Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-31
BUCK sToPPED NJ wHoor.
An Illustration in the Forest of the
Deer,s Caution.
New York Sun \


|, Not long ago, in the north woods o,
wisconsin. D. r. Francis, q tobacco mar
from the Dayton part of Ohio. made Ssst
of the deer's proneness to stop when |.
hears any sudden sound which II doe,
not understand.
One afternoon he was on q runway,
The hour was late, but the light sttb
held. Suddenly he saw, Looping betweez
the tree boles at half speed. a handsome
buck. The deer was evidently unawar,
of his presence. It was not alarmed
by anything and was making good time
merely because it wanted to reach somf
point before dark, not because it feared
that there was wolf or hunter on it's trail
It was coming quartering toward him aud
would. if unchecked. pass withon thirty
yards. Francis determined to wait until
1t reached that point.
Swinging along easily the buck 1eaped
log and slowed to a trot, having 1t.
head well up. There was no wind and
the beat of its small hoofs on the leave.
was distinct.
Just before it reached the desired point
Francis. who was crouched behind
fallen treetop, whooped- He did this not
violently, but in haif-voice, sounding
single note clearly and sharply.
The buck stopped instantly and stood
for half a second as il carved from dun
stone. it's antlers, body. and limbs clearly
outlined. No man could ask for faire1
shot.
Then the inherited caution of the AMI.
NAL came to it's rescue and in the aexl
quarter of a secord it did some rapid
thinking and deducing. 1t had heard the
sound and stopped but it did not know
what it was and consequently did not
know whether it came from friend or
foe. as a still further consequence /.
would be. wise thing to protect itself
until it could find out.
1t made a rapid glide. skip or slide
forward for yard and and hid behind a
tree with it's tail toward the hunter
This took only fash of time.
Francis then could see only a half inch
of one of it's hips and It's horn tips He
waited for the buck to make move ard
the buck waited In the meantime. expior-
ing all of the woods in it's front with
its eyes
OF course it could see nothing harmful.
Tt could not scent the hunter and had no
idea that he was anywhere about. It
might finally have moved off and afford
ed Francis the chance he wanted, but It
did not.
One never knows how these things will
end The man may5h have t'rawuel deeper
breath than usual. or a twig under him
may have cracked slightly, or some wave
of warning may have passed from him 10
the door. At any rate. the buck suddenly
Ieaped outward and tore away at top
speed.
AS it went it got slightly out of line
with the protecting tree and about hall
of its body was exposed. Francis drew
To ne no md
but the buck did not stop. Probably the
bullet went foot wide OF the mark
The incident showed not only that the
deer will stop because of a sudden noise,
but also that it's caution is sometimes
excessive. These animals differ great'y
In this respect some OF the apparently
counting death in the foolishness with
which they will stand and face a man
who is shooting at them in plain view,
while others appear to be all eyes. cars,
legs, and timidity.