TWO OR MORE HUNTING IN COMPANY. 235 



about a hundred yards apart in the woods and two 

 hundred to three hundred or even more in open 

 ground. But if the open*be very rolling or brushy, 

 keep the same distance as in the woods. This line 

 should be curved by the ends going forward and the 

 center lagging a little when approaching a likely 

 looking place. This, however, requires good know- 

 ledge of the ground and a previous understanding 

 among the party. I have seen Indians do it to great 

 advantage in very dense woods, making a perfect 

 drag-net of the line. 



A large number of persons may be used in such a 

 way. But first-rate work can be often done by four 

 or five and without bending the line. It requires only 

 a general knowledge of the places where deer are 

 likely to be, and of the directions they are likely to 

 take when started. Here, for instance, is a set of 

 short ravines running into a main valley. These little 

 ravines lie nearly parallel with each other, are quite 

 numerous, brushy, and good places for deer. Now in- 

 stead of going down one and up another, etc., as a 

 single person should often do if he is to hunt them at 

 all, the line should sweep across them all; one person 

 being at the head, another at the mouth, the rest be- 

 tween. This is because it can be done in one quarter 

 of the time the other way would require, and because 

 the deer are more apt to run up or down the ravines 

 than across them. 



When hunting with companions always shoot when 

 a deer runs toward any of them, even if you have no 

 good shot. For if a person be not expecting it, a 

 deer may be out of shot before he knows it, or may 

 slip past him quite unseen and unheard. A shot is 

 the surest warning that can be given. 



