. Audubon and his journals [microform]. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. 466 AUDUBON. DEER HUNTING The different modes of Deer hunting are probably too well understood, and too successfully practised in tlie United States; for, notwithstanding the almost incredible abundance of these beautiful animals in our forests and prairies, such havoc is carried on amongst them that, in a few centuries, they will probably be as scarce in America as the Great Bustard now is in Britain. We have three modes of hunting Deer, each varying in some slight degree in the different States and districts.


. Audubon and his journals [microform]. Birds; Ornithology; Oiseaux; Ornithologie. 466 AUDUBON. DEER HUNTING The different modes of Deer hunting are probably too well understood, and too successfully practised in tlie United States; for, notwithstanding the almost incredible abundance of these beautiful animals in our forests and prairies, such havoc is carried on amongst them that, in a few centuries, they will probably be as scarce in America as the Great Bustard now is in Britain. We have three modes of hunting Deer, each varying in some slight degree in the different States and districts. The first is termed still hunting, and is by far the most destructive. The second is called fire-light hunting, and is next in its exterminating effects. The third, which may be looked upon as a mere amusement, is named driving. Although many Deer are destroyed by this latter method, it is not by any means so pernicious as the others. These methods I shall describe separately. Still hunting is followed as a kind of trade by most of our frontier-men. To be practised with success it requires great activity, an expert management of the rifle, and a thorough knowledge of the forest, together with an inti- mate acquaintance with the habits of the Deer, not only at different seasons of the year, but also at every hour of the day, as the hunters must be aware of the situations which the game prefers, and in which it is most likely to be found at any particular time. I might here present you with a full account of the habits of our Deer, were it not my intention to lay before you, at some future period, in the form of a distinct work, the observations which I have made on the various quadrupeds of our extensive territories. Illustrations of any kind require to be presented in the best possible light. We shall therefore suppose that we are now about to follow the true hunter, as the " still. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been dig


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn