The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-22
HOUNDS And The DEER'S TRAIL
UNEXPLAINED THINGS ABOtT
THE SCENT or ANNALS.


'One Of the We, unsolvel mysteries Il
nature said an old 1nd ohssrvant sports
man. .is presented nv the scent left by
animals and birds. According 10 natural
lists thi. seen, IL an odor or sflu,ium that
Is constantly Issuing frpm every animal.
especially when IN" animal Is making a
greater effort than usual
Ia n state IT beat and excitement.
says Youait. the pores 81 the skin apiear
rels xei. and a fuid nr watrry vafrr IL
secreted which. escaping Ia large Guarit-
ties, adheres Ia the persons or substances
upon which u falls. ahd l. particularly
capable Of imprc-sing the olfactory
nerves
Il have read that IL IL the opinion ~
na,uralis,s thet this scent l. a provision
Of Providence 10 ensbl. lrasts whose susie
name. must be obtained bv capturing other
beasts or birds 10 follow the track 81 their
prey. A. in the case 81 the FOX trailing the
hare OF grouse. or the wolf following the
track ~ the deer. Bu, iher" arr no beasts
thai PREF upon the fox OF the wolf hy trail
ing them dow u, We, the volf and the fox
leave a much stronger Scent IA the deer
or the hars or the grnuSe. the scent of the
fox, particularly. being AZ time- 80 pos!tiv"
a. 20 he p%ercep'ihlc even Ia the human
nose. rhis duality ~ the COX usHes that
animal peculiarly a quarry for the hunter,
vet II il not likelv that u was a p~rovid"ntial
provision 20 furnish sport Tor man ana dog
1t IN a fact that only dogs and ~nfu"
beasts 81 prev have the uliact'rN develop
ment by which the scent 81 nima NAV
he followed. and these beasts ~ prev do
not include the cat family. whose members
aither lie In wait for prey or hunt " hN
sight, uni, - the victi'n u wOundtSt and
leaves n trail Of blood. The panther or
the wildcat will scent blood a great way
on, quickly find its trail and follow To a."
end the dear or other animal from whose
wounds the blood IL flowing
The scent IL frequently different In
animals 81 the same kind Thus. tho scent
Of the hunted deer u different from that ~
the deer which has not vet been disturbed
by the dog or the hunter. The ability Of
the hound 10 follow the scent Of the fleeing
deer il sufficiently wonderful OF itself.
but II In clothed nv some hunters with a
greater wonde than really belongs To IT
II II known that hounds AZ cry on the scent
Of a deer have KEEP, n unerringly through
a mare Of other -cent-trails Of deer, separat-
ing that particular one from all ~" ree' ana
following II with certainty This power
has been described as q marvellous mani
festation Of the hounds sense of dircrtmina-
ton The fact " that the hunted d"er was
leaving, tnvoluntsrily, and owing 20 i's
excitement. n scent stronger than mat OF
the unexcited deer and 81 n different odor
The hounds wer~ therefore able Ia keep m
the track 81 one particular deer not because
their instinct was so highly developed, hut
because Of the poor d.er's involuntary
BETRAYAL Of its own individuality IN IN" eN-
element Of the chas"
cit L. a ~favorite belief among deer hun
ter- that when n deer pursued 10y hounds
takes TO a stream " will always pass down
with the current instead Of going up stream,
and they explain this action by saying ihAt
the deer's instinct teaches n that " " goes
UP stream it, -c-nt will pass down with tho
water, and the dogs will he enabled 20
take Il and follow their quarry just a. they
had followed IL over the ground This
theory IL interesting, hut nearly ffty wears
Of active and observant life In the woods
has satisfied me that II ~ a
fable. Water does not carry the scent
of a deer or any other game animal or
bird. but on tho contrary, DESTROYS "
While q moist atmosphere - the beet tor
scent. because moisture imhihe~, a. "
were. the peculiar matters that Weld tho
odor, and presents II To the dogs delicate
o~lfac,ory nerves In a condition best fitted
20 impress these nerves. vet a rainy day
browns the rcent by exc-ss 81 moisture
No hunter will think Of trying TO start his
idea, therefore, that water will carry a
d--r's scent with " II erroneous
when n bounded deer comes 20 water II
invariably proceeds in the direction that
tfsrIns 10 OUtf mt~l SNuIlN w " -
not too hard pressed " will stop A. h
margin ~ the water a moment throw up
its head and listen and give a quick glance
up and another one down the stream IN
that moment the deer has dccided what
~ beat to do. II NAV e down. up or straight
across. When | have aeon deer 20 either
up or down u was when the strcam was
narrow and shallow am satisfied that
their preference would h. water deep enough
20 swim in and 81 a fair width They ssen
- -. 49, 81. NAaNA NhA0 nRn ia NIA
water their scent IL Loaf To the dog. and
their purpose IL 20 put themselves beyond
sight Of their pursuers II IN" deer has
not water enough 10 swim IN u viii tro' Or
lope through the water. no matter IN which
direction, and will drink ~ " goes. The
reason u will never cross a stream " II is
narrow IL that the instant II strikes the
land II begins to leave its scent again, and
the distance - not great enough for the
scent IN escape the noses 81 the hounds
when they are circling around To regain
the trail Consequently the bounded d-er
will make It's way up or down the stream n
long distance. keeping To the water until
II has reached a point to which there ~ no
probability Of the dogs extending their
search for a renewal 81 their scent. Then
the deer will leave the stream, more than
likely on the side on which u entered and
bound away IN the very direction from which
the hounds brought u
The prettiest .Nhihition ] ever saw Of
a dccr's throwing the hounds Of the SCENT
was at a lake IN the A~dirondacks. IN"
guides took the dogs one morning and
vent out to drive a teer To the lake. was
stationed in the crotch OF n dead tre" which
stood ont in the lake a hundred feet or -,
In shallow water. and which commanded
a good view khad not t-cu long On watch
before heard the hounds giving tongue
far away in the hills lryond the oppo~it"
shore. They came m rapidly. and pre-
-antly saw n magnificent buck come
leaping along among tho trees and making
straight for tho water. tn" shor" amt
the lake bottom on that sic" werr sandy
The buck bounded on, gathered himself
AZ the edg,. of the lake. and with n heap
such a. | had never seen before alighted
in the water NJ least thirty fest from shorc
The water splaShed high and hid him "a
moment and | supposed ~" would sink"
out Tor my side OF the lake, that having
always been the course deer took when
pursued nv hounds.
-Ru his big buck had no such intention
He turned. AMI with mighty lcapS. clearing
the water each time, h" made his way up
along the shorc. ksrping hh- distance from
IL until lac had gone Al least an eighth OF "a
mile. Then he bounded Ia the -horr and
hack into the NoOd~. disappearing from
siSht uust n ia. hounds buT~t from the