Tbe Mule-deer 215 



too much disturbed. If you find a fresh track 

 in the morning leading up hill from a spring you 

 may be quite certain he is not going down hill 

 again that morning, at least not very far, and may 

 be quite confident of finding his track along the 

 upper slope. If not, then it is pretty good evi- 

 dence that he has lain down somewhere on the 

 face of the hill. The same when he has left 

 feeding-ground at the base of the hill. If the 

 hill is not too small, he is not likely to go 

 down the other side for the sake of going up 

 another hill. So, if not bothered too much, most 

 of his days will be passed in an orbit of little 

 over three miles in diameter, and often much 

 less. This is generally around some common 

 centre, like a good spring or feeding-ground, or 

 extra good hiding-place into which to run. On 

 this area the deer will often not move over a mile 

 in a day, swinging from one side to the other, 

 spending two or three days here and two or three 

 there. You need not look for them to-day where 

 you started them yesterday, but in a few days 

 they will be there again or somewhere very near. 

 For on the greater part of the range there is no 

 migration of this deer to speak of. It will move 

 off the higher mountains down the sides when the 

 snow is deep, but that is not far. And once in a 

 while deer move into some locality from a dis- 

 tance, and also become scarce for a time. But 



