The Black-Tail Deer 169 



receiving a bullet in this spot the deer will plunge 

 forward for a jump or two, and then go some fifty 

 yards in a labored gallop; will then stop, sway un- 

 steadily on its legs for a second, and pitch forward 

 on its side. When the hunter comes up he will find 

 his quarry stone dead. If the deer stands facing 

 the hunter it offers only a narrow mark, but either 

 a throat or chest-shot will be fatal. 



Good shooting is especially necessary after black- 

 tail, because it is so very tenacious of life; much 

 more so than the white-tail, or, in proportion to 

 its bulk, than the elk. For this reason it is of the 

 utmost importance to give an immediately fatal or 

 disabling wound, or the game will almost certainly 

 be lost. It is wonderful to see how far and how fast 

 a seemingly crippled deer will go. Of course, a 

 properly trained dog would be of the greatest use 

 in tracking and bringing to bay wounded black-tail ; 

 but, unless properly trained to come in to heel, a 

 dog is worse than useless; and, anyhow, it will be 

 hard to keep one, as long as the wolf-hunters strew 

 the ground so plentifully with poisoned bait. We 

 have had several hunting dogs on our ranch at dif- 

 ferent times ; generally wirehaired deer hounds, fox- 

 hounds, or greyhounds, by no means absolutely 

 |pure in blood; but they all, sooner or later, suc- 

 cumbed to the effects of eating poisoned meat.. 

 Some of them were quite good hunting dogs, the 

 rough deer-hounds being perhaps the best at follow- 

 ing and tackling a wounded buck. They were all 

 very eager for the sport, and when in the morning 



H VOL. IV. 



