424 BIG GAME SHOOTING — 
twenty-two deer in one day. But to hunt deer or anything 
else upon Vancouver Island a man must be a born woodsman 
Where the deer are thickest the woods fairly swallowa man up: — 
every rolling hill is exactly like its neighbour, high peaks are — 
scarce and landmarks very few. 
Fortunately the island deer are not as wary as the white- — 
tail, and will generally stand to gaze for a moment after having — . 
jumped from their lair amongst the sal lal. Early in the | 
season the neighbourhood of swamps is the likeliest place to 
find deer, but during the rutting season (middle of October) — 
the old bucks seem to keep to the higher grounds. Like other — 
deer, the black-tail browses on all manner of shrubs and — 
deciduous trees, and, unfortunately for farmers, has a decided — 
weakness for growing crops. . 
The largest head I have seen was shot in 1892 near 
Cowitchan Lake, Vancouver Island. It measures along the 4 
beam from skull to extreme point 21 ins., and in span it is — 
19 ins. from tip to tip. A typical head appears in the illustration — 
on the next page. : 
Mr. Rowland Ward records a head of this deer measuring — 
283 ins. in length, with a span of 26 ins. oe 
