Whitetailed Deer lOl 



This is a skeleton of their daily programme in the wilder- 

 ness, but they modify it considerably for life around the settle- 

 ments. The noonday visit to the watering-place is dispensed 

 with. Instead, they go by night. Foraging in daylight hours 

 is given up. Secret and silent as the Coon, the Whitetail family 

 lurks in their coppice all day, and at night go, not to the lily- 

 padded shore but to the fields of grain, clover, turnips, or 

 garden truck. Lightly the alert and shadow-like mother ap- 

 proaches the fence, behind in her track are the fawns — not 

 even shadow-like, for they are actually invisible in their broken 

 coats. A moment she listens; then, with a bound, she clears the 

 fence and, followed by her young, lands in the banquet spread. 



These visits are never during the day, nor are they during 

 hours of black darkness, for even Deer require some light to see 

 by. A favourite time for such a frontier foray is in the moonlight ; 

 and the rising of the moon is, in all much-hunted regions, a 

 signal for the Deer to go forth. Many supposed irregularities in 

 their habits will be explained by reference to the lunar calendar. 



As September wanes there are two important changes in 

 the fawns: first, they are weaned; second, they shed their 

 spotted — their milk-spotted — coat; they are now fawns of the 

 year. As Caton says,^^ they are weaned at about four months of 

 age, but continue to follow the dam, *'the males for one year, 

 the females for two years." An exception to this rule is during 

 that interesting first month of the little ones' lives. Then, the 

 older sisters or brothers may be lurking in the neighbourhood; 

 they may join the mother at the drinking place; but during 

 the nursing hours she does not want them near, and, if need be, 

 takes rude means to prevent their coming. 



In September, too, there is a disposition to reunite. 



The bucks shed their antlers in January — earlier, if very life of 

 vigorous; weeks later, if puny. In Vermont, J. W. Titcomb's buck 

 tame buck shed one antler on the 26th of February and the 

 second on the ist of March. '^^ When the melting snow leaves 



"^ Antelope and Deer of America, 1877, p. 308. 

 " Forest and Stream, March 18, 1899, p. 205. 



