THE VIRGINIA DEER 135 



edge on the part of the person extending tlic invita- 

 tion of the great difihculties which attend the capture 

 of a white-tail deer to-day. I speak of the open woods 

 and mountains and of vast unfenced preserves, where 

 the deer are running wild. There is a difference, of 

 course, in small fenced parks where the deer are fed 

 by keepers. The latter kind of shooting the first-rate 

 man does not care about. He prefers to try the wilder 

 animals even though he fail. I have seen the shooting 

 so good at deer, both large and small, in the Western 

 mountains that I appreciate the difficulties of the 

 chase of the white-tail in the Eastern woods. I care 

 as much for the outing as the game, however, and 

 am in no hurry to run away from the woods disap- 

 pointed because I do not get a deer. I have, in fact, 

 let many a good chance go while gazing at a lovely 

 landscape with the rifle left carelessly out of reach. 



In Florida there is a smaller variety of the Virginia 

 deer. His habits, however, and the methods of pursuit 

 are much the same. The open season is from Novem- 

 ber ist to February ist.* Much of the ground is 

 swampy and difficult, but there are lovely lakes and 

 streams in Florida which contain many fish. Quanti- 

 ties of wild-fowl winter there, and the best game-bird, 

 bob-white, is plentiful in many upland fields. 



In Georgia and the Carolinas some of the hotels now 

 assure their guests in attractive advertisements that 

 there is good deer-shooting. In Georgia and South 

 Carolina the season opens September ist; in North 

 Carolina, October ist. In Georgia and North Caro- 

 lina it closes January ist, and in South Carolina Feb- 



* The bag-limit is five deer per annum. 



