408 THE DEER OF AMERICA. 



for drying in the same way I would beef for that purpose. When 

 cut into thinner pieces it is perfectly practicable to cure and dry 

 it. The drying should be pretty rapid and thorough, when the 

 prepared meat will remain sweet for an indefinite time if kept 

 dry. 



The marrow-bones of the Elk are very rich, and second only 

 to those of the bison, and the same is true of the tongue. 



I have been unable to discover any appreciable difference in 

 the quality of the venison of the Mule Deer, the Black-tailed 

 Deer, and the Virginia Deer. Lewis and Clarke found the venison 

 of the Columbia Black-tailed Deer dry and hard, and condemned 

 it as the poorest of all ; but it is evident that the specimens they 

 procured must have been in bad condition, for all since speak of it 

 in favorable terms ; it commands as high a price in the markets as 

 any other venison, and is as much approved by epicures. For my- 

 self, I may say whenever I have had an opportunity of tasting it 

 I have always had to resort to collateral evidence to determine 

 what deer it was from. 



The venison of the Mule Deer I have, with few exceptions, 

 only eaten in camp ; and it must be admitted that a hard day's 

 tramp in the mountains makes any dish that is really good taste 

 very good, and has a tendency to destroy that nice discrimination 

 which would enable one to detect the flavor of the mule's hoof in 

 the mushroom soup, when the vegetable had been crushed by 

 the tread of that animal. Still I doubt if au}^ one can distinguish 

 the flesh of the Mule Deer from that of the common deer. 



Almost evei-y one, in America at least, is familiar with the ven- 

 ison of the Virginia Deer. While a few persons cannot eat it, 

 and others dislike it, to say the least, a majority of mankind ad- 

 mire it as food, and others esteem it above all other flesh. It is 

 dark colored, is fine grained, and has a flavor peculiarly its own. 

 When cooked without accessories it is dryer than beef, but is 

 tenderer, ceteris paribus. This venison is tender and nourish- 

 ing, and of good flavor, even in the summer time when the ani- 

 mal is always poor, though of course far inferior to the luscious 

 feast afforded by the fat buck just at the commencement of the 

 rut, when he fairly swells out with new made fat and flesh, 

 which he has taken on in an incredibly short time. At this 

 time I think the buck in the prime of life affords the best and 

 most substantial venison, but at no time will the same quantity 

 nourish the system as much as beef of the same quality, and so 

 is vastly inferior in this respect to the venison of the Elk. 



