Vol. XCIII 
OCTOBER, 1923 
No. 10 
HUNTING THE WHITETAIL 
Long may he live to grace our forests 
Bv PAUL BRANDRETF 
T HERE is no doubt that the 
whitetail deer is endowed 
above other wild creatures 
in the art of self-preservation. 
Clever as a fox, testing the wind 
with sensitive nostrils, conscious 
of the faintest crack of a twig 
he succeeds in maintaining a 
livelihood where his larger con¬ 
freres would soon be extermi¬ 
nated. He is not too big and 
therefore avoids attracting too great 
attention. He can slip about like a 
shadow, lurk noiseless and unseen in a 
thicket, and vanish like a phantom at 
the approach of danger. Small won- 
I his interesting and practical narrative by 
one of the most skillful of the Forest and 
Stream family of hunter naturalists will 
interest all who love to hunt that phantom 
of the woodlands, the white - tail deer. 
ten deer in lumbered territory where 
you will find one in virgin timber. 
This is due, of course, to the fact that 
aftei the first year or two, an abund¬ 
ance of feed in the way of witch-hazel, 
der that his trail is a stimulating one saplings, and briars, grow'up'on Tut 
to follow. He is mnrp than a _ i_i p un LUl 
to follow. He is more than a match 
for us at every turn. Nine times out 
of ten he plays the game so well that 
we grow confident in the belief that he 
will survive to grace our forests where 
many other species of American fauna 
have long become extinct. 
In the State of New York the Adir¬ 
ondack Mountains afford an ideal 
sti onghold for the whitetail. Lumber¬ 
ing operations instead of proving hurt¬ 
ful to deer, have greatly assisted in in¬ 
creasing their numbers. You will find 
over lands. Virgin forest, you will 
notice, has but a scattering of under- 
giowth compared to lumbered districts. 
Hence, the benefit. The same holds 
tiue with regard to burnt country, but 
heie the whitetail has no winter pro¬ 
tection and although he waxes fat dur¬ 
ing the equable months of the year he 
must necessarily be driven out of such 
localities when cold weather sets in. 
Thus, although man is his acknow¬ 
ledged chief enemy, man has also in 
many respects proved his best friend. 
Lok- 
The axe of the lumberjack has 
brought him prosperity and under 
the protection afforded by private 
game preserves, the whitetail 
finds an environment which in 
every way assists him in the 
battle for existence. During very 
severe winters he is fed and cared 
for. Never is he hunted with a 
i eckless disregard for the future. 
And to private parks indeed, do 
those who shoot on public lands owe a 
debt of gratitude, for it is the overflow 
from these breeding sanctuaries which 
keeps up and insures the supply of deer 
in the Adirondacks today. People, who 
are loud in advocating the “free for all” 
policy with relation to wild game should 
take particular note of this fact. 
Although it is safe to say that still¬ 
hunting is practiced almost exclusively 
in certain sections of the north woods, 
there are other methods employed, by 
which your big - buck of the season may 
be successfully brought to bag. Even 
as late as October on some secluded 
lake or navigable stream the chance of 
obtaining a shot at a good animal is not 
infrequently offered. Or, if owing to 
sharp weather conditions hunting - from 
f 
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vf J.6. 
Page 547 
Contents Copyrighted by Forest anil Stream Pub. C 
Co. 
