American Big Game in its Haunts 



orado side, but a number range out into the pinon 

 country on the plains of the Little Colorado. The 

 country about the head of Black River is a favorite 

 summer range of this deer, but in winter they grad- 

 ually retreat before the heavy snowfalls to the shel- 

 tered caiions along Black River and the breaks of 

 the Blue. In September and October the old males 

 keep by themselves in parties of from four to ten 

 and range through the glades of the yellow pine 

 forest. 



The Arizona white-tailed deer is not found on the 

 part of the reserve drained by the Little Colorado 

 River, but is abundant in the basin of Blue River, 

 and ranges in summer up into the lower part of the 

 yellow pine forest along Black River. They retreat 

 before the early snows to the breaks of the Blue, 

 where they are very numerous. During hunting 

 trips into their haunts in October and November, I 

 have several times seen herds of these deer number- 

 ing from thirty to forty, both before and after the 

 first snowfall. Antelope formerly ranged up in sum- 

 mer from the plains of the Little Colorado over the 

 grassy Big Mesa country and through the surround- 

 ing open pine forest, retreating to the plains in the 

 autumn, but they are now nearly or quite exter- 

 minated in that section. Bears of both species wander 

 irregularly over most of the reserve in summer, but 

 are most numerous on the breaks of the Blue and 

 about the head of Black River. In autumn, previous 

 to their hibernation, they descend along the canon 

 of the Black River and among the breaks of the 

 Blue, where acorns and other food is abundant. 



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