LOOKING FOR DEER LYING DOWN. 76 



ing and watering place. It is only in very high and 

 quite dry mountains that they are likely to do this, 

 though flies, heat, and other causes may make them 

 sometimes go far back anywhere. 



Much hunting is, however, almost sure to drive 

 them farther back, to make them take the thickest 

 brush and the highest ground. And in mountainous 

 country it is quite certain to drive them to higher 

 ground, from which they will descend only at night. 

 And there is then little ground too high or too rough 

 for them. They are apt, too, to go farther back 

 about the full of the moon, though I find the moon 

 makes little practical difference about the distance 

 deer go back. It affects more the time of going. 



In winter deer are quite certain to lie in the sun. 

 In summer they are quite as certain to lie in shade. 

 In autumn they often do both, lying in the sun dur- 

 ing the cool part of the morning (though they are 

 then more apt to stand in the sun), and changing to 

 the shade when it becomes warm. They seldom lie 

 down where they will be disturbed with noises that 

 make them get up often and look, such as wagons, 

 cattle, etc. Yet they care nothing for the plain noise 

 of people if it be distant. 



Just when and where a deei may be expected to lie 

 down it is, of course, impossible to say. Like many 

 other kinds of game, they are provokingly irregular 

 in their habits, and do not appreciite your kindness 

 in picking out nice lying-places for them, but prefer 

 to make their own selection. If you cannot track, 

 you can only travel on, on, on over such ground as is 

 above described and have patience until something 

 starts. 



The same caution that was needful before must be 



