Hunting at High Altitudes 



was storming, with about two inches of snow on 

 the ground, but before long it cleared up and I 

 went over to Gottschalk's camp to make a day's 

 hunt to the south. We found no bear, but saw 

 one fresh track near our own camp. From one of 

 the high points, we had a fine view of the country 

 below, and so discovered two hundred elk feeding 

 in different bands. Determining to make a circuit 

 of about five miles in order to get south of the elk 

 and drive them toward our camp, we covered a wide 

 sweep of country, which we examined for bear or 

 bear sign, but without encouragement. There were 

 many white-tail deer and antelope. At length we 

 approached the southernmost band of elk under 

 good cover, and got within a hundred and fifty 

 yards of them. There were about fifty of them, 

 and they were lying down. Gottschalk fired before 

 I was ready, and all my shots were at the band 

 while it was running. After firing three shots 

 apiece, we discovered that our horses had stam- 

 peded as well as the elk, and before getting back 

 to the elk, they had all disappeared. Several were 

 going off wounded, however, and Gottschalk fol- 

 lowed them. I heard a shot at one of the wounded 

 and ran around a butte, hoping to meet a band 

 going south. Those that I saw after were going 

 down the stream, but about one mile away I saw a 



128 



