VIRGINIAN DEER. 
233 
the vicinity of the shrubs on which they feed. When started from these re- 
treats they are forced to plunge into the deep snow ; and breaking through 
the crust leave at every leap traces of blood from their wounded legs; 
they are soon overtaken, sometimes by dogs, at other times by the hunters, 
who advance faster on their snow-shoes than the exhausted Deer, which 
fall an easy prey either to the hunter’s knife or his gun. In this manner 
thousands of Deer were formerly massacred in the Northern States. 
We have ascertained that our common Deer may be easily taken by the 
grey-hound. A pair of the latter, introduced into Carolina by Col. Cattel, 
frequently caught them after a run of a few hundred yards. The Deer 
were trailed and started by beagles — the grey-hounds generally kept in 
advance of them, making high leaps in order to get a glimpse of the Deer 
which were soon overtaken, seized by the throat, and thrown down. The 
nature of the country, however, from its swamps and thick covers often pre- 
vented the huntsmen from coming up to the captured animal before it was 
torn and mutilated by the hound.s, and many Deer could not be found, as 
the pack becomes silent as soon as the Deer is taken. We predict, however, 
that this will become the favourite mode of taking Deer on the open wes 
tern prairies, where there are no trees or other obstructions, and the whole 
scene may be enacted within view of the hunters. 
Some hunters, who are engaged in supplying the salt and red Sulphur 
Springs of Virginia with venison during summer, practise a novel and an 
equally objectionable mode in capturing the Deer. A certain number of 
very large steel-traps made by a blacksmith in the vicinity, are set at night 
in the waters of different streams at the crossing-places of the Deer. 
The animal when thus captured instead of tearing off its leg by violent 
struggles is said to remain standing still, as passive as a wolf when simi- 
larly entrapped. Another and still more cruel mode is sometimes prac- 
ticed in the South : The Deer have particular places where they leap the 
fences to visit the pea-fields ; a sharpened stake is placed on the inside of 
the fence— the Deer in leaping over is perforated through the body by 
this treacherous spike, and is found either dead or dying on the following 
morning. It is also a frequent practice in the South for the hunter during 
clear nights to watch a pea-field frequented by Deer. To make sure of 
this game he mounts some tree, seats himself on a crotch or limb which is 
above the current that would convey the scent to the keen olfactories of 
the Deer, and from this elevation leisurely waits for an opportunity to 
make a sure shot. 
In some parts of the Northern and Middle States the Deer are captured 
by the aid of boats. We observed this mode of hunting pursued at Sara- 
toga and other lakes, and ascertained that it was frequently attended with 
VOL. n. — 30. 
