THE BLACK-TAILED AND VIRGINIA DEER. 333 



these places, for they do not readily take alarm at the re- 

 port of a rifle or shot-gun. The latter is by far the most 

 effective weapon for forest shooting, as the woods are so 

 dense, and the shrubbery so matted, that a rifle-ball is read- 

 ily deflected from a straight course by intervening bushes, 

 whereas some of the buckshot is almost sure of reaching 

 its destination. A ten -bore, weighing about ten pounds, 

 would prove a capital arm for deer-shooting, as it is good 

 up to a range of ninety or one hundred yards; and it is 

 seldom that one can see an animal beyond that distance in 

 the forest, or fire at it with any degree of success. 



I have tried both rifle and shot-gun in these North-west- 

 ern woods, and found that I made my best bags with the 

 latter, and where I made two misses with one, I made none 

 with the other. For shooting in the open, however, the 

 rifle is much the better, as the deer, if hunted much, are 

 shy and vigilant, and, unless surprised, rarely allow a person 

 to approach them to less than two or three hundred yards, 

 except by the most careful stalking. 



The white-tail, which is largely pursued with hounds in 

 the Far North-west, affords many a splendid run to both 

 dogs and hunters, for the latter must not allow the grass to 

 grow under their feet if they would get a shot at it as it 

 dashes through the woods. Its numbers enable nearly all 

 persons, even in a large party, to bag some ; and if one has 

 his wits about him he may score three or four in a day 

 sometimes. 



Two other varieties of deer are found in Oregon and 

 Washington Territory, but they are most numerous on 

 Whidby Island, in the latter region. These are undoubt- 

 edly hybrids ; but they are nevertheless the prettiest speci- 

 mens of their family, and are great favorites with the in- 

 habitants, who frequently keep them as pets about the 

 house. Even the unromantic skippers of the small trading- 

 vessels that ply on Puget Sound have one aboard very of- 

 ten, and its bright and prominent colors contrast strongly 

 with the woods or vegetables that cover the deck of the 

 craft. 



