238 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



in approaching them without their knowing it, or by 

 true still-hunting or stalking. But this can hardly 

 ever be done with a horse, which they are very sure 

 to see or hear. All the success with a horse depends 

 upon the assumption that the game is not so afraid of 

 a mounted man as of one afoot. And this is now 

 rarely the case with antelope. 



There are, however, many places where deer are 

 not so afraid of a mounted man as of one on foot. 

 This may result from two causes, both directly oppo- 

 site. First, because they rarely or never see a mounted 

 man. Secondly, because they never see a man in any 

 other way and are not disturbed by horsemen. 



And first : Where deer seldom see a man on horse- 

 back there are many that will have little fear of one, 

 and will let one ride up within easy shot, either stand- 

 ing up or lying down, and looking at the combination 

 with some curiosity, but with little concern. Conse- 

 quently if the ground be noisy from any cause, or the 

 ground be too level or brushy for still-hunting, you 

 may do far better to both hunt and shoot on horse- 

 back. So where a country is quite open and level 

 enough, like prairie, you may often do better with a 

 horse, wagon, or sleigh than you can on foot. Deer 

 know the tread of heavy animals perfectly, and will 

 often stand quite unconcerned about the tramp of 

 hoofs when they would fly from a light crack of a 

 twig. 



Secondly: Where deer are used to mounted men, 

 but are not much disturbed by them (as in Lower 

 California, where no one hunts, and only once in a 

 long while a dash is made with the lasso at a deer on 

 open ground, but where scarcely any one is ever seen 

 on foot), this may be the best way to hunt, as you 



