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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



DEER 



In the north caribou are commonly 

 called "deer," but there are no true 

 American deer (Odocoileus) in Alaska 

 except in the southeastern coast district 

 from the vicinity of Sitka southward. 

 Only one variety occurs, but this is ex- 

 ceedingly abundant, although the region 

 inhabited by it lies well beyond the north- 

 ern limits of any other American deer. 



to follow any of them he is led through 

 a veritable maze, now bending low to 

 escape the wicked thorns of the "devil's 

 club," now pushing through the yielding 

 twigs of huckleberry bushes, again strug- 

 gling among a tangle of the heavy- 

 foliaged and matted sallal, or tolled on 

 to future difficulties by the quick -and 

 easy progress afforded as the course 

 leads along a hoof-worn furrow in the 

 fallen trunk of a giant cedar. Under 



A BUSY DAY IN CAMP SKETCHING AND PREPARING MOOSE HEADS 



It is a variety of the Columbia blacktail. 

 from which it differs chiefly in smaller 

 size and in having the upper side of the 

 tail more extensively brownish. In size 

 it is small, ordinary bucks weighing 

 rather less than ioo pounds. It ranges 

 from seacoast to timber-line in a region 

 of forests and undergrowth rivaling 

 those of the tropics in density and lux- 

 uriance. 



One scarcely steps away from the 

 beach within this region without encoun- 

 tering deer trails, and if one undertakes 



such circumstances, one knowing the 

 general cunning of deer might suppose 

 they would be very difficult to sight, but 

 they occur in such abundance that in 

 spite of much killing in the past they still 

 may be found with no great effort. Until 

 quite recently they were killed by thou- 

 sands merely for their hides, which 

 netted the hunter a few cents apiece. 



But the present game law and rapidly 

 improving local sentiment now promise 

 to save them for the profit and enjoy- 

 ment of future generations. 



