DEER HUNTING. 259 



ms)iing forward to the spot. The hunter who has shot 

 it is congratulated on his skill or good luck, and the chase 

 begins again in some other part of the woods. 



A few lines of explanation may be required to convey 

 a clear idea of this mode of hunting. Deer are fond of 

 following and retracing the paths which they have for- 

 merly pursued, and continue to do so even after they 

 have been shot at more than once. These tracks are 

 discovered by persons on horseback in the woods, or a 

 deer is observed crossing a read, a field, or a small stream. 

 When this has been noticed twice, the deer may be shot 

 from the places called stands by the sportsman, who is 

 stationed there, and waits for it, a line of stands beh.g 

 generally formed so as to cross the path which the game 

 will follow. The person who ascertains the usual pass of 

 the game, or discovers the parts where the animal feeds 

 or lies down during the day, gives intimation to his 

 friends, who then prepare for the chase. The servants 

 start the deer with the hounds, and by good management, 

 generally succeed in making it run the course that will 

 soonest bring it to its death. But, should the deer be 

 cautious, and take another course, the hunters, mounted 

 on swift horses, gallop through the woods to intercept it, 

 guided by the sound of the horns and the cry of the dogs, 

 and frequently succeed in shooting it. This is ex- 

 tremely agreeable, and proves successful on almost ever} 

 occasion. 



Hoping that this account will be sufficient to induce 

 you, kind reader, to go driving in our western and 

 southern woods, I now conclude my chapter on Deer 

 Hunting by informing you, that the species referred to 



