126 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



strong enough to run too great a distance, but for younger and 

 stronger animals it is not a good plan. Undoubtedly the best, 

 most humane, and safest way of catching Deer is by netting them. 

 This is done with long lengths of rope-netting made for the purpose 

 and set in enclosures or other places where the Deer can be driven, 

 and escape made impossible without going into the nets. Deer 

 caught in nets naturally struggle very violently to get free, but if 

 too many are not driven in at one time, and they are secured at 

 once, little or no damage is likely to be done. 



It is surprising what fences Deer will get over when cornered. 

 Anything under six feet is of little use, and I once knew a buck 

 get over a fence nine feet high. This he did by jumping sufficiently 

 high enough to get his fore-legs over the top, and then throwing 

 his body over. It is very rare to see a Deer jump clear over any 

 obstacle that is more than five feet six inches high, for the animal 

 nearly always settles on the top and clambers over. 



Fallow bucks, although quite harmless when at large, are by 

 no means so when brought in close quarters with man or dog, for a 

 buck will savagely use his horns in self-defence to the bitter end. 

 I have known many who have received ugly wounds when catching 

 bucks. Deerhounds are often stabbed through by a buck at bay, 

 and few people who have never handled a live Deer have any idea 

 of the great strength they possess for their size. 



Deer suffer from diseases of various kinds, but much less so 

 than domestic animals, and even less than most of our wild animals. 

 On heavy land Fallow Deer often suffer from liver fluke; this is a 

 very troublesome disease and one that frequently ends fatally. For 

 cure many park-keepers have great faith in strewing Scotch and 

 Spruce Fir boughs about for the Deer to eat the bark, which contains 

 turpentine and is said to kill the fluke, but unless the weather 

 becomes severe the Deer will not eat enough fir bark to do much 

 good, so that the remedy is not to be depended upon. Rock salt 

 is, no doubt, a fine tonic for Deer. 



Footrot is another disease from which Deer suffer in some parks ; 

 in others it is unknown. Where Sheep are suffering from the 

 disease the Deer often get it, more especially the older bucks. 

 Does, curious to relate, rarely get it ! The bucks suffer most, owing 

 to being more liable to get the points of their hoofs broken through 

 fighting and other causes, leaving the foot exposed to take the 

 disease. I am of the opinion that the disease only attacks after the 



