53
Concord, Mass.
1913.
Aug. 26
to
Nov.13
(No 4)

Deer.

  Deer in varying numbers haunted our woods almost continuously. I 
saw their fresh tracks frequently in very many places. On October 4 [October 4, 1913] a
tired doe hunted by two yapping Airdale [Airedale] terriers ran past me across
the berry pasture at sunset. On October 14 [October 14, 1913] Henry Henshaw & I saw
three large bucks with full sets of horns and a small doe in the field
just across the road from the farm house. Here they spent almost
half an hour in the early afternoon walking slowly about and munching
some large sweet apples. It was foggy, & also raining, at the time.The bucks seemed on perfectly friendly terms
with one another although two of them would occasionally spar a little
with their horns, never striking or thrusting with them but merely pushing
slowly & listlessly just as cows so often do. First one, next the other,
would be forced backward a foot or two by this pressure. After separating
the two might walk off calmly side by side. The doe coquetted friskily
with one & all of them & also gamboled about by herself. It was a pretty
and interesting sight to watch them thus engaged.

Canada Porcupine

  On October 22 [October 22, 1913], in the Estabrook woods not far from the Lime
Kiln, Pratt (the nurseryman) found a Canada Porcupine which someone had
shot & hung up in the fork of a birch. It was then in fresh condition
Reginald Heber Howe is said to have secured it for Thoreau Museum.
All this I learned by telephone from Henry P. Richardson.