190 DEER. 



silent, because, if a buck hears you, he will probably lie 

 down so close as to escape your notice ; but, if you go 

 carefully and silently, you will see him feeding, and 

 most likely at no great distance from a hedgerow. 



If he happens to be near some hidden place, that you 

 can approach without being smelt* (by going to wind- 

 ward), seen, or heard among the boughs, you will pro- 

 bably get a good shot ; but, if not, your best chance is 

 to send some one round to the field beyond, and there 

 to walk, or ride along the other side of the hedgerow, 

 nearest which the deer is feeding. On hearing this 

 person, he will, in all probability, either lie down so 

 close as to let you walk up to him, or come directly 

 away from the hedgerow, opposite to which you should 

 be concealed. If he is pretty wild, and sees the man 

 behind him, he will come bounding with such rapidity, 

 that the most expert rifleman may miss him. In this 

 case, a pretty stout gun, loaded with a mixture of mould 

 and A or B shot, would be your best chance. If with 

 this, however, you even mortally wound him, the chances 

 are twenty to one, that he continues his course with 

 unabated speed ; so that, instead of beginning to despair, 

 you must follow him up as fast as possible, by doing 

 which, you will most likely find him dying in some 

 hedgerow, a few fields distant. For this purpose a 

 Newfoundland dog is very useful, as the moment the 

 dog has run up to him in the covert he will begin 

 bellowing so loud as to be easily discovered. 



To approach a buck in an open field, crawl as low as 

 possible on the ground, arid hold before you a green 

 bough, which, if there is a hedge or wood behind, will 



* There is a remedy to obviate this, which frequently answers ; 

 and that is, to carry before you an armful of very sweet hay. 



