The Black-Tail Deer. J 59 



for a number of weary hours and perhaps put a charge of 

 buckshot into a deer running by but a few yards off. If 

 a rifle instead of a shot-gun is used, a certain amount of 

 skill is necessary, for then it is hard to hit a deer running, 

 no matter how close up ; but even with this weapon all the 

 sportsman has to do is to shoot well ; he need not show 

 knowledge of a single detail of hunting craft, nor need he 

 have any trait of mind or body such as he must possess 

 to follow most other kinds of the chase. 



Deer-hunting on horseback is something widely dif- 

 ferent. Even if the hunters carry rifles and themselves 

 kill the deer, using the dogs merely to drive it out of the 

 brush, they must be bold and skilful horsemen, and must 

 show good judgment in riding to cut off the quarry, so as to 

 be able to get a shot at it. This is the common Ameri- 

 can method of hunting the deer in those places where it 

 is followed with horse and hound ; but it is also coursed 

 with greyhounds in certain spots where the lay of the 

 land permits this form of sport, and in many districts, 

 even where ordinary hounds are used, the riders go un- 

 armed and merely follow the pack till the deer is bayed 

 and pulled down. All kinds of hunting on horseback 

 and most hunting on horseback is done with hounds 

 tend to bring out the best and manliest qualities in the 

 men who follow them, and they should be encouraged in 

 every way. Long after the rifleman, as well as the game 

 he hunts, shall have vanished from the plains, the cattle 

 country will afford fine sport in coursing hares ; and both 

 wolves and deer could be followed and killed with packs 

 of properly-trained hounds, and such sport would be even 



