FEEDING 



MOST of the deer tribe are fond of eating leaves, and if a branch 

 falls or is blown down all the deer in the park seem to know of 

 it at once, and come galloping up from all directions to feed on the 

 leaves. Certain trees are, however, poisonous for deer to eat. 



Yew trees, for example, are highly poisonous, and if there are any 

 of these in a park they ought to be fenced round so that the deer 

 cannot get at them, and if a branch falls anywhere within their 

 reach it should be removed at once. 



Stags and bucks will stand up on their hind-legs under a low 

 branch which is too high for them to get at with their mouths, 

 when they strike at the bush with their horns, and sometimes 

 twist the latter among the twigs and then pull, so as to break off 

 a branch. 



Certain instances where deer have caught their horns in the 

 clefts of trees, and died by being unable to get them free, were 

 most likely due to this habit. 



When trees are being trimmed it is a good plan to throw the 

 branches to the deer, which will feed eagerly on the leaves. As 

 deer in paddocks cannot get many such branches, I always have 

 some thrown to them when trees are being trimmed. 



Short grass, cut by a lawn-mower, is not so good, and deer 

 do not care much for it, as it turns sour very soon on account of 



being cut so short. 



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