IN THE SHIN-OAKS OF TEXAS. 



JOHN C. CASPARIS. 



In October of 1893, 4 hunters left John- 

 son City, Tex., by wagon, for the Big 

 Devil river, in Pecos county. We were on 

 the road 18 days, though this included time 

 taken for short hunts. Six deer were killed 

 before reaching the camping-ground, but 

 signs were scarce and things looked blue 

 for a favorable hunt. 



When a permanent camp had been made, 

 we all started out that same afternoon 

 to find the watering-places and feeding- 

 grounds of the game. Our hounds, 8 in 

 number, were left in camp, for their feet 

 were worn out, from traveling over the 

 hard, dry ground. 



With one companion I went down the 

 river, intending, after going a mile or so, 

 to hunt back on a divide. As this was more 

 of a prospecting trip than a hunt, we went 

 on horseback. We found plenty of deer 

 sign and evidences of bear. Nothing was 

 killed, however, although we had 2 long 

 shots, late in the evening, at deer. 



We reached camp about dark; and soon 

 after, our companions came, bringing a 

 fat doe and 2 young turkeys. Best of all, 

 they had surprised a bear at water, but did 

 not get a shot. Our friends also reported 

 plenty of sign, so the prospects for a grand 

 * time were good. 



That evening the dogs were tied, and 

 their feet greased, to harden them; for as 

 soon as they were in good shape we in- 

 tended to give the bear a run. 



Before day, next morning, the camp was 

 astir, and as soon as it commenced to get 

 light we struck out in different directions, 

 to look for deer. When hardly 15 minutes 

 away from camp, I heard 2 shots, off to my 

 right, which were shortly followed by one 

 to the left. The boys had evidently found 

 something, but I had not been looking 

 closely, for it was hardly light enough for 

 my old eyes. 



Now on the alert, I had not gone 200 

 yards when 4 deer were seen, feeding 

 among the shin-oaks — a species of oak 3 to 

 6 feet high, bearing heavy crops of acorns, 

 on which deer and bear feed. 



Dropping to the ground before being 

 seen, and getting behind a thicket, I 

 crawled to within 60 yards of the deer. 

 Then, slowly rising, I covered the neck of 

 a 4-point buck, hoping to drop him so 

 quickly the others would not have a big 



scare. At the crack of my 44, the buck 

 made one leap, then plunged toward me, 

 falling dead within 40 yards. 



The others, not knowing where the shot 

 came from, ran toward me and stopped, 20 

 yards to the left, in an opening. Before 

 the buck had fallen, I pumped another load 

 into my rifle, ready for a running shot. 

 Now I held on the largest doe and dropped 

 her. The remaining 2 started down a hill, 

 and as they jumped over the bushes, I 

 turned my repeater loose on them. In this 

 way I fired 6 or 8 shots, when one, appear- 

 ing to be hit, turned to one side. After 

 bleeding the first 2, I hunted up the wound- 

 ed buck. It took half an hour to find him, 

 and then I had to shoot him again. 



This might be called a good morning's 

 work, but when I think of the number of 

 deer seen, and the number of times I shot, 

 between sun-up and 8 o'clock, it seems like 

 hard luck that I got no more. I had 18 

 good shots and killed only 3 deer; but 

 when camp was reached the cause of my 

 misses was plain. The muzzle sight on my 

 rifle had been moved about tV inch. 



I saw fully 50 deer that morning, and 

 they were not wild, which showed they 

 had not been hunted. When the other boys 

 came in and made their reports, we all felt 

 satisfied we had found the right coun- 

 try. Together we killed 7 deer, and if it 

 had not been for a misunderstanding, 

 through which we hunted over the same 

 ground, several more would have been 

 killed. 



However, we had as much meat as we 

 could take care of, for the weather was 

 warm through the day. As we were hunt- 

 ing for pleasure, we intended to kill only 

 what could be used and carried home. The 

 saddles were salted, and the other parts 

 were used in camp or fed to the dogs. 



On the first day, after bringing in the 

 deer, all hands were willing to lie around 

 camp the rest of the day. We were going 

 to take things easy until the dogs should 

 be all right, when we intended to rustle a 

 bear. From the sign, we knew there were 

 some lying in the cedar brakes near by. 



As the days passed, the order of camp life 

 was to take a short hunt in the morning, 

 fish in the river, if anyone felt like it, and 

 to do a lot of resting. We had the bear 

 hunt, but I will tell you of that, later. 



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