Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-02
TRICKS TO GET DEER.
Sometimes They Stop When You Tell
Them to-Red Attracts Them.
From the New York Sun.


From the New York Sun. ---.
There are some tricks in woods hunting
that are common property. For instance.
most hunters who pot cartridges while the
covey are sitting on pine or spruce tree
know that the lowest bird should be shot
first If this is done. nearly all Of the covey
will sit still to be butchered, but If the
highest bird be shot the survivors will fly
instantly. They are disturbed not only by
the noise of the dead bird coming down
through the branches but they see 1t fall
and take warning.
Not many hunters know, however that
a deer under full Roadway, speeding down
a runway as il a legion Of hounds were
after 1t, will often stop still and instantly
If it hears a shrill whistle. The whistle is
the deer's signal of warning, of challenge
and of sociability, and 1t always attracts
attention from them
Similarly a running deer will often stop
if 1t hears an unusual, but not terrifying,
noise. A half-breed Chippewa of the Flam-
beau reservation. named Sam Pogon, as
serts that deer understand the meaning of
the English word stop" and always
obey It.
Whether this Is true or not, and it isn't.
Sam always says Stop in a clear mild
tone instead of using the whistle and his
deer generally stop. He does a good deal
of guiding, and it gives his patron rather
an eerie feeling to lie hidden by runway
with him and hear him give his brief COM
mand.
The brown deer of the woods Is as much
attracted by red handkerchief or any
other bit of scarlet cloth as Is the antelope
Red sometimes angers animals and some
times arouses their curiosity, but it never
terrifies them.
That is one of the reasons why most In
dian hunters wear red cloth bound around
their foreheads; the other reason is that
1t is a distinguishing mark of a human
being, and brother Indians or amateurs are
less apt to mistake them for game and pot
them as they move slowly through the
trees.
1t is a fact not commonly within the
knowledge of sportsmen that a wounded
deer. shot while speeding by stand. will
always come back to that stand If it has
strength enough. More deer are finally bag
ged by men, who simply inspect the blood
marks and sit down and wait, than by men
who take up the blood trail.
OF course, 1t is wise to follow the blood
for half-mile on chance that the deer
has gone down, but If it goes beyond that
distance it is pretty much of certainty
that it will continue for some time longer
and in that case the best place for another
shot is at the old stand Why the deer does
this is not positively known, but it Is prob
ably because 1t is best acquainted with
that runway and in It's hurt condition likes
to be near its haunts.
Some men In the woods will not shoot a
doe at any time of year, no matter how
tempting the shot, and they earn credit as
self-restrained sportsmen. Others are not
so conscienceful and take deer Of either
sex as they come.
A few Of these men are wise enough to
know that in case buck and doe are to-
gether. and it Is wished to bag both, the one
to shoot first is the doe. If the buck be
shot, the doe will flash away, never to re-
turn; II the doe Is shot, the buck will prob
ably make half dozen jumps going out
of sight, but, IL no noise be made, will al
| ways return to sniff at the body of his
| companion.
| This may be because the male has more
| affection than the female or merely be-
cause his courage is higher and he has
| less caution.