i6 OUR BIG GAME 



gar-hunting, bobcat-hunting, and the hunting of the 

 musk-ox. Dogs of all sorts are used to chase the bears 

 and cougars. The Esquimaux furnish the dogs for 

 the musk-ox chase. The reader will find a description 

 of the methods of pursuit of all these animals with 

 dogs in the chapters describing the various game. 



The most important thing about the costume in 

 big-game shooting is the foot-wear. Silence is ab- 

 solutely necessary in stalking. There can be no noisy 

 stalk. The moccason is the proper foot-wear for the 

 stalker. I always preferred the Sioux moccason, with a 

 light sole, but that prince of deer-stalkers. Van Dyke, 

 says the thinner moccasons are best. The costume 

 should harmonize with the surroundings and no white 

 or bright colors should be worn. White suits have 

 been tried on the snow. They are not desirable in the 

 timber. 



The greatest danger of missing big game, either run- 

 ning or standing, arises, I am satisfied, from over-shoot- 

 ing. I have repeatedly had the opportunity of seeing 

 where my balls struck, when shooting at deer, antelope 

 and buffalo, by reason of the animals having a butte or 

 some rise in the ground back of them. Even at long 

 range, I observed that my errors were in the direction 

 of " high," rather than " low." When a deer is running 

 before a background, which shows where the balls are 

 striking, the aim may be corrected, as the magazine is 

 emptied. I once shot at a large mule-deer (whose 

 splendid head I wanted so badly as to be over-eager) 

 and, as the buck bounded along, I fired too high several 

 times, and then too low, my last shot sprinkling his 

 fore-feet with dust and gravel. I really enjoy thinking 



