American Big Game in its Haunts 



The sheep formerly was a gentle, unsuspi- 

 cious animal, curious and confiding rather than 

 shy; now it is noted in many regions for its alert- 

 ness, wariness, and ability to take care of itself. 



Richardson, in his "Fauni-Boreali Americana," 

 says: "Mr. Drummond informs me that in the re- 

 tired part of the mountains, where hunters had 

 seldom penetrated, he found no difficulty in ap- 

 proaching the Rocky Mountain sheep, which there 

 exhibited the simplicity of character so remarkable 

 in the domestic species; but that where they had 

 been often fired at they were exceedingly wild, 

 alarmed their companions on the approach of 

 danger by a hissing noise, and scaled the rocks 

 with a speed and agility that baffled pursuit." The 

 mountain men of early days tell precisely the same 

 thing of the sheep. Fifty or sixty years ago they 

 were regarded as the gentlest and most unsuspi- 

 cious animal of all the prairie, excepting, of course, 

 the buffalo. They did not understand that the 

 sound of a gun meant danger, and, when shot at, 

 often merely jumped about and stared, acting 

 much as in later times the elk and the mule deer 

 acted. 



We may take it for granted that, before the 

 coming of the white man, the mountain sheep 

 ranged over a very large portion of western 



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