234 Deer of the Pacific Coast 



exercise it needs, before daylight, and has wan- 

 dered off to some good place to lie down for the 

 day. This early lying down often causes more 

 early rising in the evening, but as a rule even the 

 evening hunting is very unsatisfactory when the 

 moon is at or near the full. 



The nature of the ground is generally such 

 that it is very difficult to track this deer except 

 on snow. To track to advantage without snow 

 the ground must be free enough from vegetation 

 to enable you to see several yards ahead on the 

 trail. For if you have to keep your eyes fixed 

 on the ground near by to pick out single tracks, 

 your work is far too slow, and you have not the 

 range of vision needed to see the game before it 

 can see you. This alone calls for all the eyesight 

 you have. On ground where the movements of 

 deer are quite regular it is not necessary, and 

 seldom advisable, to keep on the trail all the time. 

 It should often be left in places and a detour 

 made to avoid wind or get a better place of obser- 

 vation, or a bit of ground where you will make 

 less noise. In such case, by your knowledge of 

 the deer's habits, you can generally pick up the 

 track farther on. But on the home of the black- 

 tail the ground is generally so covered with 

 grass, herbs, or shrubs that the trail cannot be 

 seen at a glance even by the best-trained eye, so 

 that tracking without snow is entirely too slow. 



