66 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Austa-r 63, 1863, 



man living in the mountains informed me that, bis neighbors 

 had mutually resolved not to allow any .sportsmen to hunt, 

 on their land, because the sportsmen had secured the passage 

 of a law making it. a misdemcnor to trap or snare quail. The 

 reason of Ibis is two-fold, First, because it takes away a 

 small revenue, and second, because they look upon such laws 

 as an infringement of personal rights and created solely in 

 the interest, of sportsmen. It always comes to Ihe surface 

 and makes itself sfrikinaiv apparent at each session of the 

 Legislature, by a wholesale opposition to all laws which have 

 for their object the preservation of game, especially was 

 this so at the last session of oui Legislature, when the 

 Speaker of the House, an honest granger, took the tloor, 

 and without sense or reason advocated the passage of a lull 

 the effect of which was to abolish the close season as to tdl 

 game. 



"This prejudice is deep-seated and can only be overcome 

 when the enormity of its un justness presents' itself to them. 

 This will come when they aie made to know that, all game 

 is more or less migratory in its habits, an that Hie law from 

 time immemorial has recognized no property in game until 

 reduced to possession; when game lias become so depleted 

 (bat they cannot even supply their own tables, and that it is 

 an important factor as a matter of food supply in all the 

 large cities, and that the sportsman is the medium through 

 W T !iom their rights and property are to be respected and pro- 

 tected and the game preserved.' Like a stain this prejudice 

 cannot be washed out, but must wear out. 



"A great set back to any speedy change on this subject is 

 a sentiment which prevails among a certain elemeut in our 

 fraternity, that they are juslilied in disregarding the rights 

 of the farmer. This sentiment is based upon the broad idea 

 that all game is fera nalwm and belongs to the one who can 

 first reduce it to possession, and to that end it can he 

 followed wherever found, even though a trespass he com- 

 mitted in the act. I have heard men justify themselves for 

 trespassing upon the land or waters of the farmer because 

 the law did not make it a criminal offense, and as in the 

 event of a civil action for the trespass, the damage would be 

 merely nominal, the farmer iva, virtually without remedy. 

 This is like a big boy that whips the little fellow, because he 

 is a little fellow and can be whipped. I have no patience 

 with the man who stands up and defends such a pernicious 

 doctrine; it verges on communism, and I do not hesitate to 

 say that, in my judgment, he is no sportsman. The man 

 who needs a criminal law to teach him what is right, ami to 

 respect the rights of others, should be driven from the field 

 and should be tabooed from the ranks of sportsmen. The 

 sentiment is false, the theory on which it is based is false; 

 there is no justification for its practice, and it should be 

 frowned down by all honest men- Do you wonder that the 

 farmer is opposed to field sports and prejudiced against all 

 men who indulge in il '.' 



"I would be if I were in Ins place. To recapitulate, the 

 sum and substance of the ease as 1 view it is this: Treat thi 

 farmer with the same civility, courtesy and respect that you 

 yourself would demand from your fellow men. If you want 

 to hunt or fish upon his land, ask his permission, and if granted 

 do not abuse the privilege. If denied go somewhere else. 

 All other differences leave to time, and ere long the farmer 

 and the sportsman will have a mutual regard for each other, 

 and no judge or jury will be needed to decide the case." 



ELK HUNTING IN THE ROCKIES. 



ABOUT forty miles westward of Laramie City, a station 

 on the Union Pacific Railroad in Wyoming,' is a high 

 range of snow-capped mountains. They are the Medicine 

 Bow range of the Rocky Mountains. On clear days a pass 

 can be seen that leads through I lie snow-clad peaks. This 

 is the gap of the Medicine Bow. The foothills of this 

 range are heavily timbered with Rocky Mountain pines, 

 interspersed, in damp places, by clumps of spruce. All the 

 turbulent, streams that drain these hills are beaded with 

 parks that lie along their course at short intervals; and they 

 are also fringed with willow bushes. Thtie are two roads 

 that lead Irom the plains to abandoned mining camps that 

 lie far below the sno.v line in this range, and one road that 

 crosses the southern foothills of this range to the North 

 Platte River. Over this bitter road provisions were hauled 

 to the tie camps on French Creek in the early days of the 

 Union Pacific Railroad. These roads are now encumbered 

 by windfalls. They are no longer practicable highways. In 

 addition to these disused roads there are a few pack trails, 

 also log encumbered, leading from the low lauds to exhausted 

 placer mines. Westward from the range lies the valley of 

 the North Platte, a famous hunting ground; eastward lie 

 the Laramie plains, southward the valley of the Big Laramie 

 River. The southwestern extremity of the range abuts 

 against the North Park. The area of the Medicine Bow 

 Mountains is about 1,000 square miles. There is pure, cold 

 water everywhere in these hills, water that gushes from 

 granite rocks. So pure, soft, and agreeable to the palate is 

 this water that I never drink tea or coffee while in these 

 highlands. 



The air is always frosty o' mornings in these highlands. 

 [sleeping with open windows, you awake up instantly with 

 all your faculties alert. It is not the laud of e: i-naps. 

 Years ago forest fires raged over the outer foothills, and 

 from this encircling arm of fire long fringes extended far 

 into the mountains. The law of nature is" that on ground 

 where Rocky Mountain pines have been killed by lire, no 

 trees shall grow for many years. The tree, that were killed 

 many years ago fell in a tangled mal before the. strong winds 

 that swept down from the snow-clad peaks. This belt of 

 "down" limber is about, two miles wide, and very nearly en- 

 circles the entire mountain range. A thicket of young pines, 

 varying in height from six to twenty feet, is now growing' 

 on the log-incumbered ground. The' red lingers of tire, that 

 once stretched forth fioni the arm far into the mountains, 

 are. also log and thieket-iueumbe ed. The first eastern foot- 

 hills, that rise wall-like from the plains, are Comparatively 

 hare, of timber, and are grass covered. From the crest of 

 these hills to the snow line all the hills, flats, and valleys are 

 heavily timbered. The western foothills that abut against, 

 the North Platte River, are exceedingly rugged. The same 

 is true of the cross divides on the western slope. The 

 'down'' timber covers thousands of acres. The western 

 slope is much longer, and much more abrupt, than the east- 

 ern. The western hills are bare and grass- covered for four 

 miles back from the river. The creeks How through canons. 

 There are but few settlers in the upper North Platte valley. 

 The country is practically a pasture for antelope, deer, ami 

 elk. Antelope, in herds of hundreds, are always i ceding in 

 the valley, in the. winter the deer and elk leave the moun- 

 tains, having been driven out by the snow, and tbey feed in 

 herd* on the bare foothills Mm i" the valley. Rut in the 



summer the elk and deer are in the i 

 difficulty of getting into the mounts 

 of being able 'to travel freely after th 

 the game. 



Elk are royal game. Tin 

 The flesh of "a two-vcnr-old 

 flavored aud tender. It is the only 

 rior to corn-fed beef. The animal; 

 sweet, tender grass that crows at Lb 

 They have drunk pure, cold spring wat 



coded highlands. The 

 ns, and, when once. in. 



large, Wary and Beet. 



i barren cow. is high 

 vild meat that is SUpe 

 have fattened on the 

 edges of snow banks. 

 ■', and have breathed 



pure air. I consider that any hardship encountered in tin 

 pursuit of these animals is amply repaid by the discovery of 

 isolated elk grass and nigged mountain scenery, ami the' en- 

 joyment of being alone in the forest observing the habits of 

 wild animals and birds, even if the hunt be unsuccessful, as it 

 generally as. 



This spring the game animals, as soon as the snow was 

 gone on the foothills, crowded into the forest, closely fol- 

 lowing the snow line that daily retreated up the mountain 

 flanks before the warm rays of the sun. The lateness of the 

 season retarded the arrival of carnivorous insects. Elk and 

 deer were plentiful in the hills around my home until the 

 insects appeared; then the animals suddenly disappeared. 



I hunted occasionally, after the disappearance of the 

 game, while working in ray placer mine, but without suc- 

 cess, 1 could find the tracks made by elk and deer. Tbey 

 all beaded toward the towering snow-clad mountains. When 

 my summer's work was over I resol ved to find the game. 

 To find small herds of elk in a hilly, timbered country of a 

 thousand square miles in area is difficult. Daily for a week 

 I hunted, keeping along the ridges and carefully examining 

 the parks at the heads of the streams. I could find plenty 

 of tracks, and on some hogbacks, where the timber was 

 comparatively open and the feed plentiful, I found places 

 where herds of elk had parsed, fairly chopping the damp 

 soil, as if a herd of cattle had been driven over the ; i ■mini 



These tracks all led to\ 

 I shot a blacktailcd de 

 in some isolated park, 

 keep my family ' 



.•ard the snowy range, 

 -r that had been te'mpti 

 I killed enough of the 

 h meat. I found 



Oc 



i !1 , l !! y 



rials' to 



idgcs that were widely separated. All the f rest w 

 trended toward a level country that is heavily limbered, 

 lying at the mouth of the Cap of the Medicine 'Bow. One 

 evening on my retain homo from an unsuccessful deer hunt 

 1 announced my intention of taking a pair of blankets on 

 my back and starting the following morning for the dat 

 north of the headwaters of Douglas Creek. Solemnly 1 

 swore a binding oath that I -would return no more, to my 

 family until 1 had killed a fat two-year-old heifer. My 

 youngest son howled dismally when he heard the vow. It 

 was evident that he had but little confidence in my skill, 

 and supposed that I would wander, hermit-like, through 

 ihe mountains for the remainder of my life. The next 

 morning my wife called me back as 1 was ascending the hill 

 behind my house. Obedient to her call 1 returned. She 

 with an attempt at fears that was a dismal failure, hamlet 

 me my long Norwegian snow shoes, am! sweetly said 

 "You have vowed to stay in the distant mountains until vol 

 kill au elk. The snow will probably fly before you return. 

 Take these snow shoes with you." 1 failed in the eudeavoi 

 to freeze her with a glance, as she stood holding my shoes 

 toward me. and coldly turned away. 



The trail led up Douglas Creek for some ten miles. The 

 higher I ascended the stream the fresher the elk signs be- 

 came. Coming to a great park 1 turned to the north and 

 entered the forest. In less than a mile 1 came on signs that 

 were fresh. The air suddenly grew cold. The wind sighed 

 mournfully through the tree.-?. Soon the sky became over- 

 cast and shortly after rain began to fall. I came to a small 

 mountain park. A large pine tree stood at its head, and 

 close to the tree a stream of water as large as a man's arm 

 gushed from under a gianite boulder. I made camp under 

 the tree, where it was dry, and ate my lunch while wailing 

 for the shower to pass over. While 1 was eating a buck deer 

 walked out of the willows at the lower extremity of the 

 park and began feeding. Slowly he approached me. Occa- 

 sionally he would stand still and look intently at me: but he 

 could not make me out as 1 sat motionless in the shade of the 

 tree. He fed apparently unconscious of danger, until he 

 was within dead-sliot distance. The wind shitted wheu he 

 was about forty yards away, and blew directly from me to 

 him. 1 had to laugh to' see him jump, as if a bullet, had 

 struck him, when my scent rilled his nostrils. The first 

 whiff he got of me he'was off at a full run. 1 have had sev- 

 eral similar experiences with deer, and 1 firmly believe that 

 their sight is of but little use in protecting them from ene- 

 mies. 



The rain ceased, and I started up the wind to hunt for the 

 elk that I knew were in the immediate neighborhood. 

 Traveling up a ridge of slight elevation above the surround 

 ing level, 1 saw that many of the pine trees had been barked 

 by the elk in rubbing the velvet off their horns, and I kuew 

 that I was on their favorite .summer feeding ground. Walk- 

 slowly up the ridge, I saw an extensive park to my 



histle. Dodging from tree ti 

 nd cautiously looked into the 



of eleven elk feeding on the 

 ay hands and knees to an up- 

 yself in the cavity made when 

 [he ground. The wind was in 

 licely, aud after lowering the 



1 amused myself by covering 

 beautiful animals that 



right, ami" 1 heard an elk 

 tree, I drew near the park, 

 meadow. There was a hear 

 tender grass. 1 crept on 

 turned pine and concealed 

 the roots had been torn fron 

 my favor. I settled myself 

 sight of my rifle to f 00 yardi 

 first one and then auothei 

 grazed before me'. 1 was undecided whether to kill a bull 

 elk, the largest I have ever seen, that had a pair of gigantic 

 antlers, but whose liesh 1 suspected was as tough as but her, 

 or to content myself with a fat. and saucy hcilcr that stood 

 broadside to me'. 1 wanted the antlers,' ami 1 also wanted 

 tender meat. Why not lull both of them"/ I could not use 

 the meat of two eik, aud 1 pride myself on never having 

 killed a game animal or bird unless 1 or my comrades 

 needed the flesh for food. After a few seconds' considera- 

 tion I decided to kill the heifer. Aiming just back of the 

 for; leg, and well down on her side, 1 pulled the trigger. 

 1 saw" the dun hair fly. She gave a convulsive start, 

 then straddled her "legs, and in endeavoring to 

 brace herself fell dead, 'shot through the heart. The 

 herd of ten remaining animals were wild with fear. They 

 did not know where the shot came from. They ran down 

 the wind directly toward the windfall I was concealed be- 

 hind. As they passed me I threw a club at the bull, whose 

 antlers 1 coveted, saying, in an advisory tone, ''Get out of 

 this, you brute. Don't tempt me to murder you." Eagerly 

 he followed my advice aud disappeared among the trees, fol- 

 lowed by his wives; but the light of his harem lay dead in 

 the park. I cut up the heifer and packed her hind quarters 

 and the roasting pieces to my camp under the large pine. 



Then 1 bung the meat, high in the tree, so that hungry, prowl- 

 ing Bears ttould not steal it Having seen numerous bear 



signs, 1 decided to move camp to another park, so a< uol to 

 have my slumbers disturbed by midnight visiters. Swing- 

 ing my strapped blankets on niv back I shouldered tC-J rifle 

 and walked aimlessly through Ha- woods toward the Cap of 

 the Medicine Bow. Passing through park after pat k, 

 a few elk and deer were feeding that fled a1 my n ■ 

 crossing streams where beaver were at work. Crossing high 

 divides, admiring the grand scenery, and thoroughly enjoy- 

 ing being alone hi the forest, the afternoon passed quickly. 

 "Whi 'ii the SUn was sinking behind the snow clad peaks of the 

 main range, I came to a low ridge that was Covered with 

 alder trees. 1 had found the home of the blue grouse. 

 Deer that had spoiled fawns by their sides were quite numer- 

 ous. I built a lire by a spring and camped. After B supper 

 of blue grouse 1 lay in my blankets and smoked many pipes 

 of tobacco. 



1 love the Medicine Bow Mountains, That, night as 1 lay 

 watching the stars I was very thankful that there were 

 ranges of mountains too little known for those checkered-clad 

 murderers of game, known as English sportsmen, to enter. 1 

 may as well unburden my mind about English sportsmen. 

 These men enter a game country bringing with them the 

 selfishness of their race. They are murderous in their 

 destruction of game. They kill food animals and fowls for 



the sake of killing unresisting creatures. They Itte tp the 



Western country for what they call a season's sport, aud 

 wantonly, and with the characteristic disregard that English- 

 men have for other people's rights ard feelings, destroy ani- 

 mals that prospectors, trappers, and poor ranchmen depend • 

 on for food. They kill, kill, kill, and wound live animals 

 for every one killed". The average Englishman is a wretched 

 shot. Asked why they destroy n am e, they serenely reply; 

 "We have come to the beastly country for a'huut, yon know. 

 We will never come again, you know. We must kill all we 

 can. you know." Last full Estopped at a camp of these so- 

 called English sportsmen on thci)orth Platte Rtvtr. There 

 were three of the creatures, chid in checkered hunting suits. 

 Their camp was littered with willow grouse, sage hens, jack 

 rabbits, and antelope. They had killed ten times as much 

 meat as ihev and their handsome hunting dogs could eat. I 

 asked if they had killed any deer or elk. As one man fne three 

 Checkered ones answered : "''No; we can't find any, you know. " 

 Then they inquired if 1 knew where they could find elk, and 

 one of the party said; "I will give an v ma u t'i/0 who will 

 guide me to a bull elk that has a handsome set of millers. ' 

 Then be looked inquiringly at me. 1 could have shown 

 him, in Itss than two hours*' riding, a dozen elk that were 

 in mountains: but in showing him the elk I tvould have; to 

 show the trails leading through the raountaius, encircling 

 garye-proteclbig '"down timber." I would not. show any of 

 these trails to any Englishman. While Americans only 

 know the trails the' game is sale from being wantonly killed. 

 If a few Englishmen knew the (nils leading through the 

 "down' Umber, and, in addition, knew the feeding grounds 

 of the elk, they would bring their English friends with them 

 the next season, and the glory of the Medicine Bow Range 

 would speedily depart. They would kill the royal game 

 and leave their bodies on the ground lor bears and other 

 carnivorous animals to destroy. Englishmen are as greedy, 

 unfeeling, aud disregardful of the rights and feeling 

 other men in hunting as tne uatiou they belong to is in trad 

 ding. The English Sportsmen are regarded as curses s. i. 

 from afar by all plainsmen. They are cordially dl 

 all mountainnien. They are held in universal contempt by 

 all decent, fail ini tided Americans iu the West, on account 

 of the brutal selfishness they display in killing food animals 

 for pleasure and leaving the fli'sh io rot upon the ground. 

 —jvrnvk Witkexon, in lite nun. 



SOME GAME SHOTS. 



Editijr Forest and Bfrmnt 



I have to-day come across a newspaper account of a Vir- 

 ginia hunter, who lives among the Capon range of the Blue 

 Ridge. J. S. Waddle. It is claimed for him that he is an 

 extraordinary shot, and in pioof the writer givi -.- the follow- 

 ing instances: 



"in 1873, a long drive' was uiaoe The drivers heard Waddle 

 shoot Ave limes with wonderful rapidity. One of them, an 

 old man, remarked: 'Thar goes Julius with his newfangled 

 popgun a sciirin' everything iu the mountain,' But when 

 they came up to the place where this fusiludc hud taken 

 place if was found that Mr. Waddle had bad four deer take 

 bis crossing, three does and a buck, ami In ing on the side at 

 a ravine, the season lateiu the fall, be dad an uninterrupted 

 view, except for the tree trunks aud limbs. As soon as the 

 herd came in sight aud at long range he opened tire and 

 dropped one in his tracks, another— the buck - as fi 

 him, a third was shot a hundred yards tun In. ir on. and thB 

 fourth, stopping to smell Ihe wounded one and iu confusion. 

 was shot in the head and fell dead, while the one it was 

 smelling got up and attempted to run, but was stopped by 

 the fifth "shot from Mr. VVaudle's unerring rifle. Thus 

 Li 1 completed his work of killing four" deer without 

 moving out of his tracks. The time consumed could 

 I,,.. been but little over a half minute, Mr. Wad- 

 dle, is also a prodigy with the pistol, having io no, certain 

 knowledge kdleda buzzaid that was sitting iu a tree -100yds. 

 Off with a navy revolver, and also two crows on the wing, 

 one falling dead 185yds. fiom him. While hunting on 

 DhesapeakO Hay 1 knew him to kill two wild geese that, 

 were out of range of shotguns and swan siiot. probably 

 200yds. One was shot Irom the blind and the d'l 

 the' shore, with ihe same remarkable pistol. There may 

 have beta ami was, iu all probability s " 1111 "' luck '" 

 these last few shots, but 1 have seen him strike a large nail 

 on the head repeatedly, in a friendly pistol practice, St a 

 measured distance of toon." 



While it Was a rare instance of "good luC] to hd i I" -'■ 

 four deer all within shut at once, the simple shooting itself 

 was nothing extraordinary. Seoirs of Western skin-hunt 



ers could show a better n'eoid. Ii is quite the thing on the 

 planes to "pump" the re; ing rifle at game in thie way. 



Whole bands of antelope and buffalo have been dl 

 just such shooiiuj. 



Another instance of deer -hooting where several deer were 

 killed by one rifle was recorded in the (iermauto.vn Tslt 



graph cot long ago. The scone was Walden's liidgt at 

 Chattanooga, Tenn. A sportsman of that city "while lets 

 urely walking along, encountered five fine ther i 

 and within range, and coolly taking aim ttl them 



buck, pulled the trigger, and he dropped lifeless. As IB 

 their nature, seeing oiie of their number tall, they remained 



until all, one of a rime, were killed. The five, iuulu 



bucks, two does and p Eawn, Were slai i i 



