MULE DEER. 7/ 



which is nourished and fed by the water from the snow banks on 

 the mountain peaks. When thus feeding, it requires the utmost 

 skill of the hunter to approach them within shooting distance. 

 When one deer is killed in a band and is seen to fall by the others, 

 they often run in a body a short distance from the slain buck, and 

 halt, looking back at the point of danger, standing as still as a 

 statue, with their large ears brought forward to catch the slightest 

 sound. If nothing is seen, in a few moments they wheel about 

 and gallop away to the nearest timber, when they are soon lost to 

 view. When shot at in the forest, they retreat at a furious rate, often 

 falling over prostrate tree trunks, and crashing through thickets, 

 making the dead sticks crack and fly in every direction. They 

 sometimes charge directly toward the hunter. The scent of the 

 Mule Deer is very keen, and it is useless to hunt them to " lee- 

 ward," as they will smell the approaching hunter, and bound 

 away long before he is near enough to sight them. They are re- 

 markably sharp sighted, and are constantly on the lookout for 

 danger, particularly the does when they have their young with 

 them. 



When a band is resting, they lie down within a few feet of each 

 other, doubling their fore legs under the body, and in wet weather 

 they dry their coat by licking it with the tongue, in the same man- 

 ner as a dog. The bucks often return to their "beds," sleeping 

 in the same place several nights in succession. The Mule Deer 

 rut during the latter part of October, and the does bring forth 

 their young, generally two, though sometimes only one, late in May 

 or early in June. The fawns are prettily spotted with white and 

 become quite strong and active a few days after their birth. When 

 a doe first has her fawns, she remains in the thick woods and 

 underbrush for several weeks, until her offspring are able to keep 

 up with her when running from danger. 



The Mule Deer found on the plains, that is among the Bad 

 Lands in the vicinity of large streams, are to be looked for just 

 before sunset and after sunrise when they come down to the water's 

 edge to drink. The hunter will find these hours of the day by far 

 the best for the pursuit of this animal. 



