The broad ax., 1902-06-28
An EGrIy Morning Hunt
For Black Toll Deer.
BY CLARENCE A. LYMAN.

be deep In the thickets Of the greer
timber, where Il would be all but i'm
possible to come upon one Of them IN
awares. Already the burros, far dowr
the valley where camp lay. were u
ami moving stifHy down to get drinl
at the river.
The southern hin before me was on'
I had marked the year before as
likely place for deer. II rose In smooth
slopes and narrow benches a thousand
feet or so, fringed on the top with the
edge Of the deep thick forest OF sprueei
which ran back on the plateau beyond
The ascending surface had spruce and
aspen groves lying on It In long stream
ers, divided by half a dozen open
grassy glades, each with a tiny rill
gurglIng down the centre. coming from
the banks OF snow which still lay pro
tected by the dense shade OF the crown
OF spruces. The streams were fringed
with the Bucculent marsh herbs which
deer and elk most fancy as dessert
after fiIling up on vines and tender
boughs.
It does not pay to hasten or to get
out c; Jreath when hunting deer, so
climbed very, very slowly upward,
keeping in the shelter OF the bushy
young aspen that frInged the bigger
trees at the edge OF one Of the ascend
ing glades. At each step. as I placed
my foot to avoid any cracking twig. I
looked all around and listened for any
sound OF game. The stimulation Of the
color Of the early coat OF the deer to
the dry punches Of grass Is so close
that in the imperfect light It was well
to study closely each outline. else some
proud stag might bear his coveted
burden OF venison out OF range at q
bound. before my eyes had seen the
slender legs and gracefully borne head.
There were plenty Of tracks In the
mellow earth, some almost obliterated
BY two or three successive dews, and
some apparently as fresh as though
the cushioned hoOf had just been lifted
from them In spite OF all my caution,
a crack Of tWigs and stamp OF hoofs
on to the right Indicated that an alarm
had reached eyes or ears or nOstrils OF
some deer. but sat still and listened
TO the beating OF my heart until APP
parently 1t decided that its suspicious
did not justify precIpitate flight. for
thought It went on, IL was In a noise
less walk From tree to tree I edged
In that direction. I found the fresh
trucks, evidently a buck OF good size,
and followed carefully on a slant up
the hill saw something moving
ahead OF me. and was ready to shoot,
but IL came fearlessly down toward
me, evidently not seeing fits danger. =
doe with her two faWns was working
down to a safe shelter In the willow
tangle along the river. l did not
want to turn them back in the direc-
ton in which the buck had gone, so |
crouched behind a bush to let them
pass Only a pOt-hunter fails TO re-
spect femininity and infancy in hunt !
ing deer. The mother was pushing |
along with all the ungraeefulness Of
her kind. neck out, ears back. One
fawn wanted to stop for refreshments |
and was pushing In front Of her like a |
calf at milking time. The other spotted
pet was intent on play. bounding about
Ia extravagant semicircles. His cratic
course brought him directly upon me,
and be stopped suddenly with legs
braced at wide angles. so close that
felt the breath OF his startled snort.
His. ears were opened wide, and bis
dewy nostrils quivered as he drew In a
scent or whose danger he had yet to
learn. His great soft eyes looked full
into mine for Il moment, and could
almost have reached out and touched
him Then be remembered his mother.
who had passed ON out OF sight, gave
meg-like expostulating bleat. bound
ed a couple OF yards to one side, and
gambOled on In pursuit.
The shadow OF my hill had by this
time erawled down to the opposite
slope in the valley, and the sun was
shining full through the tops OF the
trees. A raven eaWed and hapDed
iazily across the valley, high overhead
On a tour Of Investigation. His keen
A1G AA1EA91n MEANUuN
carried, and he circled above the
mountain and lighted I'm a tail dead
spruce to await the outcome Of the
hunt The buck on whose track I was
following was evidently Intent on
shelter. He had been in no
haste, cropping the heritage as he went
along, but the determination with
which the tracks forced themselves up
he bill meant that be had a mind for
The safe protection OF the growing
green timber forest. I must make
haste TO head him on. and as II would
Be fatal to hurry directly behind him.
crossed over Into the next glade and
hen pushed steadily up the mountain
oWard the summit. Just at the very
row was a continuous grassy blum
'rer which any animal seeking the uD-
ger shelter must pass; and on this l /
brew myself down. I had no breath.
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