78 Hunting Trips of a Ranchman 



four birds. Now, of course I would not have 

 dreamed of taking either of these shots had I been 

 out purely for sport, and neither needed any more 

 skill than would be shown in killing hens in a 

 barnyard; but, after all, when one is hunting for 

 one's dinner he takes an interest in his success which 

 he would otherwise lack, and on both occasions 

 I felt a most unsportsmanlike glee when I found 

 how many I had potted. 



The habits of this prairie fowl vary greatly at 

 different seasons of the year. It is found pretty 

 much everywhere within moderate distance of water, 

 for it does not frequent the perfectly dry wastes 

 where we find the great sage cock. But it is equally 

 at home on the level prairie and among the steep 

 hills of the Bad Lands. When on the ground it 

 has rather a comical look, for it stands very high 

 on its legs, carries its sharp little tail cocked up 

 like a wren's, and when startled stretches its neck 

 out straight; altogether it gives one the impression 

 of being a very angular bird. Of course it crouches, 

 and moves about when feeding, like any other grouse. 



One of the strangest, and to me one of the most 

 attractive, sounds of the prairie is the hollow boom- 

 ing made by the cocks in spring. Before the snow 

 has left the ground they begin, and at the break 

 of morning their deep resonant calls sound from 

 far and near, for in still weather they can be heard 

 at an immense distance. I hardly know how to 

 describe the call; indeed it can not be described 

 in words. It has a hollow, vibrant sound like that 



