Photo by George Shiras, 3rd 



A white:-taiIv buck take:s its own picture: in daytime: 



While pawing in the sand for salt the animal struck the camera string with the left 

 foot The picture was taken in June, when the animal was in a gaunt condition and the 

 horns partly grown (see page '7'72). 



ness of scent and vision, with the habit 

 of skulking in thick underbrush or occu- 

 pying points of vantage where no ap- 

 proach can be made, I have usually found 

 it a waste of effort to try to get pictures 

 in the ordinary way; for, even if occa- 

 sionally successful, the loss of time can 

 be avoided by the use of the set camera. 



As a rule, the fur-bearing animals and 

 those of predaceous habits are the hardest 

 to photograph with a hand-manipulated 

 camera, for they seldom appear in day- 

 light and fear an artificial light at night. 

 To meet these difficulties, I have devel- 

 oped methods suitable to the habits of 

 each animal. In the main, I have used 

 many of the devices of the trapper rather 

 than the hunter, substituting the auto- 

 matic camera for the trap and using the 

 same baits and scents in favorable lo- 

 calities and during the season of the year 

 when success was likely. 



The greatest immediate pleasure which 

 comes to the camera hunter when, on 

 foot, he can successfully stalk, or in a 



canoe quietly paddle up to, a big-game 

 animal, and at other times get pictures 

 from the recess of a well-concealed 

 blind, can still be followed while, at the 

 same time, there are secreted in the for- 

 est or along the waterways several cam- 

 eras capable of picturing the living form 

 of many an elusive animal, and that, too, 

 without the loss of time or patience. 



In this branch of photography one 

 should have a fair knowledge of the 

 habits and range of the animal sought; 

 for while there are many — if they can 

 be located — that will seize almost any 

 kind of bait, regardless of human scent 

 or the appearance of a poorly concealed 

 camera, such as the raccoon, opossum, 

 skunk, muskrat, woodchuck, rabbit, or 

 squirrel ; yet in the case of others, like 

 the beaver, bear, fox, wolf, and deer, one 

 should follow the cautious methods of 

 the trapper when he erects a dead-fall, 

 sets a steel trap, or puts out poisoned 

 bait. 



Then, toward the close of the day. 



764 



