The Black-Tail Deer 149 



with good results, and one which implies in the suc- 

 cessful sportsman the presence of most of the still- 

 hunter's rarest attributes. All of the qualities which 

 a still-hunter should possess are of service in the 

 pursuit of any kind of game; but different ones 

 will be called into especial play in hunting different 

 kinds of animals. Thus, to be a successful hunter 

 after anything, a man should be patient, resolute, 

 hardy, and with good judgment; he should have 

 good lungs and stout muscles; he should be able to 

 move with noiseless stealth; and he should be keen- 

 eyed, and a first-rate marksman with the rifle. But 

 in different kinds of shooting, the relative impor- 

 tance of these qualities varies greatly. In hunting 

 white-tail deer, the two prime requisites are stealth 

 and patience. If the quarry is a big-horn, a man 

 needs especially to be sound in wind and limbs, and 

 to be both hardy and resolute. Skill in the use of 

 the long-range rifle counts for more in antelope hunt- 

 ing than in any other form of sport; and it is in 

 this kind of hunting alone that good marksmanship 

 is more important than anything else. With dan- 

 gerous game, cool and steady nerves are of the first 

 consequence; all else comes after. Then, again, in 

 the use of the rifle the kind of skill not merely the 

 degree of skill required to hunt different animals 

 may vary greatly. In shooting white-tail, it is espe- 

 cially necessary to be a good snap shot at running 

 game; when the distance is close, quickness is an 

 essential. But at antelope there is plenty of time, 

 and what is necessary is ability to judge distance, 



