On beholding a deer, the
hunter slides from his horse, and, while the deer is observing the
latter, creeps upon him, keeping the largest trees between himself and
the object of pursuit, until he gets near enough to fire. An expert
woodsman seldom fails to hit his game. It is extremely dangerous to
approach a wounded deer. Timid and harmless as this animal is at other
times, he no sooner finds himself deprived of the power of flight, than
he becomes furious, and rushes upon his enemy, making desperate plunges
with his sharp horns, and striking and trampling furiously with his
forelegs, which, being extremely muscular and armed with sharp hoofs,
are capable of inflicting very severe wounds. Aware of this
circumstance, the hunter approaches him with caution, and either secures
his prey by a second shot, where the first has been but partially
successful, or, as is more frequently the case, causes his dog to seize
the wounded animal, while he watches his own opportunity to stab him
with his hunting-knife. Sometimes where a noble buck is the victim, and
the hunter is impatient or inexperienced, terrible conflicts ensue on
such occasions. Another mode is to watch at night, in the neighbourhood
of the salt-licks.
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