THE SENSES OF THE GAME AND HUNTER. 43 



osity to know its exact location and precise character 

 generally leads them to stop after running a few 

 jumps. And often they will rise up and look, stand- 

 ing directly in their beds. After a certain amount cf 

 persecution they generally lose this curiosity, become 

 perfectly satisfied with a general presumption of mis- 

 chief, and stand not on the order of their going; 

 though the very wildest of deer may occasionally 

 yield to the temptation to take just one look. 



Against the wind a deer cannot of course hear so 

 well as he can down the wind. But even up wind 

 you should relax no caution, as in such case there is 

 generally no need of haste. 



An apparent exception to this sense of hearing is 

 in case of the skulking or hiding deer. The excep- 

 tion is, however, apparent only. Deer that live much 

 in very thick brush, often depend, like many other 

 animals, upon standing or lying still and letting you 

 pass them. They know perfectly well that you oan- 

 not see them. The deer of Southern California is 

 very apt to be of this character when found in the 

 brushy regions. Even when in the open hills or in 

 the timber-groves or in the mountains this deer is not 

 half so shy of noise as is the deer of the Eastern 

 woods. If deer in San Diego County were as afraid 

 of noise as they are in the Wisconsin and Minnesota 

 woods it would be nearly impossible to approach 

 them in the dry season when the brush, grass, and 

 weeds are brittle. In Southern California they depend 

 more upon their scent and sight than upon hearing. 

 But it would be absurd to suppose that they do not 

 hear. Many a hunter there loses a shot through his 

 folly in reasoning upon this point. A deer does not 

 stand or skulk because you make an extra noise. That 



