SHOOTING LARGE GAME. 63 



" One of the strong and original strokes of nature was when she 

 made the loon. It is always refreshing to contemplate a creature 

 so positive and characteristic. He is the great diver and flier un- 

 der water. The loon is the genus loci of the wild northern lakes, as 

 solitary as they are Some birds represent the majesty of nature, 

 like the eagle, others its ferocity, like the hawk; others its cun- 

 ning, like the crow . others its sweetness and melody, like the song 

 birds. The loon represents its wildness and solitariness.'' 



Deer Hunting. 



The best method for hunting Deer is by the " Still Hunt." This 

 is done by finding fresh tracks, and then with care and quiet- 

 ness following the trail till the deer is found. If care is exer- 

 cised in approaching, a good shot can generally be obtained. The 

 following directions are given by a practical hunter: 



" For Still Hunting, the hunter should provide himself with 

 a good rifle and a pair of deer skin moccasins. When finding the 

 trail he should walk carefully and keep a good lookout ahead as 

 deer are always watching back on their trail. When routed, they 

 almost always stop on hills. In order to get within gun shot, it is 

 necessary to circle round and come up in front or at the side al- 

 ways circling to the leeward side, as their sense of smell is very 

 acute. The deer, when the early snow comes, usually get up and 

 ieed till about iO o clock, A. M., when they lie down till about 3 

 o'clock, p. M., then they start on a rambling excursion till near the 

 next morning. In these excursions they almost always return to 

 the place from whence they started, or near to it." 



In Still Hunting, when the buck, doe, and fawns are found 

 together, shoot the doe first, the buck will not leave till you get 

 another shot, 



A fact not generally known is that between the hoof of a deer 

 there is a sack with its mouth inclining upwards, and within this 

 sack is a musky secretion which escapes during violent exercise, 

 leaving a scent upon the ground as the deer passes. In some, especi- 

 ally old bucks, the musk is so abundant that the hunter has no 

 trouble in following a trail by the scent. 



HUNTING BY TORCH-LIGHT has become one of the favorite 

 modes of killing deer, and is said to be extremely fascinating. A 



