SGH pa ssSR
ave the j. jack % on lis II S2 hesa 70 an % then he shSS he eas
turn the light wherever he chooses
,,cla aaA nat n nisht 4 was wss pi I'll ri Sark an. and at es 10
!ectly quiet, Our camp fire was the on e bright
spot on the lake. Around us the darkness had
AXE were stiiied. and the silence % was oniy
oroken by an occasional splash, of a bullfros
permit, and rested my shotgun across nv knees.
,arbine when he was jaoking deer. and he
3}r eS fbs 1 Il along Inst Just for company, He set:
low tH over ,fa my old 9rs felt Il ha sne ana ndcp pu llEa' o arn 81.
bright and clearly defined track Of light flashed
rested on the bushes Of the shore.
,. Now; Lieutenant, settle yourself in q 20:
s nd s&oo .$I sss ss'P : sSafs tRkss f fss sG9F eyes open
.hers Sy xhsrs t %s fat fish. Hf f9on; n1sd ,a mE ; sssac Gn
nd told Adam TO go ahead. fhs boat began
ven move a dri Tli flo% t Sey su nS,se' paddle. dSSse , ws'n ~s
eemed to be pushed through the water by some
IS, s sPorse a.. force Re Our course was 20 near
he PUSHES. For half an hour we rs1 eontinused
round the eastern side of the lake until we
Jumped into the water from a log with a splash
nat brought my gun up TO my shoulder In
It's a rat whispered the guide. Then We
y nrned ana shdd.m made across the lake TO hunt the
lous work and my mind wandered from It. Sud.
ienly over my shoulder came the whisper:
,ou. D Shoot y0 Iie ses aas ey sSoot FLIGHT ahead OF
oom My mind az dn came 9ack 70 the business Of the
desr's eyes Ia front OF me. l shook my head.
There she is whispered the guide again;
S.nuoU,ut buoso tWO UrlRHt SpOtb III front OF yOu.'
81. didn't see any bright spots and ] didn't
hoot; MY boat was moving nearer shore all
ne time and my nerves were at high tension,
he Light from my bull's.eye clearly defined
he bushes along the shore, but l could ses
that family resembled a deer in It's
rack. The boat swayed gently and / knew
hat Adam was getting on his feet. lie was go.
ng to take a shot over my head. Just ut that
1 saw two uncanny looking lights.
hey, were greenish and fiickering. That was
ny deer' and brought my gun mp T., my
Ias a sharp ringing. report behind me. My
nlde had concluded that | was not going to zee
he deer and he had fired a shot on his own
ook. We were both surprised. There wasa
splashing IN the water and a cracking u
ne undergrowlh that soon stopped.
We've got her, II was "a big doe shouted
dam, as he pushed the boat ashore, The
tck light showed u pool OF blood where the
eer climbed on the bank. and We could easily
bliow her trail; Fifty rods back from the
LruGRles With his hunting knife, aud ms the
died her bic soft eyes seemed 10 look
I me reproachfully. One OF her legs had been
by my buckshot, and there we're lalf