INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES BY EDGAR DOLPH 1LLUSTRATED NFW YORK FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 1908 1 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES BY EDGAR F. RANDOLPH ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO. 1908 Copyright, 1908, By Forest and Stream Publishing Co. .x FOREWORD ^ IN THIS volume will be found a series of articles which in recent years have appeared O , in Forest and Stream. The incidents recounted * i took place in widely separated parts of the United States and Canada. ^1 . As time slips by there is a pleasure in m \ recalling hunting exploits which have become ^ relegated to a past that can be lived over < again only in memory. Whoever feels the ^ sportsman's ardor kindle when blood red X tales of the hunt are related an ardor which the camera enthusiast, who possesses merely a platonic love of sport cannot appreciate J may discover an excuse for this book. Its <(J style may strike one as somewhat informal and lacking in literary finish, but it should be borne in mind that too much formality is likely to take away the charm of camp life. FOREWORD If you picture yourself seated on a log by the open camp-fire you will not be apt to criticize the absence of polish in the composi- tion of the text. You would as soon ask your guide to substitute patent leather shoes for his greased boots. May, 1908. iv CONTENTS PAGE A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES. . . i EXPENSE OF AN OUTING 33 A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT 37 ROUNDING UP CATS IN COLORADO. . . 47 DUCK SHOOTING IN CALCASIEU PARISH 69 OUTING AT TWO-OCEAN PASS 82 CAMP LIFE NEAR THE TETONS 96 BLOODLESS SPORT 122 WESTERN CAMP LIFE 130 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING 143 ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE HERD OF ELK (Frontispiece) PACKING A BRONCHO 5 MARVIN LAKE 47 HITTING THE TRAIL 65 THE TETON RANGE 83 BREAKING CAMP 95 A GLIMPSE OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCENERY. 109 PACK HORSES ROUNDED UP FOR THE RETURN 120 MOUNTAIN CLIMBING 130 VIEW FROM MT. LEIDY 140 GUIDE EDWARD SHEFFIELD AND TWO ELK HEADS 145 VALLEY OF GROS VENTRE 150 CHAS. HERDICK SKINNING A BULL ELK, THE AUTHOR AT THE RIGHT 160 GROS VENTRE RIVER 171 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES IN THE fall of 1896 I decided upon taking a hunting trip to the White River country in Colorado. At that time the White River country was well supplied with game and might almost be considered a sportsman's paradise, or, as an Indian described it to me, like the "happy hunting grounds." Deer were very plentiful, and around Hayden and in California Park antelope were numerous, although very shy. Bull elk occasionally adorned the landscape with their imposing presence and splendid spread of antlers. The cougar was heard occasionally, although never seen unless hunted with dogs. Old "Silver Tip" frequented the neighborhood, but had a way of making his bulky form vanish like some apparition. His depredations, where he had mangled the carcass of some animal INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES or disturbed the habitations of a lot of small fry under a rotten log, furnished evidence of his presence. There was enough large game in the country to give some idea of what it had been at a time when the Redskin was the undisputed proprietor of the soil. I had secured, through correspondence, the services of a guide who had been well recom- mended. Having heard considerably about the cowboy, my curiosity had been somewhat excited, and I desired to form a better ac- quaintance from actual experience. The West was then, to my mind, a geographical area possessing a certain wildness and wooli- ness, which my imagination pictured to me. The rapid trend of events makes a book describing its general conditions seem behind the times almost as soon as it is published. Much of what I had read and heard, how- ever, seemed to me like a fairy tale in the face of actual experience, although, allowing for exaggeration, back of it all it had a founda- A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES tion of facts. Every time I have visited the West I have noticed the rapid progress of change. During my first hunting experience, I noticed that the typical bad man, of whom I had heard so much, with his rough-and-ready manner, accoutred with dangerous weapons, his social position established by the size of his private graveyard, was wanting. The facetious desperado, who had a pleasant way of requesting the "tenderfoot" to dance while he marked time with his six-shooter, was "non est." An unappreciative community had or- ganized from time to time a few "necktie parties," and the experience of such gentle- men has since become an interesting theme for romance. The large settled communities of course had the same cosmopolitan air and character that one finds in the East. There was, nevertheless, something in the social atmosphere which impressed you with the feeling that everything was very different. 3 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES The cowboy, of whom I had heard so much, I learned to recognize as generally a very quiet, civil person, never going out of his way to do extraordinary things nor to make himself con- spicuous. A man of few words and not in- clined to familiarity, he is essentially a man of action, and prefers to take a short cut to accomplish his purpose. If one should conclude that his reserve and his reticence were the result of mental torpor, he would make a great mistake. Apparently taking little interest in a new acquaintance, and seem- ing to lack ordinary curiosity, I find that he is, notwithstanding, a very close observer and has a quiet way of extracting information without appearing eager to do so. My guide engaged to meet me at Buford, Colo. Being unacquainted with the locality, I wrote to obtain information concerning the railroad station nearest my destination, and learned that it was Rifle. When I arrived at Rifle, I inquired about the best way to get 4 PACKING A BRONCHO. Blindfolding a vicious animal is an expedient that generally attains its purpose. A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES to Buford, and was informed, to my sur- prise, that I had a journey by wagon of sixty miles to make. This was my first experience with the magnificent distances of the West. The result was that I miscalculated the time of meeting my guide by an entire day. When I arrived at Buford on the evening of the next day, my guide, whom I saw for the first time, rode up on a mustang, seated in a big Mexican saddle. With an easy air, as though we had been acquainted all our lives, he expressed his pleasure at meeting me and advised all necessary arrangements for the morrow's start on our hunt back in the mountains. It is interesting to notice how quickly and skillfully an experienced man can pack a lot of horses, apportioning the loads with great fairness, and balancing the dead weight so that it will ride easily on the backs of the not overwilling animals. Packing seems easy, and if you want to know how easy it is, try it. After you have ridden a mile or so, perhaps, 5 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES some critical beast will begin to subject your work to a severe test by bucking. To express the state of your feelings when this happens would be impossible, unless your sympathetic guide, who is generally an expert in swearing, can help you out. The first day's journey was rather long and tedious, a large part of it through monoton- ous stretches of sage brush. When at length the timber was reached, the change was most agreeable. We arrived at the location of our first camp without a mishap, unless having my legs squeezed between the horse and a tree a couple of times could be considered as such. Although my guide knew his business as a guide, I could not recommend him as a first- rate cook. His efforts at making bread proved a flat failure, and we had to do without the staff of life. The canned provisions, which required practically no skill in their prepara- tion., made the inefficiency of the cooking less apparent. 6 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES The camp being pitched in a well timbered and picturesque spot, we spent the rest of the afternoon in arranging everything and laying our plans for the next day. The waning sun- light found us spread comfortably around a big camp-fire, which sent its genial glow far into the dark recesses of the gloomy forest. When a great heap of burning faggots had sunk into a bed of smouldering ashes and the rising wind murmuring through the pines gave warning of an approaching storm, I concluded to crawl under the bedding and sleep. The hard, frozen ground is not as comfortable as a spring mattress, but I had to get used to it, and was sleeping soundly, when I was awakened in the morning by the cheerful voice of the guide, who called out, "Breakfast!" as if he were summoning all the guests of a boarding house to a feast. When I crawled out of my sleeping bag into the chilly atmosphere, I found the guide doing the chores in his stocking feet. A few dashes 7 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES of ice-cold water from the stream hard by drove away all feeling of drowsiness, and made me conscious of the fact that I had an appetite. After breakfast, without waiting to put camp in order, for the morning was already advanced, we started out in search of game. On. coming to the edge of the timber, where the country opened up into one of the little parks which we frequently found in that locality, I saw the tall form of my guide slowly stoop behind some bushes, while, at the same time, he motioned me to be cautious. I soon saw what had arrested his attention. A magnificent blacktail deer, with a fine set of antlers, stood out in full view, not more than a. hundred yards away. There were a half a dozen does nearby, but they did not interest me. I brought u Old Meat in the Pot" to my shoulders, for that is what my guide had christened my .45-90, and after taking delib- erate aim, fired. Which was the most aston- 8 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES ished, the buck, or myself, I could not say. He stood perfectly motionless, like an image in bronze. I had evidently missed him. A second shot fared the same; then the whole bunch of deer began to scamper off unharmed by any of the shots I had fired at the buck. I could not account for the bad marksman- ship, for I knew that I did not have the buck fever. The guide said that I had killed one of the deer, which I disputed, until he pointed to a dying animal lying in a dense thicket just to the rear of the deer that had served as my target. I had not even seen it, until it was pointed out to me after I had shot it. After making several experiments with the rifle with- out satisfactory results, I found that the sight had been knocked out of place. I then handed the rifle over to the guide without correcting the error and requested him to let me see how a cowboy could shoot. With evident pride in his skill he brought the gun to his shoulder, but he shot as badly as any tenderfoot. 9 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES In the meantime, the air was full of sounds more terrible than the report of the rifle. Any one who has heard a cowboy swear when he is really in earnest can understand what I mean. At last it occurred to him that the sights might be out of order, and when he examined them and discovered the trouble, he looked at me, and seeing my complacent smile, the whole truth dawned upon him. We both laughed heartily at our mutual discomfiture and pledged each other's health from the flask to celebrate the occasion. I returned to the camp without a trophy to commemorate my first success in killing deer, although I had secured an abundant supply of meat. The next day we covered considerable ground on horseback, without success. I had, however, an interesting experience in climbing a mountain known as Old Sleepy Cap, some- times, because of its peculiar formation at 10 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES the summit, called the Razor Back. Th'e ascent of this mountain was not particularly easy, on account of its abrupt elevation, although the height above the surrounding country was not great. The formation at the summit, which gave the unpoetical name of Razor Back to the mass, consisted of a long, narrow ridge, not more than eighteen inches to two fe'et in width, bristling with sharp projections of rock of quite uniform height extending nearly its entire length of about ninety yards. At each end it broadens out in a space conveniently large for a tem- porary resting place. After satisfying my curiosity, I suggested a descent into the valley, where* the cool atmosphere would afford a wel- come relief from the blazing rays of the sun. Much to my surprise, the guide informed me that the ascent was much easier at the point we came up than the descent, unless I wished to reach the bottom in a fashion that would imperil my neck. After discussing the matter ii INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES with him a few moments and carefully study- ing the position, I came to the conclusion that he was right. We observed that at the other end we could find an easy way to descend. That meant a rather long and disagreeable walk on the serrated ridge, attended with con- siderable danger, or a still more unpleasant experience if I should attempt to crawl on hands and knees for greater safety. Like a couple of tomcat serenaders promenading on the top of a brick wall liberally strewn with broken bottles, We crawled to the far end of the ridge, where, with some difficulty, we descended. We returned to camp with no better luck than securing a snowshoe rabbit, which I shot through the head. For some days I conscientiously hunted, but found it difficult to come close enough to get a good shot at deer. I saw quite a number bounding away far out of range, often stop- ping at a safe distance to observe our move- ments. For lack of better sport, I occas- 12 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES ionally practiced on the "fool grouse" a bird very similar in appearance to our Eastern partridge, but about the tamest game I have ever shot. I could generally have three trials at one before it would move. I would pace off the proper space, and then aim at the head. The flesh was not particularly delicate, and would certainly not please the palate of an epicure. One day as we were traveling in a blinding snow flurry, we came to a precipice thickly fringed with undergrowth and small trees. Impelled by curiosity, I got off my horse and went near the edge to get a view of the coun- try below. The waving tops of the pines beneath were barely visible, the force of the wind coming through the great long valley at my feet, sounded like the hollow roar of the ocean. As I stood upon the cliff, gratify- ing my fancy with the weird and strange im- pressions the surroundings made upon me, the storm began to abate, and through the 13 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES diminishing fall of snow the sun gradually diffused its light, and presently the atmos- phere cleared up, and the entire landscape was revealed to view as though a great white sheet concealing nature's panorama had been pulled aside. On a ledge jutting out from the base of the precipice, about two hundred feet be- low, I observed the shapely form of a deer with a fawn lying on the rock alongside of it. As far as the eye could distinguish, a great forest of aspen with white trunks and branches sparsely decorated with yellow leaves, filled the valley. Dense masses of pines, which completely covered the steep mountain sides, except where the ragged projections broke through, formed a dark setting to the brilliant landscape which lay between. My reverie was finally broken by a voice nearby: "Well, pardner, it's pretty late and we are a long way from camp." Traveling in that rough country after dark is not attractive to one who is not looking for trouble. So I mounted my 14 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES horse and began to occupy myself with ob- serving game signs and incidentally thought of the camp-fire and kettle. It is interesting to notice how strangely the element of luck will enter into- a sportsman's experience. One day, after hunting faithfully from early dawn until evening without suc- cess, I concluded to vary the monotony by shooting at a mark. I had not been engaged in that pastime very long before my attention was arrested by hearing something crashing through the brush at the foot of the hill where I stood, and presently I saw a fine blacktail buck come bounding up the slope directly toward me, accompanied by a doe. My rifle was just ready to bring up to my shoulder, but I remained motionless in plain view, waiting for the game to come within easy range. A more picturesque sight than that blacktail, easily and gracefully clearing the fallen tim- bers, I have rarely seen. My eagerness did not interfere with my sizing up the well- 15 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES proportioned and beautifully poised antlers, which I regarded as already mine. As I raised my rifle to shoot, although the action was quite deliberate, it was immediately noticed. The deer changed its course when not over forty yards away, exposing its broad flank to my aim. It ran some distance after I fired, clearing with ease the trunk of a large fallen tree, and giving me no little concern for a few moments. Following his tracks, I soon came upon the deer, dead. It was in- deed a fine specimen, weighing perhaps two hundred and fifty pounds, in good condition and with a perfect set of antlers. I had often heard of the remarkably acute senses of wild animals ; the timidity and keen- ness of deer are proverbial, and yet here was an instance which seemed to belie all former stories and past experience. Standing in plain view while firing at a mark, the buck ran directly toward m'e. One would naturally suppose that the noise of the shooting would 16 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES have driven the animal away. My theory about the occurrence is, that when the report of the rifle is first heard, the tendency is for a wild animal to become alarmed and run in the opposite direction, but presently when it catches the echo, the real direction of the sound is misconceived, and it will then run in the direction of the firing. Other sports- men have agreed with me in this view. There is no doubt that deer and other wild animals can tell the direction of sound, and consequently, when one becomes alarmed by the shooting and runs toward the place where the sportsman is located, it is not the ear, but the judgment that is at fault. A wild animal can have no correct idea of an echo, but un- doubtedly imagines that it is an entirely dif- ferent sound, and being last heard determines its final course. This, however, does not explain the action of the deer in running directly toward me when I was in plain view. All sportsmen soon 17 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES learn to recognize the fact that animals, although keen of sight, are not very discrim- inating. Birds, as well as wild animals, will frequently continue their course when it lies in the direction of a human being, provided there is no perceptible movement to attract their attention. Any kind of motion is im- mediately noticed, particularly if it is at all sudden. Stationary objects are not apt to attract much attention unless there is some- thing very strange in their appearance, espe- cially if the coloring does not harmonize with the general surroundings and happens to be different from what is ordinarily seen. Animals use their faculties in a very mechanical way, and this observation is more true of sight than of any other sense. I have seen a pack of dogs which had followed a bobcat's tracks to a tree where they supposed it had taken refuge, baying and standing guard, while it was perfectly evident to any one who was not blind that the cat had es- 18 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES caped. The sense of smell had directed the dogs to the spot, and relying upon the in- formation received in that way, they failed to avail themselves of the intelligence they might have derived from another source. I have no doubt that the sight of dogs is particularly keen, but they rely almost entirely upon the sense of smell. When the mind is greatly absorbed in one direction, it is for the time being far less observant or attentive in other ways. A human being depends mostly upon the sight, and next upon hearing; the sense of smell is the least used of any of the senses. Among animals, with few exceptions, smell is the principal sense, and all the others are little used in comparison, although very acute. Having secured a good deer trophy, I next turned my thoughts to a different kind of hunting, and concluded that antelope would afford a pleasing variety, both as a prize and in the method of hunting. The next day the outfit was got in readiness 19 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES and we started for a place called Hayden, located in California Park. The sun had melted the snow, and the journey was hot and dusty. Traveling over the steep moun- tain trails, the guide gave me the lead, while he rode at the rear of the pack horses strung out in single file, and made use of all the arts of persuasion to keep them going, frequently leaning down to pick up a rock or a stick to hurl at some "ornery" beast that would turn a deaf ear to the appeal, "Wake up and pay for your bedding." Speeches in true cowboy style, with plenty of rhetorical flourishes, were delivered almost without intermission, when the traveling was particularly difficult. After leaving the timber, we had a tedious journey through long stretches of sage brush. The land where the sage brush abounds seems desolate and forsaken, and .would impress the casual observer as perfectly worthless. While reflecting upon the forbidding aspect of the country, I wondered if this land could be 20 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES rendered productive upon the arrival of that era "when the desert would blossom as the rose." I discovered an answer to my ques- tion ere long, when my sight was gladdened by a neat little ranch located near a stream, with about two acres of ground irrigated and under cultivation. If it had been an oasis in a desert, the contrast could not have been more striking. A great stack of alfalfa hay stood near the ranch, exposing a cut in its side which revealed the interior perfectly green. At first I thought that the grass had not been properly cured, but I learned after- ward that the alfalfa contains so much nutri- ment that it remains green a long time after it has been cured and stacked. There were quite a number of fruit trees of small size so laden with fruit that the branches had to be propped. All that is needed to make the soil productive, is to clear off the sage brush, and irrigate. We camped that night by a stream in a 21 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES clump of aspen trees, many of which, although dead, were still standing. The aspen when dead becomes exceedingly dry and light, and makes a very hot and bright fire, but quickly burns out, leaving a small quantity of ashes to the amount of wood consumed. After the evening meal, we piled the dead aspen wood upon the fire until it formed a heap nearly as high as our heads. The flames shot well into the air and lighted up the landscape for a considerable distance. Listening to the guide spinning his yarns as we lay by the cheerful blaze, the time slipped by rapidly. It may not be out of place to relate one of the stories my guide told me, as a sample of the kind of intellectual treat they furnished. Among his acquaintances was a telegraph operator at a place called Red Wing on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. The operator had taught the guide a smattering of telegraphy, and the sequel will prove the truth of the saying that "a little knowledge is a 22 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES dangerous thing." The operator was on very friendly terms with a young lady in the same employment at a station not many miles away, and when business was slack they freely cor- responded in complimentary and sometimes sentimental messages, until at length their feelings toward each other had deepened into something more than friendship. One day the guide dropped into the office, and while he was there, the operator had to leave for a short time on other business. During his absence a message came over the wire of the usual sentimental kind. The "charge d'affaires" did not recognize the sender nor understand the message, but being possessed of ready wit and unlimited assurance, he im- mediately sent back a reply characterized by brevity, force and spiciness. When the regu- lar operator returned and endeavored to re- sume a tete-a-tete he could get no response, nor was further communication continued, ex- cept in the ordinary course of business. An 23 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES effort to obtain an explanation received no notice, as he was supposed to be the guilty party and naturally would understand the cause of the trouble well enough without it. While the operator was pouring out the bur- den of his troubled soul to the guide a few days after, a suspicion flashed across the mind of the latter that perhaps the fragrant mes- sage he had sent at random might have been the cause of the misunderstanding. He so informed the operator, and matters were finally satisfactorily explained, and the former friendly relations restored. When California Park was at length reached, we found the country very hilly, but open. There were a number of antelope in that locality, but it was almost impossible to get a good shot at one. The atmosphere is so deceptive that it is very difficult to gauge the distance. I made a good many quite accurate line shots, but they were invariably either too high or too low. It was some 24 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES time before I could form a correct idea of the distance. I believe it is best for any one shooting in a strange country where distances are deceptive, to ask information of the guide, so that he may be able to sight his rifle at the right elevations. In an open country, where the atmosphere is rarefied and objects are seen very distinctly, it is easy to underestimate the range of your mark; while in the timber, par- ticularly if it is fairly dense, the tendency is to overestimate and consequently shoot too high. After a couple of days, I at last suc- ceeded in bagging an antelope and tried to run down on horseback another one that I had creased, but it managed to escape. It would frequently stop and look back while being pursued. Once I checked my horse and waited. The antelope stood still and watched me at a safe distance. I observed that it grew no weaker from the loss of blood, and when I resumed the chase I became convinced that it was probably more than a match in speed for 25 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES my jaded horse. I did not seem to gain on it, and the horse was showing great distress under the strain. I had not the heart to apply the stimulus to make him quicken his pace as the guide did to his horse, fairly raking his sides from the shoulders down with the great Mexican spurs until they were red with blood. My experience in hunting antelope con- vinces me that a sportsman earns about every trophy he gets. No man can be a sluggard and succeed in hunting this kind of game. With senses as acute as any wild animals possess, they live in an open country, where every object is visible except for the slight concealment offered by the sage brush or some depression of the ground. The antelope have one stupid habit very remarkable on account of their keenness in other respects. They will almost always follow their leader, strung out in single file, notwithstanding that in doing so the end of the line may come close to a hunter 26 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES in pursuit who is cutting across their course. When the line is strung out to a considerable length, and the mounted hunter is not more than a few hundred yards away and is riding at right angles to the course that the antelope are pursuing, it can readily be seen that the last of the herd will have allowed the pursuer to gain considerable distance. There has been a good deal of discussion in regard to the possibility of running antelope down by mounted hunters. The stratagem usually employed is to surround a bunch of antelope by making a wide circle sufficiently large to avoid giving immediate alarm to the herd. Several men begin the chase by riding toward them from several widely separated points and driving the herd in the direction of an- other group of hunters, who are concealed from sight in some depression of the ground. When the herd reaches the point where the other hunters are concealed, they are pursued by men on fresh mounts. Sometimes the herd 27 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES is scattered, and some stray confused animal will try to rejoin the others, and in doing so will run straight in the direction of his com- rades, quite regardless of the closeness of his pursuers. I saw one lone distracted animal trying to rejoin the herd come within sixty yards of a dismounted hunter, who tried to get a shot at it, but was prevented by his horse straying in front of him and moving in such a way that his aim was cut off, until the antelope had considerably increased the distance, and then escaped the shots fired. My time being limited, I was compelled to cut my antelope hunt short without having secured a suitable trophy, although I had plenty of hard riding and excitement. On the return trip, as the guide and myself sat by the camp-fire, a cowboy joined us who became quite companionable, and gave us all the news after his mind had been sufficiently stimulated by several generous pulls at the flask. It appeared that a couple of days be- 28 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES fore an attempt had been made one night to rob the bank at Meeker. Before the robbers could accomplish their purpose, the citizens discovered what was taking place and quietly surrounded the building. When the men came out they were shot down and killed; the ends of justice were thereby satisfied with- out the proverbial law's delay. The cowboy then told me of another bank, in which he was a depositor, which had been robbed not long before by one of its officers, who had gotten off with a considerable sum. I asked him what the liabilities were. The word stag- gered him. Although I recognized that he was a man of resources, yet I felt sure that I had "stumped him," and felt sorry for it. He stared vacantly at the fire a few moments and slowly shifted a quid from one side of his mouth to the other and sent a long, yellow stream into the center of the blaze, which I thought for a moment would extinguish it; at length he replied in a leisurely way: "Wai, 29 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES pardner, the liabilities are if they catch him they will hang him." Two days afterward I took leave of my guide ; I felt as I clasped his great strong hand that the compression came as much from the heart as the muscles. I soon found myself again in civilized sur- roundings. A barber's skill, a warm bath and conventional attire had already wrought a wonderful transformation. As I sat in a com- fortable seat and looked out of the car window, observing the strange and beautiful scenery, so continually changing with the rapid movement of the train, every hour covering a greater distance than I could travel with a pack outfit in a day, I felt how much easier it was to take it all in this way; no fractious horse to control ; free from the burn- ing sun, which would often shoot down its rays upon one like the heat waves from a furnace, and while in the midst of this ordeal, the climate would sometimes suddenly change 30 A REMINISCENCE OF THE ROCKIES with the clouds gathering in the sky, and a cold wave, perhaps accompanied by a snow- storm, would follow. When I reflect upon my experience in after years, the scenery I observed so rapidly and with no effort, re- appears to my mind like a blurred photograph as compared to what I saw while traveling with the pack outfit. The charm of natural scenery grows upon one by degrees; whoever thinks that the charm wanes when the novelty has worn off is not a true admirer of nature. Whatever opinion one may entertain of the foregoing statement, it is very certain that the sportsman cannot gratify his favorite desire and at the same time consult his ease in all respects. A royal sportsman may afford the luxury of having a force of game keepers drive wild beasts within range of his rifle, and imagine that he is enjoying the real thing. The average man has no such opportunity, and I believe has no reason to regret it. The best hunting sections of the country are re- iy INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES mote from settlements, and are generally somewhat difficult of access. Game is by no means so plentiful now as it was when the country was being opened to civilizing in- fluence by the introduction of railroads. It is no longer possible for a wealthy man, who likes sport without inconvenience and hardship, to have his parlor car side-tracked, and to make it a headquarters while enjoying the pastime. One is compelled to rough it to some extent to obtain success in hunting big game at the present time. But after all, is that an objection? Does it not put a keen edge on the sportsman's desire ? Those hunt- ing incidents which have given me the greatest trouble and exercised my skill the most are the ones I recall with greatest pleasure. EXPENSE OF AN OUTING *T"*HE expense, of a Western hunting trip A after big game, and what is necessary to make it a success, will largely depend upon how much or how little one requires. The average man, accustomed to the ordinary comforts of civilized environment, should be careful to supply himself with as many of these as possible, without too- greatly increas- ing the expense and the bulk of what has to be transported. The season of the year makes a difference also*. In the late fall or during the winter any one who is not accustomed to camping out in cold weather will find a tent with a light, portable sheet-iron stove, which can easily be carried on a horse's back, very serviceable. My last hunting trip in the West was late in t}ie fall, and I had everything complete. 33 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES I will enumerate what I took and then state the cost: I had a guide and a cook; a tent for myself and another which served as quarters for the three men and also for a dining pavilion; a sheet-iron stove for each tent, which, with several lengths of pipe weighed very little; two folding tables and several chairs that packed into very small space; plenty of warm bedding and under- wear; a liberal supply of canned stuff soups, meats, vegetables, preserves, etc. besides the usual standbys, flour, bacon, my rifle, ammu- nition, etc., and a few books to read when I was tired o-f hunting and wanted to loaf in camp. The cost was as. follows : Guide, $3 per day; horse wrangler, $2 per day; cook, $3 per day; eight pack horses, 50 cents apiece per day; six dogs, no charge. Provisions, consisting principally of canned stuff, at from 15 to 20 cents a can, I pur- chased at St. Anthony, Idaho. I had about $60 worth of canned stuff, and had some left 34 EXPENSE OF AN OUTING over after camping out thirty days. In round figures it cost me about $14 a day while camp- ing out. This expense can be cut down, if one wishes to economize. Great care, how- ever, should be taken about attempting to cut off too much. I have heard much adverse criticism in regard to canned goods, but in my own ex- perience I find them most serviceable. What are generally sold contain, as a rule, a large quantity of water, and this adds unnecessarily to the weight and bulk. A great deal of this may be had in a condensed form; before cooking, water can be added to it. The success of a hunting trip depends almost entirely upon the guide. Great care should be taken against securing the services of any one without first finding out something about him in advance. If you are fifty or one hundred miles out in the wilderness and your guide should prove unsatisfactory, you cannot conveniently dispense with his services. 35 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES In that case you have nothing to do but to make the best of a bad bargain. With the disappearance of big game almost everywhere, and the greater difficulty of securing it, more skill and special knowledge are required now than formerly. There are a good many men who have shot large game and lived in the wilderness who w r ould not make competent guides. The man whose time is limited must select as his guide some- one who has a good knowledge of woodcraft, understands the habits of wild animals and is able to furnish a good outfit. A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT THE Province of New Brunswick, in the neighborhood of the Tobique River, was once noted as a favorite resort for cari- bou, but for some reason this fickle, migratory animal has become somewhat scarce in that locality. The moose has become more abun- dant. Various reasons are given for the diminishing number of caribou and the in- crease of moose, but I do not undertake to explain the cause of the change. There are certainly quite a number of moose in the country, and if one is not too eager to shoot the first chance he gets, and will wait till he sees a good head, a hunt of several weeks ought to secure satisfactory results. The law allows a sportsman only one moose, and that fact should make him careful about bagging anything which comes in sight. 37 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES The true sportsman should form a resolu- tion to secure a good trophy or nothing. It is pitiable to see what rubbish some people lug out of the woods heads that are wanting in size and defective in fair proportions. The head of the moose lacks the grace and beauty of outline which characterize the elk, the only large animal of this continent which can compare with it in size, and so it must make up in massiveness w r hat it lacks in other re- spects. Whether large or small, an elk's head is almost invariably beautiful and grace- ful. In securing a trophy one can afford to be more independent of size when an elk head is the object sought, and not the head of a moose. The attractiveness of a moose head consists largely in its grotesqueness ; the size has quite as much to do with that as its shape. If one intends to hunt in New Brunswick, a great deal depends upon the kind of hunt- ing desired, whether one goes early or 38 A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT late in the season. In the early part of the season, say from the first of September to the 25th of October, there is little or no snow, and at that time it is extremely difficult to get any large game by stalking, for the ground is covered with dry leaves and brittle wood, which make considerable noise at every step. At that season one must depend largely upon canoe work and calling for moose, while caribou and deer are then still more difficult to hunt. Moose frequently come down to the water, of which they are very fond, and in which they bathe and wallow. Caribou are less apt to frequent such spots. Calling is a favorite method of bringing moose within range, but great care has to be exercised, for a single false note and your noble quarry, instead of accepting an invitation to a funeral, which he is to grace, will retire to a place of safety. When there are a few inches of snow on the ground, hunting becomes more attractive 39 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES to the sportsman. Instead of sitting in his canoe waiting for something to come within range, he is vigorously exercising his muscles and his knowledge of woodcraft to secure a shot, and often his skill is put to a consider- able test in shooting through thick timber. There is nothing more improving to health and conducive to happiness than strenuous exercise in the cold, bracing air, with sport as an incentive. Whatever may be the outcome of your hunting, you are sure to take out of the woods with you an increased supply of vital energy and robustness, which, after all, is very important. If your hunting should not furnish you with such tangible results as you would like to see, console yourself with the reflection that a very wealthy man once offered "a million dollars for a new stomach," and perhaps you have secured an equivalent for a great deal less. Early in October of 1904 I joined my guide at the forks of the Tobique. We immedi- 40 A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT ately started out in a canoe, into which I packed all my things, to pole up the Little Tobique. The water was pretty high, and this increased the difficulty of ascending the river, whose current, naturally strong, was interspersed by rocks and the debris of stray logs and woodland refuse. The sturdy skill of the guide was considerably taxed in spite of the small assistance rendered by me with the paddle ; and yet I was of some assistance in forcing the canoe over places where there was no poling bottom. In about five hours we reached our destination and put up at the camp, which consisted of a very commodious log cabin, where we found the cook, who soon began to busy himself in preparing the even- ing meal. The two succeeding mornings I got up before day, while stars were still bright, and returned late in the morning, having as a reward for my pains a good appetite and plenty to satisfy it, when I could succeed in getting it down. The third morn- 41 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES ing both the guide and myself overslept, and with a blush of shame I encountered the glare of Old Sol as he fiercely showered his burn- ing rays upon our heads. That same morning a lazy bull moose had been guilty of the same offense, and appeared at the bank of the river to take his belated bath just as our canoe came dancing and twisting down the swift, turbid stream toward him. The big bull did not seem in the least concerned, although every moment we were rapidly drawing nearer. If he had been standing in the water, I believe he would have let us run into him had we been disposed to do so. With a quick movement of the paddle, the guide turned the canoe so that I could secure an easy position to shoot, and then a sharp crack of the Mauser rifle, fol- lowed by the heavy swaying motion of the animal as he sank down to pour out his life blood on the sand, closed the incident. The head measured fifty-two inches, and 42 A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT was quite shapely. As I surveyed the pros- trate form of this pride of the Canadian forest, I thought that it was no particular skill of mine which had brought it within easy reach and secured me a fine trophy. It seemed to me as though the original owner of the antlers had almost made me a present of them. We do not greatly appreciate things which come too easily into our possession. I would have been better pleased if the royal beast had made the shot more difficult and had given me a chance to 1 exercise my skill. He may have mistaken me for one of those sportsmen who tremblingly pass the gun to the guide and ask him to shoot. During that time I saw another moose, which I declined to shoot, because, as I in* formed a friend, I had all the law allowed, and for the further reason that "it had no head." When I informed my friend that the moose u had no head," he seemed some- what incredulous, but after I .explained that 43 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES this was an Irish bull, he seemed better satisfied. During the rest of my sojourn I had con- siderable amusement in shooting at a mark with my .22 automatic Winchester, which affords plenty of practice without making too much noise, and is also useful for small game. The return trip home was diversified with the common experiences of the transition from the rough camp life to your own fire- side, when you sit in an easy chair and talk it all over with your friends. Sixty miles' paddling down the Tobique, ever impelled by its rapid though wayward current, which required the constant correction of your course, and gave delight in the survey of the beautiful banks decorated by the virgin forest for miles, marked the first day's journey. The next day a ride in stuffy cars over a second-class railroad, until you finally land in a Pullman coach and spin along at the rate of sixty miles an hour. Perhaps you pick 44 A NEW BRUNSWICK HUNT up a chance acquaintance in one or two sports- men who have just returned from a similar outing, and tell you of their mighty deeds which lose nothing by repetition; you shrink within your modest little self as you listen, for you know you have accomplished nothing which will stand well in comparison. On my way back I met several sportsmen, one of whom related to me his exploits, which were very tame on first recital. We were sit- ting in the smoking apartment of the Pull- man, when presently two other sportsmen came in and we got into conversation over our different hunting experiences. The two sportsmen who came in last related the won- derful feats which they had accomplished. After they had talked themselves out, my first acquaintance, who had been so modest in what he related, much to my surprise took, a fresh start. I think a couple of good drinks, which stimulated his imagination and stirred hislpersonal pride, had something to do with 45 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES it. With an eloquence which truly surprised me, he added the "verisimilitude of truth to otherwise bald and uninteresting statement of facts." It was evident that the newcomers were outclassed, for my modest friend was not only gifted of tongue, but he told his story last. I have discovered that there are more ways than one of establishing a reputa- tion as a sportsman, and sometimes the "gift o' gab" is more important than skill in handling a rifle. i m 3-''. ROUNDING UP CATS IN COLORADO THE mountain lion of the West is the panther or cougar of our Eastern States, sometimes called "painter" by the old- fashioned backwoodsman; in some localities it goes by the name of "Indian devil," no doubt on account of the weird, unearthly noises it makes at night. In Mexico it is known as the "puma," and grows to a larger size than elsewhere. In appearance the moun- tain lion is very similar to the African lioness, having a smooth, tawny skin, without any mane; a full-grown animal that will measure from seven to eight feet from its nose to the end of the tail and weighs about 180 pounds, is considered a large specimen. They seldom exce'ed this, and more frequently fall below it. Although often engaged in hunting big game, I never saw a mountain lion at large 47 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES except when one has been rounded up by a pack of dogs. In their habits they are stealthy and secretive, carefully keeping concealed, and never willing to fight unless cornered, with no chance of escape. Occasionally, when the odds are overwhelmingly in its favor, a lion will provoke a battle, but this is not often the case. In disposition and character the mountain lion belies its name; of all carnivorous beasts it is, perhaps, the most cowardly. Being ex- ceedingly destructive, it not only kills for food, but it also kills out of wantonness. I have run across numbers of deer that have been destroyed by the same animal within short distances of each other, the carcasses being allowed to remain almost entire. It has also been stated on good authority that one lion will be likely to kill in the course of a year about one hundred and fifty deer. Considering its destructive disposition, I have no doubt that in a country where the 48 ROUNDING UP CATS IN COLORADO deer are at all numerous, this statement is not far from the truth. The ranchman has a cordial hatred for this destroyer of his stock, and the cunning displayed by the lion in evading traps and turning away from poisoned meat makes him all the more unpopular. This animal will not eat of any kill unless it is his own or that of some other lion. Extremity of hunger may cause him to act differently, but it is exceptional. Most success in hunting this game is to be found in localities where the deer are plentiful. It is practically useless to at- tempt any hunting of this kind unless you have a pack of well trained dogs handled by some one who has complete control over them. Great care and patience has to be exercised in breaking a pack of dogs for this purpose, and to prevent them from running other game. If, for example, a pack should take after a timber wolf, that animal is so fleet that he would distance most of his pursuers and string them out considerably. The wolf has been 49 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES known to turn on the pack thus separated and kill a number of the dogs, one after the other, before the pack could be united. The disap- pointed huntsman, reaching the end of the run on his jaded horse, might survey the remnants of his pack first the survivors with down- cast heads and apologetic tails between their legs and then some dog fur scattered over the blood-bespattered ground, and here and there a mangled corpse. It is no joke to have a pack run for miles after the wrong game over rough country, your whole day's sport broken up, and perhaps lose your dogs for several days. The mountain lion has not much endurance in the chase, although very fast for a short distance, which he covers by a series of leaps. In a short time he is treed or driven to the ledge of a precipice or into some hiding place. If you are fond of hunting with a camera, you generally have ample time to take a photo- graph of your prize, perhaps posing in the 50 ROUNDING UP CATS IN COLORADO branches of a tree and looking as pleasant as possible for a mountain lion ! The lively serenade furnished by the dogs, which the lion recognizes by continual growls, displaying his whole set of ivories, completes a scene not soon forgotten. Your share of the business is very tame, although absolutely effective. A shot at close range behind the shoulder, and the lion tumbles among the savage dogs to engage in a losing fight; while in the agony of death, not infrequently he leaves some little reminders of his long claws and strong teeth upon his assailants. In the month of January, 1900, I engaged the services of John B. Go not, as a rule, frequent the same locality to any extent. If one desires to hunt sheep and goats a still different plan of operation must be adopted, while antelope inhabit a country where neither elk, deer, sheep, nor goats are likely to be found, except by merest accident. The time when a sportsman could pitch his tent most anywhere and expect the wild animal life of forest and plain to come to him as they came to Adam when he first named them, has long since vanished. To hunt with success one must be thoroughly versed in woodcraft, be possessed of a good knowledge of the habits of game and the localities where they are to be found at dif- ferent seasons of the year, have a quick eye to pick out a desirable head, and must be a rea- sonably fair judge of distance, to gauge the proper elevation of a rifle. The happy com- 132 WESTERN CAMP LIFE bination of these qualities make the skilled hunter; marksmanship, provided it be fair, is the least important of all his qualifications. There are a great many men who* are good shots at a stationary target who are bad shots at game; there are men who are good shots at game, who are by no 1 means experts in shooting at a mark. This statement may seem paradoxical but readily admits of ex- planation. The marksman has his range given him, he takes his time, and is not be- trayed into sudden action. Change these conditions and he is out of his element. If his eye is not trained to judge distance in timber or on the plain, he can 'easily mis- gauge it, and shooting at a moving object he cannot take his time; the absence of any spot on the animal near the point he is aim- ing at is another disadvantage to the man of the target. The practiced hunter knows his distance; his keen eye readily distinguishes his quarry, although it may blend with the 133 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES landscape, so that the unpracticed' eye might easily overlook it; he is accustomed to take a quick sight and shoot, making proper allow- ances for the moving object; if a rapid advance is possible and necessary to cut off the game before it can pass a given point for which it is heading, the hunter chooses his course, as if by intuition, and often has a chance to get several more shots where another would fail of his opportunity. The skill of a hunter generally brings him within such proximity of game as to relieve him of the necessity of making an extra difficult shot. It is surprising how seldom the huntsman dis- charges his rifle compared to one who prac- tices at a target. The man who is fond of target practice will probably use up as many rounds of ammunition in one afternoon shoot- ing at a mark as the average huntsman will consume in an entire year. A sportsman who is a fair shot, and who goes to a locality where game is fairly plenti- 134 WESTERN CAMP LIFE ful, has every reason in the world to expect success, provided he is accompanied by a real hunter, such an one as I have above described. It is very important to employ a competent guide if one expects a successful hunt. When I speak of a competent guide I mean a man who is a good hunter and also capable of managing a hunting outfit. Guides may be divided into three classes: 1 I ) Ordinary frauds who are watching an opportunity to "work" some u dude," by which name sportsmen are sometimes desig- nated in the slang of the country. (2) Backwoodsmen who are good hun- ters and tireless and will supply a sportsman with the best they know how to provide, but being ignorant of the ordinary comforts of civilized life, treat their sportsmen with the same cruel neglect to which they have accus- tomed themselves. "(3) The man who makes a regular busi- ness of acting as a guide, who is a good 135 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES hunter and who also knows how to provide a first-class outfit. Game has greatly decreased before the advance of civilization and the wanton slaughter which took no thought of the future; the wild life which survives owes its preservation to the almost inaccessible char- acter of the country in which it has taken refuge, and to its own cunning, which of necessity has become very acute. To know the habitat of game and outwit its wariness requires the skill of the practiced hunter. We have heard a great deal about rough- ing it. That phrase as formerly understood must be greatly qualified if the modern sportsman patronizes an up-to-date outfit. Going to a wild and rather inaccessible country has about it a certain charm of novelty, and part of that charm grows out of the idea of roughing it. Some people have a tendency to greatly exaggerate the ordeals 136 WESTERN CAMP LIFE through which they pass in order that they may enhance the interest of their experience. This goes with the weakness for overstating the distance and increasing the apparent difficulty of the shots which they make in securing their trophies, in which error they are too frequently sustained by the somewhat elastic conscience of the guide. This is an age of progress, and that phrase applies to methods of enjoying sport quite as well as it does to anything else. Having good sport with comfort in camp life is simply a question of dollars and cents. The average person does not understand the present conditions of sporting life in a wild country. It must be borne in mind that in traveling in rough sections of the West, where big game still abounds, although in much smaller numbers than formerly, everything has to< be carried on pack horses. What you are to take is limited simply by the supply of pack horses you are to engage. In an up-to-date i37 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES outfit the open camp-fire, such a picturesque feature in an illustration, has been supplanted by a plain sheet-iron stove which is placed in the tent, with a few feet of pipe attached to carry off the smoke. If one wants the open fire it of course can be easily supplied, and at first a good many sportsmen desire it on account of the romance and novelty of the experience, but the same pampered tastes, which have forced man from a savage life to adopt the comforts which civilization supplies, will invariably lead to the open camp-fire being abandoned for the common- place sheet-iron stove very unromantic but thoroughly practical and useful. The open camp-fire, with the smoke blowing in your eyes from every direction, which gives the sensation of being scorched on one side and frozen on the other, does not appeal to the modern sportsman who disassociates sport from martyrdom. Folding tables and chairs can be "packed" 138 WESTERN CAMP LIFE quite easily, and it is much pleasanter to sit in a chair and eat off of a table than to sit on a log trying to make a table of your knees, and occasionally converting your lap into a plate for your spilled victuals. A portable rubber bathtub, if one objects to jumping into cold water, satisfies the desire for cleanliness. With a fire in the stove one can take a bath as*easily and comfortably in camp as at home. For thorough cleansing it is best for one to take a bath in a tent in warm water, but I strongly recommend to those who can stand it a plunge in cold water or being soused with a bucket or two every morning before dressing for the day. This stimulates the body and gets the system in fine condition. For those who find it uncomfortable to sleep on the hard surface of the ground I would recommend a pneumatic mattress. An ample supply of canned stuff insures against the chance of bad cooking, because it requires 139 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES little or no skill to prepare canned provisions, if the other food in camp is not particularly appetizing. This article is not intended for the ex- perienced hunter who has had plenty of experience of Western hunting; nor is it intended for the man who has his heart set upon roughing it in the sense that he desires to see how much he can go through and survive. A great deal of the advice given to people has been in the opposite direction, namely, to cut out as much as possible from their hunting outfit. I claim that the average person who desires sport with as little hard- ship as possible, except what is unavoidable, should be very careful about reducing his outfit too much. Most sportsmen are ac- customed to the ordinary comforts and con- veniences of life. It is perfect folly for such people to attempt in a short time to harden themselves to the frontier life so they may endure its hardships with the 140 VIEW FROM MT. LEIDY. WESTERN CAMP LIFE same indifference as the hunter or trapper who lives that way all the time. I have run across sportsmen who have had their hunting trips spoiled by attempting to rough it too much. If you are accustomed to 1 living well and in comfort, it would be wise to recognize the fact that you are a "tenderfoot" and act accordingly. For the average sportsman the object of a hunting trip in the West is to obtain diversion and acquire health. All the roughing it one requires is the vigorous exer- cise, the fresh air, with an occasional dip in ice cold water, which is conducive to* health; the rest of the hardship it is well to leave out as far as possible. My experience has led me to add to a hunting outfit, the oftener I go out, rather than depleting it. The first time I really saw an up-to-date outfit was in 1902, when I engaged as my guide Edward Sheffield, of Idaho 1 . I joked him about all the things he was taking along and called him a "tender- 141 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES foot." He replied that "he had had all the roughing it he wanted in his time, and those who really knew what it was generally pre- ferred a camp as comfortable as possible." I experienced during that trip and a subse- quent one I took next fall such comfort, combined with good sport, as I never had before. I would advise taking an emergency medical case supplied with all the ordinary remedies. I have known the time when such a thing has proved extremely useful, and I have also known of sportsmen who have had their outing ruined through lack of some simple remedy. 142 AN ELK HUNT IN WYOMING WHEN I wrote to my old guide Edward Sheffield, I was somewhat apprehen- sive about the outlook for sport, because I had heard that the best part of the Jackson Hole Country had been included in the reserve set apart by the State of Wyoming, where sport with big game had been entirely interdicted. I was advised, however, that this was not the fact, and pinning my faith to the good judgment of the guide, I made arrangements for a fall hunt. Before reaching the terminal of the railroad journey I chanced to meet some sportsmen who discussed the sport and commented on the conditions existing in Jackson's Hole. The criticisms were by no means favorable, and various instances were cited of parties who had been disappointed 143 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES in their expectations. My subsequent ex- perience only served to convince me how dependent a sportsman has become upon the services of a good guide. The trip from St. Anthony to Jackson was without incident worth relating, except at the start. The pack horses, which, during their stay in town, had fared handsomely on oats and hay and been well sheltered, did not look forward to a trip back into the bleak and sterile mountains with the same pleasure that I did; their refractory souls yearned for the comfortable quarters they were just leav- ing with the same tenacity that the children of Israel in the wilderness "longed for the fleshpots of Egypt," but here the compari- son ends, for they had not a guide who was meek and gentle like Moses. About a mile from St. Anthony the whole bunch turned off on a side road and went back to their former quarters. After some delay they were finally got in line again, and 144 GUIDE EDWARD SHEFFIELD AND TWO ELK HEADS. ELK HUNT IN WYOMING with the aid of a couple of Mormons, who, for a consideration, agreed to help them for several miles, we got the pack train properly started, and after that had no further trouble with them. The journey was a fairly long one, but it became more interesting as we drew away from civilization and got closer to the place where we intended to make permanent camp. After the first day we passed the wide monotonous stretch of sage brush flats which lies between St. Anthony and Victor; after that the landscape grew more mountainous and wooded. The country became very pic- turesque as we proceeded; every mountain presented a view which was a panorama; every opening in the timber seemed a natural frame for an entrancing picture; the atmos- phere so clear and bracing gave fine definition to objects in view; the winding river rushed fretting and foaming between the rocks in the valley below; large clumps of spruces i45 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES clustered upon the mountain sides, and the rough crags were powdered with snow and sometimes glistening with rills which coursed down their rugged surfaces. After traveling along the Gros Ventre River for a consider- able distance we at last came in view of Mt. Leidy, superbly situated between two rows of mountains on either side of a pleasant valley, at the head of which that peak stands. The ground was covered with a few inches of snow enough to make good hunt- ing. We made an early camp and had plenty of time to get everything arranged before it became dark. The location was ideal ; plenty of timber nearby; a fine stream of clear, cold water, and good grazing for the horses. It was quite important to have* a good range for the stock, because there were eleven pack horses and three riding horses fourteen in all. To take care of these required the ser- vices of a horse wrangler. I had three men, my regular guide, Edward Sheffield; Charles 146 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING Herdick, a Wyoming guide, and Marcus Imo, who cooked and turned his hand to anything else that had to be attended to. The day being young when we arrived, I employed it in making a short hunting scout. Charles Herdick went with me, and I soon discovered how much my wind had deteriorated since I had last been out, for in the meantime I had lived a life of com- parative ease. The general elevation in this section ranges from 7,000 to 10,000 feet, and it takes a few days to accustom your lungs to the rarified atmosphere. When one is not taking any vigorous exercise the climate feels exhilarating and inspires one with the belief that he is able to perform any kind of feat; a few minutes of real strenuous exercise and this delusion is destroyed. I soon discovered that Herdick was a good hand at mountain climbing, being wonder- fully supple and possessed of the best pair of lungs of anyone I ever knew. INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES We finally caught sight of a small bunch of elk at a considerable distance. As they were moving over a crest of a hill it became necessary to travel with speed to get near enough for a shot, if by chance there should be a good head in the bunch. The elk had not seen us, but were moving and might get out of range. Completely exhausted I finally gained the summit of a hill overlooking the herd, which had halted. An old bull stood in the quaking aspens, not over sixty yards away. A glance at the head, and I saw that I had had my pains for nothing. I watched the animals for a few moments, and they seemed to me like old acquaintances, for it had been three years since I last hunted this kind of game. I do not believe they were as pleased to see me as I was to see them. They soon started to run directly from us in the direction of camp, which was quite near. My guide, Edward Sheffield, told me afterward that they came very near, and he 148 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING was afraid they would run through camp. He gravely warned me against the danger of driving a large bunch of "Uncle Sam's cattle" in that direction. It was a pleasure after this little excite- ment to drop into a comfortable camp and find everything nicely arranged and a good meal provided. My quarters were supplied with every convenience that could be ex- pected by one who travels with a pack outfit. It may, perhaps, interest those who have had no practical experience in Western hunting to know what can be furnished. We had folding chairs, a folding table, two tents, and in each a portable sheet-iron stove with a couple of lengths of pipe to take off the smoke. I had a pneumatic mattress to save my tired flesh from the hard ground, and whatever else was required which horses could pack in. When I was tired of hunting I could rest a day or so and read novels in a comfortable tent, no matter how cold the 149 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES weather. This does not seem like roughing it. The frontiersman of former days would have thought such comfort with a hunting outfit impossible. Modern progress, how- ever, has caused most of the inconveniences of camp life to disappear as if by magic. Would that its magic influence could restock the wilderness with the great herds of wild animals that have vanished. The following day I went out with the guide to try my luck. We had not traveled more than two miles before discovering a small herd of elk. We circled around them sufficiently to size them up, but could find no heads worth picking out. Our course was then changed, and we hunted toward a high mountain north of Mt. Leidy. From this point we obtained a fine view of the sur- rounding country, which I carefully swept with my Seitz glasses in quest of game. Far off on a distant ridge we finally saw some elk slowly moving out of the timber into the 150 VALLEY OF GROS VENTRE. ELK HUNT IN WYOMING open. Their brown shapes showed very distinctly against the snow-covered hills, but, although there was a considerable number in view, no good antlers were visible. My strong glasses proved of very great service to me. With them I could ascertain plainly what otherwise I would have had to guess at, and they saved me many a long excursion over rough country to determine the value of a set of antlers. My guide was quite as anxious as myself that I should not have any trophies unworthy of a sportsman's ambition. The law allows one only two heads, and it is necessary to take great pains to avoid making mistakes. I made up my mind that I would go back 'empty-handed rather than pack out antlers which would reflect discredit upon my skill. The guide was particularly anxious that I should obtain specimens which would do no injury to his reputation. I think I must have passed unfavorable judg- ment upon twenty-five or thirty heads for 151 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES which the guide was mainly responsible before I finally secured my trophies. Any number of bulls presented themselves, some of them quite easy marks, only to be snubbed and turned down. Paris, in passing judg- ment upon the goddesses to determine which was the most beautiful, could not have been more critical or discriminating than the guide. I doubt if the unsuccessful rivals of the bulls I finally chose as worthy specimens were seriously disappointed. To illustrate the ease with which I could have secured my legal allowance of two bulls, to say nothing of cows, I will cite a few in- stances of the opportunities I had. On one occasion I was going through the timber where I heard a number of elk. The guide called my attention to a bull lying on the ground not sixty yards away, partly con- cealed by the spruce brush. He was facing directly toward us, his front feet folded under his body and his nose close to the 152 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING ground. We stood quite still and surveyed him carefully, sizing up the head, which had twelve points, but not large nor heavy at the base. The glasses were brought into service to make a more critical examination. A couple of minutes we stood discussing him, when finally he gave a brief snort, which sounded like an expression of disgust at our impertinence, and then jumped up and loped out of sight. Shortly afterward we managed to approach close to a very large herd of elk, mostly hidden in the timber. From our concealment we could see a number of the animals not over thirty or forty yards away. About 150 yards off were a couple of young bulls exer- cising their skill by fencing with their antlers, evidently in sport. We could hear the fre- quent clash of the horns and often got a good view of the contestants. We waited in this spot over an hour, until despairing of seeing anything worth shooting at before it grew 153 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES too dark, we suddenly rose up in plain view. The peaceful scene was soon converted into one of great confusion. For a moment the elk stared at us with their beautiful large brown eyes in astonishment, then a general panic communicated itself to the herd, and every animal in sight began moving off. Each clump of vegetation that could conceal a form seemed suddenly animated by a creature breaking from its hiding place, fleeing for safety ; the cows and calves gave vent to their peculiar bleat of alarm, while the bulls snorted and rattled their antlers against the trees in their haste. For some hundred yards in the timber, and well up on the mountain side, the scene became particularly animated. I hurried to an opening in the timber, where I could get a good view of the retreating herd, which had drawn together into quite a solid moving mass. The number of elk greatly exceeded my expectations. Nine- tenths of the herd had been as carefully con- 154 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING cealed from us as we had been from them. There must have been at a conservative estimate not less than 400 in the herd, and possibly 500. A sportsman could only ad- mire this striking and beautiful spectacle because there was no head worth securing. A tooth hunter or a butcher, with a high- power repeating rifle, could have repeated one of those scenes which sickens every lover of sport. At another time I came upon a band of elk quite as numerous, and, although there were a couple of good heads in view, yet the number of cow elk was so great that it was practically impossible to get a good shot. The entire mass fled straight up the side of a steep mountain covered with quaking aspen and spruce. For some time we could see them crowding one another in dense masses in their ascent, but the only shot attempted was with the camera, and without success. One more instance, which will not only aid iSS INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES in proving the ease of securing an indifferent specimen, but goes to show that when game is too plentiful it is an actual handicap to the sportsman. I saw a fine head across a gulch at a considerable distance. I fired and missed it and the animal escaped beyond range. I crossed the gulch to examine the spot where the bull had stood and followed his tracks to see if he had been wounded, and if so, how badly. Although the ground was covered with two feet of snow, yet I could discover no signs of blood. While discussing the matter with the guide we became con- scious that we were not unperceived, for a great number of elk began to move among the trees, having evidently "spotted" us. We made at once for concealment and ran as fast as we could through the deep snow to an open place toward which the herd was head- ing. Carefully hidden from view we saw a great brown mass thunder past, and before 156 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING it had disappeared from sight I caught a glimpse of the precious set of antlers belong- ing to the bull I shot at carried in triumph out of sight. They appeared but for a moment in the narrow opening, in which the intended victim was well protected by cows, which formed a perfect wall of flesh which no bullet could pierce and speed on to its mark. We made another run under conceal- ment in the hope of being able to* come upon the herd again in case it should halt, which it did. In an open space on the further side of the mountain we confronted the elk at close quarters. The rapid traveling in the deep snow over rough country left me very much exhausted. The first object that attracted the attention of the guide and my- self was a large bull of twelve points at very close range. I thought in the hurry of the moment, my vision perhaps being blurred by nervous strain and exhaustion, that it was the same magnificent specimen I had shot at be- INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES fore and was trying to secure, and the animal's position turned quartering toward me aided the deception. I soon discovered the mistake, however, my attention being called by the guide to another bull which proved to be the one I so earnestly desired. I brought my rifle in position to draw a bead on a vital spot, but the bull was immediately blanketed by several cows running between. If I could have had a clear range the shot would have been about the easiest I ever had, but the faithful cows with their calves swarmed around their lord, and I beheld with disappointment as fine a pair of antlers as I ever saw borne safely out of sight. The old bull must have evidently believed that "there is safety in numbers." There is another disadvantage in encoun- tering a great quantity of game when attempt- ing to secure a good trophy. Each animal, however poor a head it may possess, has generally a good pair of eyes, a keen scent 158 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING and excellent hearing. Each addition to a herd is another sentinel, always on duty and ready at any moment to sound the alarm. On a previous hunting trip, when the elk were not nearly so plentiful, I got the heads I wanted in less time. I cannot place the blame for the trouble I had in securing my heads on the cows entirely. A couple of days before the scarlet letter day of my hunt I fired at a fine bull in a gulch quite a distance off. He immediately quick- ened his pace and was soon out of range. I glanced at my rifle and I found that the elevation of the sight had been misplaced, being ranged for fifty yards. I think it is best to have the sight of a high power gun with a very flat trajectory sighted for 100 yards, and to draw a fine or coarse sight on the object as occasion may require. We ex- amined the spot where the bull had been seen when fired at and discovered a sprinkling of blood along his tracks. Tying the horses, 159 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES we started to follow the trail on foot. The course the bull took favored the higher eleva- tions more than the depressions, which was a bad sign, so with grave misgivings we con- tinued the pursuit. The increasing signs of blood inspired us with hope; here and there he occasionally stood, as was evident from the quantity of blood and the character of the impression his feet made in the snow. In other respects the signs were disappoint- ing; the tracks showed no indication of weak- ness, and frequently led us across high fallen trees and along steep places, where I fol- lowed with difficulty. The blood, although quite plentiful, was a light red, and not the dark color which would be discharged were some vital spot injured. Finally, after travel- ing about six miles, the flow of blood began to lessen. At length we reached a point where he entered a tract of thick timber, evidently at a walk. We concluded that it was best not to pursue him in this retreat, 160 CHAS. HERPICK SKl\\ \ RULL ELK. THE AUTHOR AT THE RIGHT. ELK HUNT IN WYOMING because his slow pace might indicate exhaus- tion and a disposition to lie down. The only hope I had of securing him would be in case of his lying down and becoming stiff from his wound and not being able to get up. We concluded to allow plenty of time for this to happen. The guide made a circuit around the timber and could discover no trace of his having emerged from it. We then went back to the horses and rode to camp. The succeeding day we returned to the spot, traced the steps of the elk to a place where he had lain down, and saw a slight discolora- tion of the snow where his brisket had touched it, his tracks led onward, and signs of bleeding had ceased. All our trouble had been in vain because of an improperly ar- ranged sight. By this time I had been about ten days in camp and was growing quite accustomed to the life. Although the weather was quite cold, at times going to eight or ten below 161 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES zero at night, yet it often grew warm enough during the day to thaw, but it was dry, light atmosphere and always bracing. Every night for a brief interval we were treated to a serenade from the coyotes, a ridiculous, wild and unearthly chant, which became a positive nuisance when the dogs undertook an accom- paniment right at our ears. Occasionally a bull elk, feeding during the full of the moon, would cause the cold atmosphere to vibrate with his shrill whistle as he loped past the camp. In all other respects we were entirely alone for the twenty-two days I stayed in camp except one, when the game warden dropped in to look at my license, and after a brief stay took his departure. How dif- ferent this was from most of the hunting in the East, where the number of sportsmen has become so great as to render the pastime almost as dangerous for the hunter as it is for game. Particularly is this the case when "green sportsmen" persist in shooting at any- 162 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING thing that moves without first finding out what it is. My guide expressed his surprise at the number of accidents which occur every year in the Adirondacks through gross care- lessness. He remarked that he believed it would be best if one were hunting in the Adirondacks and saw anything moving in the brush to shoot without waiting to find out what it was, because the chances are that it would be a man, and if you did not shoot him he would shoot you. I was rather amused at this piece of grim humor, which is a sample of what he generally had on tap. The sun dawned auspiciously upon what proved to be my luckiest day in camp. For some days I had hunted diligently without securing the heads that would satisfy me. We had not journeyed over three miles from camp before we saw, at quite a distance, a large bull move into a thickly wooded valley. We turned our course in that direction, keep- ing out of view as much as possible, riding 163 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES along a hill which overlooked the valley into which the bull had taken refuge. We came to an open and slightly undulating country, which was covered with about eighteen inches of snow, and gave evidence that quite a number of elk had recently passed that way, and about 500 yards off saw a herd with sev- eral good heads. The country was quite open, but broken up with thick clumps of spruce trees here and there. To get nearer the herd it was necessary to cross a wide open space, but by a timely maneuver of the guide we traveled under cover until we reached a point where a thick clump of trees standing out in the open space obstructed the view between us and the elk. We then rode out in the open toward the clump of trees which concealed us from view. Having gained this point, which was about 175 to 200 yards from the herd, I dismounted and stepped out in the clearing. The cows again provokingly ran between me and the largest 164 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING bull, which I had marked as my own. For- tunately, the cows ran ahead and I got a quartering view of the large bull. The bright reflection of the sun on the snow made it somewhat difficult to fully distinguish the body of the animal in the dense moving mass, but I succeeded in locating it. Drawing a fine sight on my Mauser I fired. The entire herd disappeared over the crest of the hill. The guide, who by this time had mounted his horse, cried, "You have got a bull." I asked him if it was the u big one." He re- plied, "I don't know." In the confused and changing mass it was indeed difficult to keep track of any particular one. We urged the horses to their utmost speed; the antlers of the bull continued growing larger to the view- as we drew near. Finally, with an exclama- tion of satisfaction, the guide slipped off his horse and congratulated me upon the kill. "The largest head in the bunch." It was indeed a fine bull, with a spread just short 165 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES of four feet. There were twelve points on the antlers, six tines on each side. The bullet had lodged a little back of the shoulder and the animal had dropped without a struggle. In the space of fifteen or twenty minutes the carcass was dressed; the mantle had been stripped off, and we were ready to return for a couple of pack horses to bring in the antlers and meat. We had hardly mounted the horses when we saw another bull with a fine head about 250 yards away. I slid off my horse, and getting the distance from the guide, I drew a coarse sight and fired as the animal was going over a hill. We hurried over to the spot where the bull had been and saw faint splotches of blood on the snow. As we descended the hill the guide remarked he hoped we would not have as long a chase after this one as we did after the bull we hunted so long a few days previous. I re- plied that I was certain we would not. "How 166 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING do you know?" he asked. For answer I pointed to a lifeless form just beyond lying among some spruce trees. As the guide stepped alongside of me, where he could get a view, he expressed his surprise at the luck I had had in getting two such fine heads in so short an interval. It was barely half an hour since I had secured my first trophy, and now I had a second one which we both re- garded as better than the first. The ball had struck back of the shoulder a little above the middle of the body. The spread of this head was a trifle larger than the first one I had shot; the antlers were more solid, especially at the base. My hard hunting had been re- warded. I had obtained inside of half an hour two heads as handsome and large as any that it had ever been my good fortune to secure. I felt like a school boy about to take a vacation, for I had hunted faithfully for about eleven days and I promised myself a rest when I had won out with the bulls. 167 Bancroft Library INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES For several days I took it easy; a large part of the time I sat in a comfortable chair in camp and read novels and played cards. I also managed to work up quite a small medical practice, my victims being Sheffield, Charles Herdick and Marcus Imo, the cock and horse wrangler. The remedies which some people of the far West prescribe for their ailments are quite original and simple. One day when I was starting out on horse- back to hunt in company with Herdick, I noticed that he had not saddled his horse. I asked him the reason. He replied that he was not feeling well and wanted exercise. Anyone familiar with hunting in Jackson's Hole knows how often one has to leave the horse to travel on foot over rough country through snow and up slippery ascents for hundreds of feet. Herdick evidently thought this was not enough exercise to keep him in condition. Another time Imo had contracted a severe 168 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING cold which I wanted to prescribe for. He replied that it had come on without anything and it would go off without anything. After some persuasion he consented to take a good dose of quinine and a hot drink before retir- ing. The next morning the cold had about disappeared, but when Imo went out to round up the horses he had great difficulty in hearing the bell on account of the quinine buzzing in his ear, which confirmed his bad opinion of medicine. After I had tired of loafing I hunted with the dogs, tracking cougars, bobcats and lynx. Occasionally I would take a shot at a coyote to pay it back for some of the unearthly serenades we had been treated to at night. One day, while following the track of a lynx, Herdick came across a No. 5 bear trap. He discovered it by noticing some fresh elk meat near it. The trap was carefully concealed, and had he been an inexperienced hunter or perhaps walking along there at night he 169 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES might have made discovery by stepping in it. It is against the law to bait a trap with elk meat, and it should be forbidden to set traps around indiscriminately where sportsmen are licensed to hunt; the permission implying reasonable safety, which is not the case when dangerous traps are set without proper safe- guards. We sprung the trap and went on. Some men, who are acquainted with the danger arising from this source, always carry a monkey-wrench when hunting or trapping. A steel trap which could hold a silver-tip would inflict a terrible injury upon anyone who was unfortunate enough to become en- trapped, even if assistance were promptly rendered, and assistance being remote, might cause a painful, lingering death. I knew of a case where a trapper had set two No. 5 bear traps, and upon his return found a large silver-tip in one of them. Venturing rather close to the bear the enraged animal made a sudden lunge at him, which the man evaded 170 GROS VENTRE RIVER. ELK HUNT IN WYOMING by stepping back hurriedly. In doing so he accidentally fell and sprung the other trap with his knee and was caught in that position. The man was unable to get to his rifle to dispatch the bear, which was making efforts to reach him. Being in uncomfortably close quarters to the bear, and apprehensive of his safety, the trapper devised a clever plan to dispose of his disagreeable neighbor. Fasten- ing his knife to the end of a long pole he repeatedly stabbed the bear until death en- sued. His companion, going to examine the traps, at last found him almost dead with pain and released him. The end of my outing at length drew near, and it became necessary to make arrangements to break camp. I had become quite attached to the beautiful spot where I had spent such a pleasant time and had so much luck. Although I had not bagged all the game the law allowed me, yet I felt that I had obtained exceptionally good heads and 171 INTER-OCEAN HUNTING TALES was satisfied. I had also collected a con- siderable number of photographs, of which Sheffield took the greatest number; in fact, he proved quite an expert in this line. The horses seemed no more anxious to leave than we were, and occasionally proved refractory and commenced to buck until something was bound over their eyes. The first night of the journey homeward we camped on the banks of the Gros Ventre. We put up no tents, but slept out in the open, because, as I said to the guide, I wanted to see how it felt to rough it. During the day we had descended into a country where the elevation was consider- ably lower. The snow, which we had seen continuously in our former camp, had all disappeared and the temperature was much warmer. Early the next day . we reached Jackson, where we put up at Nelson's Hotel and Were very hospitably entertained. Although remote from the regular line of 172 ELK HUNT IN WYOMING travel and the railroad, the people in this locality live remarkably well and in comfort, and on reaching this point I felt I was in touch with the rest of the world. Although it is 100 miles from the railroad, yet it is connected with St. Anthony by telephone. A musical entertainment was arranged here for our benefit by the hospitable inhabitants of the place, which proved very enjoyable. 173