The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-12-15
keW WAY TO Catch DEER.
Keep Them from Chewing Their Cuds and
Moriarty Finds That You've Got EN-.

Aeep In0m from CD0WInR Inelf Cu0e anu
Moriarty Finds That You've Got 'Em.
A new method of still hunting deer
has been invented by Bill Moriarty, q
licensed guide who Is married to an
Oldtown squaw and occupies a log
camp on the old ''deer drive tote road
leading from Millinocket to Malta
wamkeag, writes the Norcross, (Meo
correspondent of the New York Sun.
The road runs through some 10000
acres Of woodland that has lately been
cut over for spool wood and just come
up to spruts, making the best kind OF
deer pasture. In spite Of having his
squaw for company, Bill grew lone
some in the woods and two years ago,
reading an advertisement In a hen
paper that q man in Far Hills, n. j.,
had guinea fowls for sale, he sent
away and purchased six Of the noisiest
ones he could get. They multiplied
rapidly. Last fall he was able to count
40 fowl and felt sure there were a
lot more running wild in the woods
which he could not approach. Wishing
to take account of stock, he began to
feed his birds and to lure them to his
camp. While following this praise
worthy employment he learned a new
fact in animal economy. which he in
tends to turn into dollars and cents
this fall.
1t is the custom for deer to go forth
to the clearings and feed on the tender
birch sprouts early in the morning, SO
they may be abe to return to the woods
and chew their cuds as soon as day
light appears. AS the guinea fowls
are very early risers and as they always
make loud outcries the moment they
fly from their roosts, the advent OF
so many clamorous birds in the forest
greatly disturbed the deer, interfering
with the ctid-chewing process and
leading to dyspepsia and other stomach
troubles of a grave nature. Like all
Illuminating animals, deer have several
stomachs in which to store their food.
The first stomach or peck as the
hunters call 1t, is receptacle for the
fresh sprouts as they come from the
stumps. This raw material must be
raised to the animals mouth and
chewed iii d ''cud" before it can be
digested in the second stomach.
If the cud chewing operation is de-
layed for longer than an hour, the
green twigs generate gases, which dis
tend the stOmachs of the deer to such
an extent that they are unable to run.
A guinea hen, while very noisy, is ex-
ceedingly shy, and possesses the rare
faculty of knowing when to speak and
when to preserve silence. As the birds
strolled through the woods where the
deer were taking a supplementary
breakfast many of them INDUCED in
their usual matin song. AS soon as
the deer heard the discordant notes
they swallowed their half-masticated
cuds and were full Of terrors, ready to |
flee at the sight of any moving object.
The snorting of the deer and the sound !
of their moving about were enough to |
brighten the guinea fowl into silence, |
whereupon the deer, hearing no more |
cause for fear resumed their cuds. |
No sooner were the deer quiet than the |
guinea hens began again, and once
more the deer arose in great fright.
The result was that before noon the |
deer were In such a condition that a
man could walk up to them and catch
q whole herd.
No sooner had Moriarty made this
discovery than he knew that his for
tune was made as a deer hunter, if he
could keep his process a secret from
the other guides. This summer he has
reared about 200 guinea chicks, which
will be big enough to fly and sing
when open time ON deer begins, on
Oct. 1. The deer are still frightened
when they hear the birds, and the
fowl hold the deer in such wholesome
respect that they cannot be induced to
display their musical talents while the
leer are near. Unless all the wise
)lans miscarry Bill and his guinea
owls will give the visitors some good
hunting on the old Millinocket tract
his fall.