TO FIND GOOD HUNTING-GROUND. 21 



Unless they are hunting they know little about what 

 part of the range the deer are actually most plenty 

 upon. And if they are hunting, a stranger can scarcely 

 expect them to introduce him to their best preserves. 

 That is a little thicker cream than can be reasonably 

 expected to rise on even the richest milk of human 

 kindness. Yet there are many hunters capable of just 

 such weakness whose hearts open at once towards the 

 genial, gentlemanly stranger who gives himself no 

 airs and makes no pretensions. And right here it is 

 my duty to say that if you are out for only two or 

 three days' hunt, if your object be only to kill a deer 

 for the sake of saying you have killed one, and you 

 do not intend to continue still-hunting, the very best 

 thing you can do is to entwine yourself around the 

 heart of such a hunter and, if necessary, pay him a 

 fair price to work you up a good shot. If you cannot 

 do this and have little time or patience to spend, you 

 had better go home and leave deer alone, for the 

 chances are that, that even with all the advice that any 

 one can give, you will be deeply disappointed. 



There is scarcely any kind of ground on which 

 deer may not sometimes be found in considerable 

 numbers, provided it be somewhat broken and con- 

 tain some cover, brush or trees. The deer loves cover 

 and will have it. He loves browse and will have it, 

 though he will be sometimes miles away from it. He 

 loves ground more or less rough, and will rarely be 

 found away from it unless there are extra inducements 

 elsewhere, in the line of brush, long grass, or other 

 good food and cover. As a rule, he loves water; though 

 he belongs to that class of animals that will drink 

 water if conveniently obtained, but can go without it 

 entirely, even in the hottest summer weather, like the 



