54 AMERICAN GAME. 
avails little or nothing to attempt him; for having many 
miles of hard-trodden paths on 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 
