114 THE DEER FAMILY 



mountains of this coast, and as they are not often dis- 

 turbed, they are very unsuspicious, and will frequently 

 permit the hunter to approach very close without tak- 

 ing alarm. There are, however, great areas of terri- 

 tory where, owing to the thick and tangled character 

 of the undergrowth, stalking is out of the question, be- 

 cause of the impossibility of noiseless progress through 

 the thickets." This deer, the same writer says, is driven 

 with hounds to arms of the sea, as well as to lakes and 

 rivers, where the hunter has no difficulty in paddling or 

 rowing up to the swimming quarry and despatching it. 



The black-tail feeds on shrubs, leaves, and tender 

 twigs. It feeds at night and early in the morning and 

 rests at noon, lying down in some secluded place. The 

 best time to find it is early in the morning. Judge 

 Caton advises leaving the camp very early, so as to be 

 on the ground at daybreak, and sa3^s to move about 

 slowly and with the utmost quiet. 



Anyone familiar with the dense chaparral of the 

 California woods will appreciate the difficulties of stalk- 

 ing the deer. Caton says there is no more fatiguing 

 sport. Mr. Muir has written the following story of 

 some black-tails that he met in the Yosemite Park: 



" One morning in a little garden-spot, hedged around 

 with chaparral, I noticed a deer's head thrust through 

 the bushes, his big, beautiful eyes gazing at me. I kept 

 still and the deer ventured forward a step and then 

 snorted and withdrew. In a few minutes he returned 

 and came into the open garden, stepping with infinite 

 grace, followed by two others. After showing them- 

 selves for a moment, they bounded over the hedge, 

 with sharp, timid snorts, and vanished. 



