190 GAME. 



The white-tail is much more gregarious and domestic 

 than either the elk or the black-tail, the bucks and does 

 being found together at all seasons. However, all the 

 does found with bucks between May and September are 

 barren, those that have produced fawns keeping apart, 

 and each one by herself until the fawn is weaned, when 

 both join the herd. The running season commences in 

 October and lasts a much longer time than with the 

 black-tails, sometimes as long as two months. There is 

 not that constant fighting which marks this season with 

 the black-tails, but they do fight, and most furiously. 

 The whipped buck is generally run out of the herd. It 

 is of course impossible to say exactly how these domestic 

 details are managed ; but it has always seemed to me that 

 a portion of the bucks form a conbination which, while 

 not interfering with its own individual members, drives 

 out of the herd all not belonging to ' the ring.' In the 

 earlier part of ' the season ' there is much fighting. 

 About half the bucks are soundly whipped and run out, 

 after which the others seem to get along peaceably, though 

 there may be only one buck to every two or three does. 

 The whipped bucks sulk off alone or in bands of three or 

 four, never going near the herds where the does are. 

 They are to be pitied ; forthey are not only deprived of 

 female companionship, but, possibly from being spared the 

 cares of domestic relations, become extremely fat, and 

 are eagerly sought after by hunters ; while those bucks 

 which have been favoured by the sex are thin, tough, 

 unfit for food, and are not worth the pulling of a 

 trigger. 



Though generally producing one fawn each season, 

 the does are very irregular in breeding. Many are barren, 

 while many others bring forth two fawns at a birth. 

 There is a well-authenticated instance of a doe with three 

 fawns ; but it is a question whether all were hers, or 

 whether she may not have adopted a little one which had 

 lost its own darn an habitual occurrence with antelope. 



