THE TRAPPER'S FOOD. 



BY T. L. PITT. 



THE trapper on his expeditions must often depend on his 

 rifle or trap for subsistence. I will indicate the leading kinds 

 of game which supply his wants, and methods of obtaining 

 them. 



DEER. 



Among food animals, Mr. Newhouse has noticed the Deer 

 and Moose. These are the trapper's most desirable game 

 throughout all northern countries. In America, we have the 

 common Red or Virginia Deer ; the Black-tailed Deer, two 

 varieties ; the Long-tailed Deer of the Pacific slope ; the 

 Wapita or Stag, once distributed over a large portion of the 

 Continent, but now found principally west of the Mississippi, 

 in Oregon and Washington Territory, and in some parts of 

 British America ; the Moose ; two varieties of the Caribou 

 or Reindeer, in British America ; and the Mule Deer of the 

 Rocky Mountains. In Europe and Asia are the Moose or 

 Elk ; the Stag or Red Deer ; the Fallow Deer ; the Rein- 

 deer ; the Persian or Indian Red Deer ; the Thibetan Stag ; 

 the Sika of Japan ; the Axis Deer of India ; besides many 

 other varieties in Asia, especially in the southern part. 



The best method, and the one most to be relied on by the 

 trapper, for hunting Deer, is what is called the " still hunt." 

 The practice of hunting by boat and torch on lakes and 

 streams, at night, is only adapted to the summer months, when 

 trapping is out of the question, and when Deer should not be 

 hunted, it being their breeding season. The plan of running 

 Deer into lakes with dogs, though often practiced, is discarded 



