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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



try photographing animals at night by 

 flashlight, about the waters in the vicinity 

 of his camp. In this experiment many 

 difficulties arose, which may best be con- 

 sidered as a separate subject. 



WILD IvlFlv PHOTOGRAPHY BY NIGHT 



In the earlier days, about Lake Su- 

 perior, the old Indian method of "fire- 

 hunting" deer proved most fascinating. 

 True, this practice has long been outlawed 

 as unsportsmanlike, since it required little 

 skill and became very disastrous when 

 followed systematically by market hunt- 

 ers. 



Even at that time, the real pleasure in 

 hunting at night, to most of us, was not 

 so much the actual shooting as the keen 

 enjoyment derived in paddling quietly 

 along the winding streams or the well- 

 wooded shores and bays of some inland 

 lake, where in the quietness of the night 

 every sound was audible, and one readily 

 learned to know the different animals be- 

 fore they came within the circle of the 

 light. 



Unless the primary object was obtain- 

 ing meat for camp, it was disappointing 

 if a deer were killed within the first half 

 hour, thus ending the trip. 



Another method of night hunting was 

 the use of a headlight on shore, the 

 hunter quietly wandering about in the 

 blackness of the forest looking for a pair 

 of gleaming eyes, fifty or more yards 

 away, and then with a rifle trying to put 

 a ball between the few inches separating 

 these brilliant orbs, requiring an accuracy 

 of aim, a knowledge of the woods, and a 

 skill in still hunting quite up to the stand- 

 ard in daylight shooting. 



But here again the market hunters be- 

 came so proficient under conditions al- 

 ready described that this method also had 

 to be prohibited. 



the: idea op night photography 

 conceived 



Having taken daylight pictures of deer 

 in various ways, the question then arose 

 whether there was any possible means of 

 doing this at night, when the deer were 

 much more active and could be ap- 

 proached more easily than at other times, 

 thus reviving, in a harmless but interest- 

 ing way, jack-light hunting, so little 

 known by those of the present day. 



Assured by an extended experience in 

 both methods of hunting under the light, 

 there seemed little doubt about getting 

 close enough for pictures, provided the 

 magnesium powder was a sufficiently 

 powerful illuminant and had the requisite 

 speed. 



"shoot the deer first" 



This new endeavor was mentioned to 

 Jake Brown in the summer of 1889, out 

 he was still a trifle irritated over an ex- 

 perience of the previous fall, when, after 

 the season had opened, I photographed a 

 fine buck and shot at it afterward, result- 

 ing in badly wounding the animal as it 

 ran away, entailing a half day's search 

 before it was overtaken and put out of 

 misery, for the lower jaw had been 

 crushed by the rifle ball, giving a pitiful 

 illustration of how some animals must 

 suffer in the name of sport. 



This led Jake to exclaim that if the 

 camera must be used, the best thing to do 

 was to shoot the deer first and photograph 

 it afterward ! However, as the season 

 would not open for several months, he 

 got the boat ready for the night, while I 

 attempted to devise some sort of a flash- 

 light apparatus. 



A small hole was made in the center of 

 a tin plate, in which was placed a strip of 

 oiled paper that would burn readily when 

 ignited underneath, and on top was placed 

 the magnesium powder. 



The approach was to be made in the 

 usual way, with a jack-light. 



PIRST ATTEMPT PARTLY SUCCESSFUL 



This first effort was entirely successful, 

 so far as getting within range; but just 

 as the lower end of the paper fuse began 

 burning, the deer ran off with a snort of 

 disapproval, the flash taking place after it 

 was out of sight. Jake, as might have 

 been expected, indulged in his usual 

 guffaw, while I hopefully began prepar- 

 ing another charge. 



At the left-hand corner of the sand 

 beach stood a large doe, much interested 

 in the approaching light, and soon the 

 boat came within 25 feet, the flashlight 

 being fired when the animal was ap- 

 parently motionless. 



On developing the negative the body 

 of the deer was satisfactory, but the head 

 had moved so violently the animal seemed 

 decapitated. 



