Raising Deer and Other Large Game Animals in the United States (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...bred regularly and have become quite domesticated. The does have been gentle and act like domestic cattle. The bucks have been also gentle until they were about 4 years old, when they have been difficult to manage in September and October, like a bull or stud-horse. In such cases I generally made venison of them. Excepting these instances, however, the animals are quite docile. The first fawn that I raised was very shy. He was in a lot of about 15 acres, and when I went to him he would dee from me, so that I could hardly get a sight at him. The next fawns raised were not so frightened when they saw me, and now when I go into the field the young fawns are like so many calves. My lot is fenced with common rails, 6 or 7 feet high, and there is no difficulty in keeping the animals within bounds. Frequently, when the fence may get down, they go out into a neighboring piece of woods, but as soon as anything startles them they run for their own field again, and feel safe only when they arrive there. They are not inclined to stray off. This lot in which they are confined they consider as their home, and chase off ajiy dogs that may come upon it. In four generations, by kind treatment, I have, as I contend, not merely succeeded in taming them, but in domesticating them. They are as gentle as sheep that run wild. The great profit in raising them, however, is for their meat. They live and fatten on useless land. Where the feeding ground is brush they will destroy it; but the grass will come up more profusely on this account in the summer; and it has the result of giving them better feed in the summer though not so good in the winter. I paid $400 for the first pair I bought; I have bought 2 does since then, from which, with the first pair, I have raised my whole stock;...