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RECREATION. 



A FAMILY HUNT. 



Hot Springs, Neb. 

 Editor Recreation : 



Seeing an article in one of last year's Rec- 

 reations, called "An Elk Hunt," near the 

 Lamereux meadows, recalls a hunting trip 

 which my parents, brothers and I made in 

 '89. We lived in Fremont county, Wyo- 

 ming, 25 miles Southwest of Lander, and 

 had been accustomed to plenty of small 

 game and small trout ever since settling 

 there. We had always heard of the excel- 

 lent hunting and fishing to be had at tiie 

 head of the Sandies and determined to 

 take a trip to this hunters' paradise, to 

 find out for ourselves if the reports we had 

 heard were true. Accordingly we started, 

 the 3d day of August, prepared to spend a 

 few days or w r eeks as might be necessary. 



We took a spring wagon, a good 

 team and . 3 saddle horses. Our equip- 

 ment consisted of a tent and camp outfit, a 

 good supply of guns, ammunition and fish- 

 ing tackle. We spent a week or more in 

 leaching our destination, hunting and fish- 

 ing here and there with little success. At 

 •.st the trails got so scarce and narrow, 

 .lis trees so thick and the bogs so numerous, 

 lat we were obliged to abandon our wagon 

 nd proceed by pack horse, which we did 

 for a distance of 8 or 10 miles to a spot 

 where we felt sure no other white person 

 had ever been and where civilization would 

 not interfere with our sport in any way. 

 We camped about noon and after a hasty 

 lunch prepared for a raid on the trout. All 

 turned out, and although a shower came 

 up during the afternoon and drove part 

 of us to the shelter of the tent some stayed 

 out. At night we had 87 fish, large and 

 small. We were not hogs. Not one of 

 those fish went to waste ; neither did we 

 make any donations, for our party consisted 

 of 4 healthy boys and my father and 

 mother and we had been camping out over 

 a week. 



Next morning at break of day my eldest 

 brother, Bert, started out with a 45-70 

 rifle, and the avowed intention of getting 

 an elk. Nothing was heard from him till 

 the sun was just peeping over Fremont 

 peak and we were sitting down to break- 

 fast. Then a rifle shot broke the stillness. 

 A few minutes later Bert came into camp 

 holding up a pair of bloody hands. His 

 one shot had been successful. 



He had killed a fine 2-year old cow elk. 

 My father started out ofter breakfast and 

 returned before 10 o'clock with the infor- 

 mation that he had killed another cow, 

 having shot but once. ' The 2 animals 

 were brought to camp and properly dressed 

 for packing. Next morning we broke 

 camp, for we had all the meat we wanted 

 and there was nothing to remain for. We 

 got both elk out safe. Reluctantly we 

 went, for it certainly was a hunters' para- 

 dise. 



E. T. Ussher. 



TWO DOGS, A BOY AND A MINK. 



When I was 9 years old I happened to 

 hear my father say that mink skins were 

 worth 50 cents to $2 each. Knowing mink 

 tracks when I saw them and having seen 

 them often, I at once determined to go 

 into the fur business. I tried to get next 

 to the old gentleman and jolly him into 

 buying me some traps, only to be told that 

 I had not gumption enough to catch a 

 mink in an ordinary lifetime. 



Thus rebuked I slipped to bed with my 

 thinker working overtime. Before I slept 

 I had matured a scheme. I had 2 rattling 

 good rabbit dogs, and such was my high 

 opinion of their ability and adaptability 

 that I decided to use them as mink catch- 

 ers. 



Old Tip was a white,, black and tan 

 shepherd, and could whip any dog in the 

 county. Spring was just a yellow mon- 

 grel, but not to be despised. If I wanted 

 a chicken she would gather it in in a mo- 

 ment, and she could hold the biggest hog 

 on the place until it got tired of squealing. 



The next day I went out to begin my 

 career as a trapper. It was no trouble to 

 find a mink track, but as I whistled the 

 dogs to It a rabbit popped out of a bush 

 and off we all went in his wake. I spent 

 an hour trying to punch bunny out from 

 under a ledge of rock. Then I went back 

 to my mink track. On the way we jumped 

 another cottontail and away went the dogs 

 again. 



Thoroughly disgusted, I trailed my mink 

 alone. The tracks wound in and out of 

 the slough and finally led to higher 

 ground and a hole. There was no track 

 leading away from the hole. I considered 

 that mink already mine and began calculat- 

 ing how many traps his pelt would buy. 



When the dogs returned they nosed and 

 dug furiously. I helped, and as the hole 

 was shallow, we soon had the mink in 

 close quarters. I was prying out a stone 

 when the animal thrust his head out al- 

 most under my foot. Tip nailed him in a 

 jiffy, getting a good grip on his neck. 

 Spring sank his teeth in the poor mink's 

 haunches. Then a tug of war ensued, both 

 dogs pulling their hardest. I whooped them 

 on. Already I possessed traps, skates, 

 sled and unstinted candy. 



Alas! my joy was premature. With a 

 horrid rending sound my beautiful mink 

 skin was torn asunder and the dogs fell 

 back, each holding a shredded fragment. 

 Tearfully I gathered up the remnants and 

 trudged homeward, firmly convinced that 

 for mink catching purposes one dog was 

 better than 2. C. L. Hart, Humeston, la. 



J. A. Steele's solution of the game protec- 

 tion problem, namely muzzle loading guns, 

 is the correct one. I should like to shake 

 hands with Mr. Steele.. Game in this part 

 of the State is about gone. 



H. M. Putnam, Fredonia, N. Y. 



