THE WAPITI 



279 



Under such circumstances only hard running will enable 

 the hunter to overtake him, unless there is a chance to 

 cut him off. If, however, he hears another bull, or has 

 a herd under him, the chances are that he is nearly sta- 

 tionary, or at least is moving slowly, and the hunter has 

 every opportunity to approach. In a herd the bull him- 

 self is usually so absorbed both with his cows and with 

 his rivals that he is not at all apt to discover the ap- 

 proaching hunter. The cows, however, are thoroughly 

 awake, and it is their eyes and keen noses for which the 

 hunter must look out. A solitary bull which is answer- 

 ing the challenge of another is the easiest of all to 

 approach. Of course, if there has been much hunting, 

 even such a bull is wary and is on the lookout for harm. 

 But in remote localities he becomes so absorbed in finding 

 out the whereabouts of his rival, and is so busy answer- 

 ing the latter's challenges and going through motions 

 of defiance, that with proper care it is comparatively 

 easy to approach him. Once, when within seventy yards 

 of such a bull, he partly made me out and started toward 

 me. Evidently he could not tell exactly what I was 

 my buckskin shirt probably helping to puzzle him and 

 in his anger and eagerness he did not think of danger 

 until it was too late. On another occasion I got up to 

 two bulls that were fighting, and killed both. In the 

 fights, weight of body seems to count for more than size 

 of antlers. 



Once I spent the better part of a day in following a 

 wapiti bull before I finally got him. Generally when 

 hunting wapiti I have been with either one of my men 



