, cropping the grass, the hunter advances cautiously,
keeping his eyes constantly directed upon him, and screening himself
behind intervening objects, or, in the absence of other cover, crawls
along upon his hands and knees in the grass, until the deer hears his
steps and raises his head, when he must instantly stop and remain in an
attitude fixed and motionless as a statue, for the animal's vision is
his keenest sense. When alarmed he will detect the slightest movement
of a small object, and, unless the hunter stands or lies perfectly
still, his presence will be detected. If the hunter does not move, the
deer will, after a short time, recover from his alarm and resume his
grazing, when he may be again approached. The deer always exhibits his
alarm by a sudden jerking of the tail just before he raises his head.

I once saw a Delaware Indian walk directly up within rifle range of a
deer that was feeding upon the open prairie and shoot him down; he was,
however, a long time in approaching, and made frequent halts whenever
the animal flirted his tail and raised his head. Although he often
turned toward the hunter, yet he did not appear to notice him, probably
taking him for a stump or tree.

When the deer are lying down in the smooth prairie, unless the grass is
tall, it is difficult to get near them, as they are generally looking
around, and become alarmed at the least noise.

The Indians are in the habit of using a small instrument which imitates
the bleat of the young fawn, with which they lure the doe within range
of their rifles. The young fawn gives out no scent upon its track until
it is sufficiently grown to make good running, and instinct teaches the
mother that this wise provision of nature to preserve the helpless
little quadruped from the ravages of wolves, panthers, and other
carnivorous beasts, will be defeated if she remains with it, as her
tracks can not be concealed. She therefore hides her fawn in the grass,
where it is almost impossible to see it, even when very near it, goes
off to some neighboring thicket within call, and makes her bed alone.
The Indian pot-hunter, who is but little scrupulous as to the means he
employs in accomplishing his ends, sounds the bleat along near the
places where he thinks the game is lying, and the unsuspicious doe, who
imagines that her offspring is in distress, rushes with headlong
impetuosity toward the sound, and often goes within a few yards of the
hunter to receive