306 FOREST AND STREAM JUNE, 1920 
ON THE TRAIL OF A DEER MOUSE 
THIS LITTLE ANIMAL CAN BE READILY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE HOUSE 
MOUSE BY HIS GRACEFUL FIGURE, SILKY COAT AND SNOWY WHITE FEET 
By EDWIN 0. PERRIN 
T HE encyclopedia refers to him as the 
white - footed mouse ( Peromyscus 
leucopus), habitat North America, 
but he is universally • known to hunters 
and campers as the wood-mouse or deer- 
mouse. Although this strange little 
beast is one of our commonest wild ani- 
mals, ranging over the entire continent 
from the northern limit of trees to 
southern Mexico, he 1 is so shy and retir- 
ing that little is known of his habits and 
family life. 
When examined closely deer-mice are 
found to be extremely attractive, grace- 
ful and clean little creatures. They 
would be much more popular were it 
not for the prejudice against all their 
race, due to the offensive ways of that 
domestic parasite, the house mouse. 
In general shape and appearance a 
deer-mouse is somewhat similar to a 
house mouse, but in all other respects is 
a very different sort of animal. He is 
a trifle larger than the house mouse, and 
can be recognized at a glance by his 
snowy white feet and under parts. An- 
other distinguishing feature, also pres- 
ent in other species of wild mice, is a 
very thin coat of fur on the tail. The 
tail of the house mouse is hairless. 
In color deer-mice differ a good deal 
according to locality, the fur on the back 
varying from a delicate blue gray to a 
grayish brown or fawn color. They 
have large rounded ears, and very bright 
prominent eyes. 
Although they rarely approach the 
A white-tailed deer horn gnawed by 
deer-mice 
permanent dwellings of man, deer-mice 
are quick to flock around camps, cabins 
and other remote habitations, making 
frequent raids on the food supplies. 
Few campers have failed to hear their 
little feet pattering over the dry leaves 
during the night, or scurrying up and 
down the sides of the tent. 
I once spent the night in a deserted 
log cabin which appeared to be entirely 
free from animal life. During the early 
part of the evening there was not a 
sound, but- the moment we turned in and 
blew out the candles the whole cabin 
became fairly alive with deer-mice. They 
raced around the walls and floor in great 
excitement, uttering shrill squeaks, and 
repeatedly scampered across our bodies. 
On another occasion, when I was 
sleeping on the ground, a deer-mouse ate 
a large hole in a buckskin tobacco pouch 
which lay a few inches from my head. 
Unlike the jumping mice, deer-mice do 
not hibernate, and are active throughout 
the entire year. The snowshoer in the 
Far North never fails to see their little 
tracks forming lace-work patterns over 
the deepest snows. How these tiny, 
delicate creatures can travel at night 
over the frozen crust when the mercury 
is far below zero, is one of the mysteries 
of the forest. 
Deer-mice feed chiefly on small seeds, 
nuts, berries and various insects. Like 
chipmunks, they are provided with 
cheek-pounches inside the mouth for car- 
rying food. During the autumn months 
they store away large supplies for win- 
ter use. While chopping up old stumps 
and logs for fire wood I have several 
times found hollows containing a pint or 
more of seeds, beechnuts and pine nuts. 
Upon examining one of these store-rooms 
a few hours after discovery I noted that 
the entire supply had been transferred 
to a new hiding place. 
Mice also like to gnaw bones, and are 
especially fond of deer horns which are 
shed in the woods. -Hunters rarely find 
an antler which is not partially eaten by 
deer-mice, and it is probable that many 
horns are entirely consumed. 
These curious mice are perfectly at 
home in trees, and have been seen jump- 
ing from limb to limb with all the agility 
of squirrels. Their nests have been 
found in- hollow trees as high as fifty feet 
from the ground. 
Not long ago I chanced to visit a 
trapper’s cabin which had been left va- 
cant for some time by the owner, In 
order to protect some flour and other 
food supplies he had left them in a large 
dish-pan suspended by a single wire 
from the center of the ceiling. Upon ex- 
amination we found that the deer-mice 
had actually climbed down the wire and 
made away with most of the provisions. 
It is this form of activty which has 
made the deer-mouse unpopular with 
many woodsmen. Campers who keep 
their food supplies in tin boxes or cov- 
ered pails have no trouble; and when the 
mice are encouraged to come into camp 
for crumbs apd scraps they are found to 
be interesting and attractive guests. 
It is a strange fact that these diminu- 
tive beasts are the greatest mountain 
climbers in this country. Mr. Edward 
W. Nelson, Chief of the U. S. Biological 
Survey, reports that he has found white- 
footed mice on Mount Orizaba, Mexico, 
between 15,000 and 16,000 feet above sea 
We put him in a soap box covered with wire netting and he became very tame 
