54: AMEBICAJST GAME. 



avails little or nothing to attempt him ; for having many 

 miles of hard-trodden paths 011 which to run, while his 

 pursuers cannot follow them on account of their narrow- 

 ness, but must blunder along their sides on snow-shoes, 

 with little or no chance of tracking him, since the paths 

 are so hard as to receive no impress from his hoofs, he 

 will keep on running, a half-mile or so ahead of pursu- 

 ers, without hurrying himself beyond his need till he shall 

 worry out the strongest hunter, and so escape shot-free. 



The more usual method, however, for them to winter, 

 is by yarding, as _it is termed, or collecting into small 

 bands or droves of greater or smaller numbers, but con- 

 sisting in general of one old bull, two or three 

 younger males, three or four cows, and the calves of 

 several years accompanying their dams for it is not 

 usual for the young to quit the cows until they are two 

 or three years old and then forming yards, or large 

 spaces, well and regularly trampled down so as to be 

 sunk between walls of snow several feet in height, con- 

 taining within their area trees and shrubs enough to 

 afford ample pasture for the herd during the whole con- 

 tinuance of the cold weather, and from these they never 

 stir until the return of soft spring-time and the melting 

 of the snows. 



It may be well here to state, that, in the opinion 

 of many of the best naturalists and foresters of 

 this country, the two habits, alluded to above, as path- 

 making and yarding, are in truth accidental matters, and 



