Masck 1^, 1905.^ 
FORESt AND STREAM. 
^18 
Days with the Deer. 
The advancement of civilization has not as yet erased 
!rom human nature "a relic of savage ancestry which 
■jiakes itself known to many by a keen love of hunting, 
.vjevertheless, those following out the desire find in it a 
c holesome, exhilarating pastime — one that gives rise to 
ealth, vigor, activity and numerous other virtues, includ- 
ig self-reliance. Nobody, however, excepting persons 
•ho themselves shoot can comprehend such sensations 
5 are experienced during the interminably long minutes 
lat precede a shot at some variety of big game; lying 
lotionless in a blind for a flock of lusty canvasbacks to 
wing over the decoys before firing, or waiting with 
i ghtly, gripped gun for a ruffed grouse or covey of swift 
uail to flush in close cover. These tense intervals _ be- 
Dre or after a shot constitute one of the chief fascinations 
f game shooting, in its vai'ious forms, and cause one 
ither infinite satisfaction or other less agreeable and 
ften remorseful sensations. 
It has been my good fortune for the past six years to 
e in the Adirondack Mountains during some five weeks 
f. the hunting season, situated where the woods are still 
ahanced by remote solitude and deeY are fairly abundant, 
lore than half a century ago my grandfather, an enter- 
rising Englishman, whose unusual personality and warm, 
enerous nature won for him the hearts of everyone, con- 
eived the- idea of turning into farm land a tract of the 
3rest he then owned. Accordingly, after a little labor 
nd expense, some seventy-five or a hundred acres, were 
i-.ell cleared of timber, but unfortunately _ the climate 
roved too severe for cultivating the soil with any great 
mount of success, and the plan came tO' nothing. How- 
ver, I should not say came to nothing, as in a certain 
mse it has turned out rich indeed, for the young growth 
f deciduous timber springing up in patches here and 
i iere, the broad open slopes or fields thickly grown with 
-\erry l3ushes of : various kinds, and the dense cover 
I'fforded by the wild fronds ("breaks"), supply those con- 
"itions perfectly suited to a deer's habits, and also form 
n ideal hunting ground that has long proved a sports- 
lan's Mecca. 
As- some of, the most memorable and successful hunts 
iiicluded in - my limited experiences, have been enacted 
sere, it is naturally entitled to first place among the many 
•..lea:sant reminiscences of the North Woods and pursuit 
i f the Virginian deer. Moreover, I hold toward it a feel- 
lag deeper seated than affection, not merely for the sport 
: has afforded, but for the beauty of its environrnent ; 
ae serene sunsets, twilights and mystic moonlit nights 
witnessed there, when the sublime creations of nature 
3/ere made manifest no matter which way the eyes turned, 
nd filled one with joy and inspiration. Before relating, 
owever, any of . the episodes that occurred_ within its 
■mits, I shall endeavor to describe a few incidents, suc- 
essful and otherwise, which chanced to happen elsewhere. 
Passing through the clearing above spoken of, and con- 
ecting a woodland lake with the outside world, ran a 
well-built wagon road, bounded on all sides by the forest, 
■■"or seven miles or more it led over hills and through 
alleys, skirted mountain ridges clothed with smooth, 
tately birch, beech and maple trees ; spanned clear, amber 
streams, whose purity was unsullied save for the brightly 
Viappled trout that lurked in their swift, cold waters, or 
gain brought one to the summit of a steep hill, from 
ii'hence the outlook was serene and expansive. The 
■ upreme art wrought by nature's hand, the virgin solitude 
nd grandeur of the woods on every side throughout its 
ntire length made the beauties of tliis road manifold,_ for 
;o matter how often one traversed it some nev." delight 
waited the open eye and ear. 
During favorable seasons a number of deer frequented 
Ls vicinity, there being any quantity of tender young 
egetation growing on both sides where the trees had been 
reviously cut away, while runways crossed it in various 
arts and intersected the low, swampy ground with high 
noils or mountains so congenial to the cunning habits of 
irge bucks. As the road was composed of sand and 
7hat- is known as "hard pan," it could . be still-hunted 
nth little difficulty on wet or windy days, one making 
tactically no sound in walking, provided ordinary cau- 
ion was used; but then this method, although always 
ull of keen pleasure and excitement, entailed one draw- 
ack — the tall undergrowth bordering the roadside often 
bscured a deer when one was hunting on foot that would 
lave been visible from a higher level; so we Iherefore 
cdopted the plan of hunting from a wagon or a light 
iiubber-tire buggy, as then a far better outlook was ob- 
fained ahead and into the woods. Moreover, the deer, 
iield by curiosity at the sight of - a horse, would fre- 
: uently stand longer, and sometimes give one the oppor- 
unity to get out of the wagon and take a shot from the 
f jound; for let it not be imagined that shooting in the 
ormer was by any manner an easy task, as the slight 
notion caused by the horse's breathing would often 
iiverge a bullet just at the moment of firing unless the 
ieer happened to be within short range. However, we 
:iracticed both ways, enjoying them equally; but after all, 
he latter brought the most game to bag, and- was the 
' ause of a successful morning, afternoon or evening hunt 
n more than one occasion. 
Although late afternoon and the twilight hours no doubt 
ncreased the chance of seeing deer along the road, and 
i'ere therefore about the best times to hunt, especially 
luring dry weather, many favorable opportunities pre- 
ented themselves after a sharp shower or prolonged 
ainfall, when even in the middle of the day game was 
ery liable to be on foot. Generally speaking, they might 
le ..eome tipon at the rriost unexpected moments from 
,'lawn till darkness. However, if it rained steadily all 
: hrough the night, and then ceased or abated as the gray- 
gm% of approaching day crept up into the sky, then to be 
abroad early was in almost every case a surety of at least 
seeing and perhaps obtaining a shot at a deer. 
The early morning hours are most alluring, with the 
prospect of hunting ahead, and more than once have I 
yielded to their fascination and started out at daybreak, 
but, except on one occasion, returned empty-handed. 
However, I can boast of many pleasant experiences and 
rewards for turning out in the gray darkness that pre- 
cedes dawn under the dim light of a candle — rewards 
which I trust will not desert me in the years to come. 
For what are sweeter than the sweet fruits of memory? 
A drizzling rain had set in one overcast September 
evening, and the wind springing up toward nightfall 
brought with it a steady downpour, which aroused our 
hopes for an early hunt the following morning. After a 
consultation with Wallace as to what time we would 
slart if the rain abated, I was about tO' leave the room 
where he and several others were enjoying the genial 
companionship of a cook-stove, when I chanced to- observe 
an expression on Al's face as he sat with his chair tipped 
back in the corner, that I had little trouble to comprehend. 
''Would you like to go with us, Al?" I asked. 
"Oh, yes, do come along," chimed in Wallace. 
"You bet I'd like to go, if there's room in the wagon," 
he responded, with considerable animation. "What time 
will y ou start?" 
"About four, I guess," said Wallace, innocently 
"Oh, pshaw ! it doesn't get light till nearly six, and you 
can't hunt in the dark. Perhaps I'd better not- — " 
"Now look here, Al," I put in, "you've accepted our 
invitation, so don't back out ; and at any rate we may need 
your help if I happen to get a deer." 
"All right, I'll go if that's the case. But say, I wouldn't 
get up toO' awfully early, and you won't go, I suppose, if 
it rains?" This remark, however, failed to bring any re- 
lief as tO' the question of arising early, for I had closed 
the door and was .out of hearing. 
The dropping patter of rain drops on the roof was the 
second sound that greeted mv ears after being aroused 
by a loud rapping knock, which, although it seemed to 
proceed from the depths of night, told me well enough 
the rising hour was at hand. After dressing and expe- 
riencing one or twO' teeth-chattering spasms, for the 
warmth radiated from a candle on a chilly September 
morning is hardly sufficient to give much comfort, I crept 
softly downstairs and around to the kitchen. Here was 
a sight that banished sleep in good earnest and brought 
cheer and enthusiasm to the front. A coffee-pot purred 
and bubbled on the glowing stove, while Wallace, with 
the aid of a lantern, was in the act of frying several veni- 
son s leaks that sent forth a welcome, appetizing fragrance. 
"Where's Al?" Tasked. 
"Asleep, I presume, for he didn't seem anxious to get 
up when I pounded on the floor a while ago," answered he. 
"No, I'm not asleep, either," came a voice from the 
doorwaj", and we beheld the person in discussion, with 
hair unbrushed and a slumberous glisten in his eyes, 
standing before us. 
"My gracious ! You're not going out when it's raining 
like this? Just hear it come down now, and we'll get 
soaked, sure," he continued, with a distressed expression, 
as the patter on the roof increased for a minute or so. 
"Don't be discouraged ; we can put the big umbrella up 
and manage to keep dry all right," I assured him, and 
presently as the acknowledgment o-f dawn was signaled by 
the clarion voice of a cock in the neighboring old log 
barn, the rain abated, mist clouds lifted from the lake, 
while the earth fairly teemed with moisture. 
Breakfast finished and encouragement offered as to the 
weather ultimately clearing, we were not long in hitching 
up a powerful, sagacious mare to the long-bodied buck- 
board, in which room was made for Al by placing a box 
behind the seat, where, after some laborious efforts, he 
duly ensconced himself. Usually on starting out, Flora— 
namely, the mare above mentioned — was endowed with a 
vitality and spirit which failed to- display themselves on 
the return journey, or even after a half a. mile of the 
road had been traversed ; and this morning, with the rain 
drops tickling her broad back, she evidently felt more 
than equal to the occasion. At any rate, just as we drove 
off she gave a half bounding kick and jump, sending the 
mud flying in a most uncomfortable manner. 
"Hey I" cried Al, making a snatch at the back of the 
seat in an effort to recover the balance he had nearly 
lost, "don't let her do that again or I'll be jerked off 
backwards. By gracious, that old umbrella came near 
putting my eye out!" he muttered, in tones indicative 
of some wrath, but the shelter of the latter, however, 
which caused him so much discomfort was now no longer 
needed, for a short time later the rain entirely ceased. 
Pools of water standing in the road sent up a steaming 
fog, while the aspect of the woods on either side was 
strangely mystic anhd beautiful, a vapor hanging between 
the moist tree trunks that seemed to absorb and breathe 
forth the most fragrant essence of the forest. Moreover, 
I was especially struck by the appearance of those trees 
nearest the road, their individual symmetry and grace 
being intensified by the misty background. Smooth mot- 
tled beeches, gold-tinted silky birches, and huge slab- 
barked conifers stood out in clear-cut relief against the 
vistas of dim interior; here and there a twining maple 
glowed with subdued brilliancy, while the more sober hue 
of the frosted witchhopple might be seen nestling in the 
undergrowth. 
Crossing the clearing, we saw a large, sleek doe stand- 
ing in the edge of the woods some distance away, but as 
I was in quest of horns that morning, we simply halted 
and enjoyed the picture she presented, until, with a whisk 
of her long, conspicuous tail, she bounded from sight. 
The mud on the road being heavy, we moved along at a 
slow speed, which gave one ample opportunity to carefully 
scrutinize the wooded depths on either hand, and also 
keep a sharp look out ahead. After traversing about five 
miles without seeing anything else in the game line, we 
came to a spring, whose crystal waters garnered with 
fallen autumn leaves invited refreshment, and one im- 
agined the former imparted a sweeter flavor to the pure 
liquid which flowed in a perennial stream from some- 
where on the mountain side. Just beyond here was a 
precipitous hill, and on the summit of this, framed by a 
noble maple that bent across the road, one obtained a 
transcending view over rolling undulations of forest-robed 
mountains, the latter in some places bearing the sad scara 
of fire, while nearer at hand the waters of a wilderness 
lake glimmered palely amid the first autumnal tints of the 
turning foliage. Plodding along a level stretch leading 
on for two or three miles after the foot of the hill wasi 
reached, Al suddenly bent forward and seized Wallace by 
the shoulder, whispering in a voice husky with excite- 
ment,_ "Whoa, hey, stop ! Let's have the gun. Can't you 
see him standing down there looking up this way?" 
_ "Where?" I said, breathlessly, imbued with a like emo- 
tion, pulling the horse up abruptly and taking rny .40-65 
Winche^^ from Wallace, who, backing the wagon, 
pointed down through a swampy piece of ground on the 
right hand side of the road. But, alas ! the elements of 
good luck were against me that day, for just as I per- 
ceived the indistinct outlines of a very large deer stand- 
■ ing some hundred yards away, and partly obscured by the 
underbrush, he wheeled in his tracks and melted from 
view like a blue-gray shadow. "Oh, if I'd only had the 
gun I could have bored him through two or three times," 
bemoaned Al, his voice plaintive with disappointment. 
"Hush, don't talk so loud," returned Wallace, in a 
whisper, and silently we both dismounted from the wagon 
and entered the swamp, making for the spot where the 
buck had previously stood. As the ground was soaking, 
we were able to go very quietly, and in a few moments 
reached the spot, which proved to be an old log road. Ad- 
vancing with the greatest caution, we found the hoof 
marks deeply printed on a muddy causeway, and display- 
ing evidence of the animal's size and weight. For fifty 
yards or so we followed the course he had taken, and 
then the trail_ was lost in a maze of dead underbrush. No 
doubt this wild old chap, if he has not succumbed to the 
miserable fate so many deer have been subjected to dur- 
ing the bitter winters of recent years, still wanders in the 
freedom and seclusion of his forest home. Lucky the 
day for him. when discovered by human eyes that Al did 
not chance to have a rifle in his hands. Then at least he 
would have suffered a severe fright, but probably nothing 
worse. 
To start out at the late hour of ten o'clock in the morn- 
ing and return before eleven with a buck is an occurrence 
that does not very often happen; but once such a short, 
sweet hunt fell to my lot, and in contrast to the former 
episode may illustrate the vicissitudes of good and bad 
luck which are invariably attached to deer shooting. 
It was more our intention to enjoy a drive one golden 
autumnal forenoon than to go out for the sake of a hunt 
on the road, but nevertheless I was not loth in accepting 
the "Veteran's" suggestion to take along the big Win- 
chester, _ whose companionship, by the way, I treasure 
most highly, as on many occasions it has done good 
service, for if we chanced to see a deer that was worth 
a shot, remorseful, indeed, would have been the sensations 
when it was realized there were no firearms in the wagon. 
"Please do the shooting if we happen to come on a good 
deer, for I have already had more than my share of sport 
this season," I said to the "Veteran" as we trotted along 
in the rubber-tire buggy, making little or no sound. 
"Very well," he assented, "but how do you expect me 
to shoot that cannon?" which insinuation at the weight 
and caliber of this favorite, however, failed to awaken 
the desired effect, as I knew he considered it a first-class 
all-around weapon, and had used it with success on many 
occasions himself. Thus we traversed the mile or more 
between the lake and dealing, chatting together and not 
keeping a very sharp lookout, as in reality neither of us 
expected to see a deer, the morning was so dry and trans- 
parently clear. As yet the snowy everlasting and golden- 
rod bloomed in a maze of delicate color over the broad 
slopes of the clearing, and as we drove through here the 
soothing murmur of insect voices and chirruping crickets 
fell pleasantly on our ears, while the surrounding hills 
were only to be compared with jewels, as the morning 
sunlight and clarified atmosphere brought forth the deep, 
brilliant_ hues of the deciduous trees which clothed them. 
Entering the woods on the west side where the road 
was thickly carpeted with crisp, golden foliage, and was 
bounded by a sloping ravine, we had just turned a sharp 
bend when I perceived the form of a deer standing at the 
farther end of this valley, some fifty yards or so ahead. 
It was in the blue coat and appeared like a fairly large 
sized animal. Forgetting completely about the agreement 
I had previously made with the "Veteran," I pulled the 
horse up short, pushed the reins into his hands, and seiz- 
ing the rifle, half fell and jumped out of the buggy. So 
much for the demoralizing excitement of deer shooting! 
Every thought except to get a shot in as quick as possible 
forsook my mind. 
The buck presented a broadside position, and stepping 
a few feet ahead of the horse, I knelt down in the road 
with the idea of obtaining a knee rest; but instead of 
helping matters by making me steadier, the effect was 
exactly opposite, and the sights seemed to dance all over 
the gray form, until, made desperate, I stood up again, 
determined to shoot offhand without any further hesita- 
tion. The clearly outlined bead of the front sight was 
now more steady, and I pressed trigger just as it 
reached a center mark on the deer's shoulder. The woods 
resounded with a truly cannon-like roar as the 65 grains 
of black powder went off, and a cloud of blue fog hid 
everything from our vision for a second or two; but as it 
drifted away, we perceived the buck running wildly to- 
ward a knoll which arose on the opposite side of the shal'^ 
