dbnio] THE ASSINIBOIN 537 



Whistles made of wood like the mouthpiece of a clarinet are used 

 to call both deer and elk in hunting seasons, and are then a useful 

 decoy. They do not catch them in traps or pits. 



PClk Hunting. — This is done on foot, with the gun, but by parties 

 of men. Elk go in droves of from 100 to 300 each and are found in 

 the large timbered bottoms of the Missouri and Yellowstone. There 

 is some ceremony required in hunting this animal. In the first place 

 some divining woman who is said to be an "elk dreamer" states 

 she has had a favorable dream for hunting them. The woman is 

 then stripped to the waist and also barelegged, the body and face 

 painted a bright v^ellow, and a wreath of bushes with leaves on pro- 

 jecting two or three feet on each side is placed on her head in imita- 

 tion of the horns of the elk. Thus decorated she starts at the head 

 of a party of 15 to 25 men. When in the vicinity of the place, 

 where, according to her dream, the elk are to be found, she stops 

 and commences her incantation song, while the others continue in 

 quest of the game. As soon as the herd is discovered the party 

 separate, and outflanking them on either side, commence firing and 

 running toward them, loading and firing while running, in quick 

 succession, when the elk become confused, scatter and turn in dif- 

 ferent directions, presenting at times a mark for each of the hunters. 



Every shot bewilders them the more, and instead of running in 

 any one direction they keep turning every way until a great many 

 are killed. 



They are then skinned, cut up, and the meat and hides packed 

 home on horses brought for the purpose, which having been left 

 behind in charge of some women and boys, are brought up during 

 the fixing. The skins are used for clothing and the meat, though 

 eaten, is not relished much by most of the Indians. 



Elk are also approached singly and at those times the same pre- 

 cautions are used as stated under the head of deer hunting, though 

 they are not so shy and timid an animal as deer. 



Grizzly Bears. — This animal is not hunted but often found when 

 not desired, and mostly passed by unmolested by a single Indian 

 when on foot, though on occasions they do kill them in this way, 

 which exploit ranks in bravery next to killing an enemy, but the 

 thickets and mauvaise terre which they inhabit makes the pursuit 

 too dangerous for ordinary hunters. They are more frequently killed 

 in their dens in winter. 



The grizzly bear in the beginning of cold weather and snow seeks 

 some hole in the side of a hill in some solitary place, and carries 

 in a quantity of grass and brush to make his nest, lies all winter 

 apparently asleep and eats nothing, though they are said to derive 



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