What Mistakes You Could Commit In Deer Hunting

Hunters are human and it is reasonable to expectconditions, for each deer is usually seen in a
them to make an occasional mistake in identifyingdifferent setting and from a different angle with
game in the woods. Quite a few moose are killeddifferent lighting conditions. Without this
every year, and, while some of these kills areexperience, any animal with the camouflage of
deliberate, some of them are killed as deer bythe white-tailed would be hard to identify
men who do not know the difference or by menanywhere in its natural wild setting, and many
who do not take the time to identify their target.things other than deer are likely to resemble
There is no excuse in either case. Aside from thethese animals more than the real thing. Fixing the
difference in size, moose and deer have differentpicture deer in the mind is a sort of negative
shapes, colors and actions that should makeidentification method. Anything which resembles
identification easy.the picture is a deer; and other objects which
Dogs and foxes have nearly fooled me severalcould be, might be; but such objects call for
times and, while I never have shot at any ofbetter identification before shooting.
these animals in mistake for deer, it would takeIn my own case, I have always been right when I
but little imagination to change a large fox into awas sure at the first glance that the object I had
small deer if the setting were right. These andsighted was a deer; but when I have seen an
other animals can be easily mistaken for deer byobject which I thought might have been a deer
the amateur who is so "keyed up" that heand had to take a second look for positive
expects to see a deer at all times and isn'tidentification, I have been mistaken more than half
exactly sure of what he is looking for.of the time, for the object was something other
It is to prevent these mistakes that Ithan a deer. Of course, the hunter will seldom
recommend the study of lithographic prints of themistake anything else for a running deer (with the
picture deer. I have seen living picture deer on apossible exception of dogs and red foxes) and
few occasions and they are an unforgettablemost of the objects which he mistakes for
sight. When seen at the edge of a field in thestanding deer are, more or less, the products of
early morning sun and with an evergreenhis imagination.
background, they are a sight to thrill the heart ofIt is to prevent the mistake of shooting it is very
any hunter. They are seldom seen under theserecommended to study of lithographic prints of
conditions and when they are it seems a shamethe picture deer. The instantaneous identification
to destroy so beautiful a picture. Usually the deerof deer in the woods or fields is almost
which the hunter sees is nothing but a ghostlyimpossible, until one has hunted for years and
shadow drifting across a shaded woods road or,seen them under many conditions, for each deer
more often, a dodging, bouncing streak of whiteis usually seen in a different setting and from a
as the animal seeks safety in flight with its whitedifferent angle with different lighting conditions.
flag upraised to give the hunter a target which isWithout this experience, any animal with the
well above and behind the one he wants to hit.camouflage of the white-tailed would be hard to
The instantaneous identification of deer in theidentify anywhere in its natural wild setting, and
woods or fields is almost impossible, until one hasmany things other than deer are likely to
hunted for years and seen them under manyresemble these animals more than the real thing.