44 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



trick he will play anyhow if he has decided on that 

 course. But half the time instead of standing he slips 

 quietly off before you get in sight of him. You gain 

 nothing on the skulker by your noise. And by it 

 you lose the other entirely. 



Another exception, which is perhaps apparent only, 

 is the case of deer in open ground. This results 

 mainly from the difference in the appearance of dis- 

 tances in the woods and in the open; distance in the 

 woods appearing much greater. It is probable, too, 

 that sounds can be heard a trifle farther in the woods 

 owing to there being less wind and some cover over- 

 head. At any rate, it seems so with noises not too 

 distant, though the point is a hard one to prove. 



To recognize an object at rest the eyes of a deer 

 are about as dull as those of a dog. But this, again, 

 has two partial exceptions. On open ground deer 

 can often recognize a man quite well, especially if he 

 be standing. And if they have taken any alarm they 

 will be quite sure to do so. Even in the woods if a 

 man be standing and the deer has taken alarm, the 

 deer will be quite apt to identify him. But as a rule, 

 if the deer is unalarmed, he will not know a man 

 from a stump on open ground if the man is seated 

 and motionless ; nor will he in the woods even if the 

 man is standing. If the deer is moving, and especi- 

 ally if running, he is quite blind to anything ahead of 

 him, provided it does not move. Hence if some one 

 drives a deer toward you, you need little or no con- 

 cealment if you keep still. But when he gets in sight 

 of you, beware how you move a step for a better 

 position. You may do it, but your game is liable to 

 switch off to one side in a twinkling. 



A deer can also see a long way. I have seen them 



