252 Deer of the Pacific Coast 



act about the same as at any other time of year, 

 but the bucks become more careless when on foot, 

 travelling faster and farther, feeding less, and 

 remaining on foot even during the whole of the 

 day at times. During this time you may often 

 see them on foot in the middle of the day, though 

 they have probably lain down and risen again, 

 unless on trail of a doe. In the latter case they 

 are quite careless and fall an easy victim to one 

 who happens in the way and can keep cool. Some- 

 times several are on the same trail, and the sound 

 of the rifle that brings the first to the ground has 

 little or no effect on the others if they do not see 

 the hunter move. But unless a buck is on his 

 travels, he is apt to be as wary at this time of year 

 as at any other, as when he is feeding, or has gone 

 off to lie down for the day. It is not safe to be 

 careless in any respect even at the height of the 

 rutting season, or " running time " as it is gener- 

 ally called. 



Like other deer the blacktail watches its back 

 track after being started, but I never could see 

 that they watched it before being started. Even 

 in lands as wild as Minnesota and Wisconsin 

 were thirty-five years ago I soon discovered that 

 the Virginia deer knew enough to watch its back 

 track before being alarmed, and in places prac- 

 tised it so well that it could be tracked success- 

 fully only by half circles, keeping on the side out 



