New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-11-09
TRAILING WILD ANIMALS.
FASCINATION OF HUNTING THEM BIT
THEIR FOOTPRINTS.

Trailing deer is one Of the finest sports OF Amer
lea, either up In the SHOWS OF Manitoba or down IN
the South and West. where the black tailed deer
abound in the hills. says VI. Tindall in "Pearsons
Magazine" The deer Is swift and cunning and the
hunter must needs be strong in wind and limb to
follow where he leads. and very wise 70 unraveI thu
story of his footprints
The elegant hOOf-mark OF the deer could never b
anything but deers imprint TO the old hunter
but men may live for years in places where deer
are found. and yet. on coming across footprint be-
unable 20 determine whether il was made by deer
or by sheep or a pig. Indeed the footprints Os
deer. sheep and pig, singly. are remarkably
alike. and only an expert can tell the from ths
other.
To trail deer successfully needs the cunning Of
the North American Indian. who knows from the
mere touch and smell OF the track rot only how
long ago the track was made. but also the size and
condition Of the deer who made II, The hunting
Indian is as cunning as the hunted deer himself;
he seems himself 20 enter into the very workings or
the brute mind
The first mistake made by the young deer hunter
is TO follow too closely his game II the hunter
watches the trail at his feet instead OF looking
ahead, he may stumble his deer Unawares.
This is what the boy hunter did in Mr.. Thompson
SetonS little story Of The Sandhiu stag"
Sneakins along. watching the tracks his feet.
he was so startled when the big-eared graysh aal-
mails he was after sprang suddenly Up before Mn
that he could only stand still and gaze as they
oOunued away, rising higher and higher at eaSA
bound Then, when he goes 10 examine their TRAM
he reads wonderful story. Between one track and
the next he finds blank space OF fifteen feet then
another blank after the next track, the blanks N
creasing To eighteen feet. then 10 twenty. 70
twenty-five and sometimes even to thirty feet
The tracks made by running deer have spaces De-
tween them OF from eighteen thirty feet.
Running deer wingess birds. They DO NOT
run at ALL they fly" says Mr.. Thompson Seton
and once in while come down again 70 tap ths
hilltOps with their dainty hnofs."
II the hunter always followed on the deer's tran
he might follow for thousands OF miles wtthoGl
having a shot He must leave the trail when ~
grows new and hot, make detOur and lie W -
man can always down the swiftest deer an9
then at the end of long chase the sh0rtehs-
blanks between the tracks will tell story OF usei
grown weary
The deer often goes back on his own trail some
times when the track is elm. IL - hard 70 SS--
sharper at the toe than at the heel and when tLy
trail leads Cvsr hill the hunter can always 81
which way the animal came. for II he went up W
nil his spaces would be short through the razor u
climbing
All manner OF tricks are PLAYED by hunted dees
who know that they are hunted one thlns tNsy
often do is to return little along their GNH
track, and then. making great leap 20 one 49,
raSe away in another direction. Sometimes We We
hard pressed deer repeat this ma nCeuvre Tune 49,
time finally lying down rest (having oouhIeS
aside from the last traiN in spot where they -
smell and hear the hunter long before ne CONF
dangerously near. The hunter. constantly nn14.n
himself on cold scents. MIST patiently unraVeL -
on the cold scents until he finds where the rear ''
begins