TIic Common Deer, — Cervits Virg'inianns. 89 



during the g^roatcr part of the day. In the latter end of May, and in the 

 month of J unc, when the flics are troublesome, th.ey come out into the fields 

 towards the close of the day, generally al)out an hour before sunset. — 

 They also frequent the v/ater in the night at this season to protect themselves 

 from the flies. In certain sections of the country, particularly where the 

 Utica Slate underlies the surface, there are numerous saline springs. The 

 deer arc very partial to the water of these springs, and hence they have 

 received the name of " Deer licks." A method of killing them in the newer 

 •ettlements is much practised by the younger hunting community, as follows : 

 In some branching tree near the " Deer Lick," a scafibld is constructed with 

 ft seat sufficient to contain one or two persons. Armed with a rifle or asraootb 

 barrelled gun well charged with buck-shot, or one or two bullets, the hunter 

 towards night ascends into this nest and waits until the unsuspecting animal 

 arrives to take his evening draught. It generally approaches cautiously, but 

 examining only the objects on the ground in the neighbourhood of the spring. 

 The enemy in the tree above is not noticed until the dead'y report reveals 

 him often too late. They resort to these licks in the evening, during the 

 night and in the morning — not so frequently during the day. It is said that 

 they content themselves with merely sipping the v>-ater and licking the saline 

 matter from the stones. We have often observed them and seen them drink 

 a good deal of the water. The old bucks arc exceedingly wary, and not 

 easily approached unless when intensely engaged in feedhig in a pea field, or 

 when the hunter stumbles upon one while half asleep in his lair. In the 

 toonths of October, November, and December, they run furiously through 

 the woods, following particular paths. They will often then brush close by 

 a person without perceiving him. At this season we have seen them running 

 fwittly along a " Doer path" with their heads low down near the ground, m 

 the manner of a hound hunting by scent. The bucks have furious battles 

 with each other, using both horns and feet ; sometimes the horns of the- 

 combatants become so entangled that they cannot be separated— both then 

 perish by hunger, or become the prey of other animals. The American 

 Naturalist Say, gives the following instance : — " As the party were descend- 

 ing a ridge, their attention was called to an unusual noise proceeding from a 

 copse of low bushes, a few rods from the path. On arriving at the 

 spot they found two buck doers, their horns fast interlocked, and both 

 much spent with fatigue, one in particular being so much exhausted that he 

 could not stand. Perceiving tliat it would be impossible that they should 

 extricate themselves, and must either linger in their present situations, die 

 of hunger, or be destroyed by the wolves, they despatched them with thei^ 

 knives, after having made an unavailing attempt to disentangle them." — 

 Beyond doubt, many of these animals must annually thus perish. 



They are fattest in autumn, but in December the buclrs become- 

 lean, while the does are fat until the middle of the winter. In the spring^ 

 they are very thin and feeble. A barbarous method of hunting the deer at 

 this season, is to attack them in their " yards." A party of men with a 

 number of dogs seek out one of those places and set their curs in pursuits— 



