LOOKING FOR DEER THAT ARE ON FOOT. 65 



which causes even quite good hunters to lose many a 

 deer. Many a one brings half his body into view at 

 once before he fairly begins to look. Then his gun 

 remains on his shoulder, flashing in the sun perhaps, 

 swinging as he turns his body to look from right to 

 left, always making an unnecessary amount of plainly 

 visible motion if it should be necessary to lower it to 

 shoot. You remember what I told you about the 

 quickness of a deer's eye to catch a motion. Should 

 you happen to bring your head in view of the deer at 

 the time when he happens to have his head up and be 

 watching which is at least one half and often two 

 thirds of his time when on foot he is almost certain 

 to see you unless you raise your head as little as pos- 

 sible and do it very slowly. This is extremely im- 

 portant in antelope-stalking ; but its importance in 

 deer-hunting, even in heavy timber, must never be 

 underrated. Therefore make this a habit, so that you 

 come to do it unconsciously to drop your gun al- 

 ways in going up the crest of a ridge; to show no more 

 of your head than is absolutely necessary; to inspect 

 the ground beyond, layer by layer, beginning with the 

 farthest ground on the ridge beyond and running 

 gradually down into the hollow. An exception to this 

 would be when you know the game is in the hollow, 

 when you know it to be alarmed or moving, or when 

 your scent can blow over the ridge into the hollow. 

 In such case it may be best to get on your hands and 

 knees to look over instead of showing your whole 

 body to anything that may be on the slopes beyond. 

 And you never need your gun on your shoulder at 

 such times. Cultivate this habit at once. It will cost 

 you a minute or two of time only, requires no extra 

 work, and will secure you many a good standing shot 



