IN THE FAR WEST. 281 



than those of the black-tail, and it also seems to tire more 

 readily, for I have known it to be captured by rather slow 

 dogs in a run of three or four hours. 



This species is so abundant in many parts of the North- 

 west as to be also considered a nuisance, and ranchers are often 

 compelled to scatter poison over a portion of their young 

 crops to keep it away, especially if their farm is situated in 

 the dense woods, and the animals are not hunted much. 

 During the rutting season the male becomes very bold, and 

 does not hesitate a moment to leap over a fence to lead his 

 chosen mate to the dainty young cereals that the pioneer has 

 planted near his house. It destroys these very frequently ; 

 hence, those persons who live close to forests have to keep 

 dogs to drive the intruders away. I knew a man in Wash- 

 ington Territory to kill several one evening with a rifle from 

 his bed-room window, and I have shot three myself in a gar- 

 den within an hour on a moonlight night. 



When its numbers become less, some pioneers in that 

 country will be glad of it, for at present many consider it too 

 numerous, and to do more harm than good. " If I had my 

 way/' said a pioneer to me, " I'd pizeu the whole pesky lot of 

 'em in this deestrict, for my heart is broke try in* to keep 'em 

 away from my young crops of wheat and vegetables. It's no 

 use tryiii' to kill 'em off, for them thar women deer have two 

 or three kids at a time, and the youngsters are jest as bad as 

 their mothers in a couple o' months after they're born ; and 

 as for them bucks, I think they're the most tarual, impident 

 critters that ever lived. Why one of 'em charged my little 

 gal when she went to drive him and his mate away ; and but 

 for the dog runnin' up to her, he might a hurt her." 



This man did not have any feelings about the enthusiasm 

 of the chase, and he looked upon a deer more as a nuisance 

 than as a game animal. He thought a sheep was of far more 

 use than the antlered beauty, and that its flesh was also more 

 palatable; and he supposed that one deer would eat as much 

 as two sheep. He had discovered that the former would not 

 graze wherever the droppings of the latter were found ; ami 

 that it would assuredly leave any region over which sheep 

 roamed, so he drove his flock through the woods in various 



