394 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE BIG-HORN, OB MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 



The Big-horn, or Mountain Sheep. Its Haunts and Habits. Character- 

 istics required to Hunt it successfully. Its Caution and Vigilance. 

 Order of a Flock in Flight Hunters' Tales of its Nimblcness. Pug- 

 nacity of the Males. Contest between a Wolf and a Big-horn. Size of 

 Rams. Measurement of Horns. The Rutting Season. Flocks of Old 

 Rams. Best Time for Hunting them. Stalking Exercise. A good 

 Rifle. Usefulness of a Field-glass. Indian "Sheep-eaters." Pemmi- 

 can. My First Hunt. A Kill. Stalk a Flock. Detected. The As- 

 sembly. Result of a Fusillade. Tedious Chase after an Old Ram. I 

 get Butted over. A tardy Capture. Flavor of wild Mutton Cutlets. 

 Dogs for Sheep-hunting. A Hunt in the War Eagle Mountains. Our 

 Success. A Cougar scared. " Dancing " Sheep. Big-horns waiting 

 for their Leader. Adventure of the Guide with a War- party of Indians. 

 Defeat of the Latter. 



THE only species of the Ovidce found wild in the United 

 States is the so-called big-horn, or mountain sheep ( Ovis 

 montana), which is confined geographically to the moun- 

 tainous regions of the Far West. It is closely allied to 

 the Ovis ammon of the Himalaya Mountains, and differs 

 from it mainly in size, being about one-third smaller, and 

 the corrugations of the horns are also somewhat different. 

 Amidst the many-shaped crests of the Western mountains 

 this nimble creature loves to dwell, for there it finds an 

 abundance of dainty food in the tender alpine and sub- 

 alpine vegetation, and is free from nearly all foes except 

 an occasional red or white hunter. A rather active war- 

 fare has been waged upon it lately, however, in certain por- 

 tions of the Territories, especially in Colorado, Wyoming, 

 and Utah ; hence it is getting rather wild and scarce in 

 these regions ; but in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washing- 

 ton Territory, and portions of British America it is almost 

 as abundant as ever, and in some places more so, as the 



