156 Deer and Antelope of North America 



take him, unless there is a chance to cut him off. 

 If, however, he hears another bull, or has a herd 

 under him, the chances are that he is nearly sta- 

 tionary, or at least is moving slowly, and the 

 hunter has every opportunity to approach. In 

 a herd the bull himself is usually so absorbed 

 both with his cows and with his rivals that he is 

 not at all apt to discover the approaching hunter. 

 The cows, however, are thoroughly awake, and 

 it is their eyes and keen noses for which the 

 hunter must look out. A solitary bull which is 

 answering the challenge of another is the easiest 

 of all to approach. Of course, if there has been 

 much hunting, even such a bull is wary and is 

 on the lookout for harm. But in remote localities 

 he becomes so absorbed in finding out the where- 

 abouts of his rival, and he is so busy answering 

 the latter's challenges and going through motions 

 of defiance, that with proper care it is compara- 

 tively easy to approach him. Once, when within 

 seventy yards of such a bull, he partly made me 

 out, and started toward me. Evidently he could 

 not tell exactly what I was, — my buckskin shirt 

 probably helping to puzzle him, — and in his 

 anger and eagerness he did not think of danger 

 until it was too late. On another occasion I got 

 up to two bulls that were fighting, and killed 

 both. In the fights, weight of body seems to 

 count for more than size of antlers. 



