Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-09
ALL GET A TASTE
OF THE BUCK FEVER
MALADY ATTACKS Al
MOST EVERY HUNTER
Instances of Absolute Inability of
Gunner to Take the Most Tempting
Chances-Is Not Entirely Due to
Fear
Special to The Herald.

Special to The Herald
MACHIAS, Me-, Dec. Flew of the
men who go into the Maine woods es-
cape an attack of what Is known as
buck fever" when they first ESSAY the
Killing of game, and anecdotes about
TINS peculiar malady would fill large
COOK. The fever Is supposed to be due
to intense excitement and unusual sur
roundings, but is not attributed to fear
in any degree, because 80 times out of
100 1t seizes man just at the time that
game is doing its utmost to get out of
the way and not when a raging animal
is charging directly toward the person
seeking it's life. In such case. the
FEELING that comes over man could
hardly be called buck fever"
one of the most noted of Washing
ton county gunners told a representa-
tive of the Boston Herald that the
worst case of it he ever had was about
eight years ago, at the time when
caribou were fast disappearing. but had
not entirely left the state He had been
for twelve days seeking the beautiful
| animals and during ten of these twelve
severe storms ragged. His companion
in the search had given up all thoughts
of seeing the animals on the trip
and had left his rifle with the tote load
of camping materials which the sports
men had follow them along to diff
ferent localities daily. On the thir-
teenth day the couple was headed south
from Portage and intended to start for
home In two or three days. when, idling
along the road, the man with the gun
saw two beautiful caribou doe leisurely
feeding not over 100 yards away.
Look, look" he shouted to his COM
panion.
The men stood perfectly still for sew
eral minutes and watched the graceful
creatures nibbling. They were so near
together than one bullet would have
killed both, as they unconcernedly
stepped along grazing as they moved.
Suddenly they looked toward the hunts
men, and in a flash they We're out of
sight in the woods. The hunter had
portunity he had been seeking for
twelve days in all kinds of weather
and under many inconvenient crcum-
stances.
Leaning on His Rifle
A patient guide with tenderfoot
once sent his patron a half mile ahead
of him up stream to a little clearing,
where he felt certain a deer would be
grazing, saying he would follow leis-
urely along on the other side and keep
his eye out for signs. When he reached
for him he found the sportsman lean
ing on his rifle gazing with amazement
depicted on his countenance at a beau
tiful buck nibbling in the clearing.
Give me my gum quick, quick"
shouted the hunter, excitedly to the
guide.
why foolish. you're leaning on it."
remarked the eXasperated woods con-
ductor.
BY the time the sportsman had his
weapon in his hands the deer, alarmed
by the noise, had disappeared.
Another man, having his attention
called by guide to a buck standing
within easy shooting distance, aimed
his weapon carefully at the animal and
then turned slowly a half circle and
fired the bullet squarely away from the
game. He said afterward that he actu-
ally had no consciousness of any move
ment.
Unable to Fire at Moose
One of the best deer hunters in the