THE COLUMBIA BLACK-TAILED DEEE. 131 



I descended the ridge a short distance. After walking 

 parallel with the summit until I thought I was in the 

 neighborhood of my game, I cautiously, and as silently as 

 possible, crept up behind a large rock, and peered over. To 

 my surprise, no Deer were in sight, and I supposed they 

 had taken alarm and fled. I was on the point of jumping to 

 my feet in disgust, when suddenly I espied my friends 

 almost one hundred yards from me. The doe was now lying 

 down, and the buck was browsing in a clump of brush. 



Resting my left elbow on my knee, I drew a bead on the 

 buck, and waited for him to show himself more fully. He 

 soon came out, and presented a fine side-shot. Taking good 

 sight on him just behind the shoulder, I pressed the trigger. 

 At the crack of the rifle, he went down like the traditional 

 log, while the doe and another buck, which I had not 

 noticed, quickly vanished over the ridge. 



Upon going up to my game, I found that the bullet had 

 broken both shoulders of a four-point buck. I gave him 

 another shot in the head, which quickly put him out of his 

 misery. 



I am always careful in approaching a wounded buck, for 

 I once saw a companion of mine terribly injured by one of 

 these animals. There was a party of us hunting in South- 

 ern Oregon, and one of the older members of the party 

 had that very day cautioned us to be careful in approach- 

 ing a wounded Deer. Poor H was hunting on the same 



ridge that I was on. I saw him fire at a buck, and as it 

 fell, he laid down his gun, and, drawing his knife,, ran up 

 to the animal to cut- its throat. I thought, by the way the 

 animal went down, that it had not received a mortal wound, 

 and shouted to him to be careful, at the same time mak- 

 ing my way rapidly in his direction. My warning was too 

 late, however; for, as he approached it, the buck suddenly 

 rose to its feet, and, jumping against the hunter, hurled 

 him to the ground. . The next instant the animal bounded 

 into the air, and came down with all four feet on the pros- 

 trate man. At this instant, one of the party, who had 

 approached from another direction, fired at the animal and 



