DEER IN COLORADO. 



M. S. BACON. 



The judge and I left Denver the 25th of 

 August, 1902, over the Colorado Midland, 

 and reached Rifle, Colorado, 350 miles dis- 

 tant, the same evening. At 10 o'clock the 

 next morning we resumed our journey, by 

 stage, to the bustling little town of Meeker, 

 45 miles from the railroad, arriving there 

 about 8 o'clock that evening, tired and 

 hungry. After another night's rest we 

 were conveyed by Mr. H. P. Spurlock to 

 his ranch, the Mountain Brook resort, 

 which lies 15 miles Northeast from Meeker. 



About half past 2 in the afternoon Mr. 

 Spurlock invited us to pick our horses and 

 accompany one of the guides for a trial 

 of the horses to see how we liked them. 

 Our real sport was not to begin until the 

 next day, when we should reach our final 

 camping grounds, 15 miles still farther 

 back in the mountains, accessible only by 

 saddle and pack horses. At half past 5 

 that afternoon we were skinning our first 

 deer, a 2-point buck, having seen 7 all told 

 in the 3 hours we were out and not more 

 than 5 miles from the ranch at any time. 

 Our host had already fulfilled his promise 

 to show us game. Our guide did not 

 carry a gun, so it rested with the judge and 

 me to replenish the larder or go hungry, 

 as far as venison was concerned. The 

 buck received 4 wounds before he fell. The 

 wounds showed bullets of different caliber, 

 and as the judge carried a 38-55 and I a 

 30-30 Savage, we concluded we might both 

 claim an interest in the game. 



Early the next morning we set out with 

 saddle horses for our final hunting ground, 

 with full camping outfit on our pack horses. 

 The party consisted of Andrew Goff, the 

 guide and a brother of John Goff, who 

 guided President Roosevelt on his famous 

 wildcat hunt; Alfred Austin, the cook; 

 the judge and me. We reached camp about 

 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and, eating a 

 hasty lunch, Andy and I started for a 

 short hunt. The judge could not be in- 

 duced to accompany us, being completely 

 fatigued with the long, hard ride. Andy 

 and I returned to camp that evening sfiortly 

 after dark without game. We had seen 14 

 bucks, does and fawns, but they were so 

 wild we could not get within range of 

 them. Andy explained their wildness as 

 being caused by the existence of a club 

 house some 10 or 12 miles away, where 

 200 to 300 sportsmen were making their 

 headquarters, thereby driving the game- all 

 our way. 



We all retired early that night, fatigued 

 with our day's work, only to be awakened 



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about midnight by a heavy storm, the rain 

 coming down in such torrents as to soak 

 through our tents and stand in puddles 

 on our tarpaulin cover, as well as splashing 

 in our faces ; but by frequent shifting of 

 position we kept reasonably dry. 



Early the next morning we were in 

 our saddles, headed for the mountain 

 known as old Baldy, 8 miles farther 

 back in the range. The rain of the prev- 

 ious night made traveling anything but safe 

 or pleasant. After going about 5 miles 

 from camp we separated, the judge and 

 Alfred taking one direction, and Andy and 

 I going at right angles. During the day 

 Andy and I saw 50 to 60 bucks, does and 

 fawns, which we watched nearly 5 min- 

 utes. They had discovered our approach 

 but did not seem frightened until we 

 started toward them, when they scampered 

 away. That being, of course, the first time 

 I had left my kodak at camp, my oppor- 

 tunity for a snap shot at the fawns in their 

 native heath was lost. 



On arriving at Old Baldy we were for- 

 tunate in spying 7 fat deer, 3 bucks and 4 

 does, in a ravine between 500 and 600 yards 

 distant. I dismounted, and, taking delib- 

 erate aim at the largest buck, had the satis- 

 faction of seeing him respond to my greet- 

 ing by humping up his back much like a 

 bucking broncho. He did not move out of 

 his tracks until his companions, hearing the 

 shot, scented danger and started on the run 

 for safety. Then he attempted to do like- 

 wise. I gave him another greeting, just 

 as warm and cordial as the first, but saw 

 him disappear around the point. Hastily 

 mounting, we hurried to the place where 

 the buck had stood and easily tracked him, 

 by the bloody trail, about 100 yards, where 

 we found him cold in death. He was a 3- 

 point buck and weighed about 200. pounds. 

 Both bullets had taken effect. The first 

 severed the aorta, passing through the 

 body, and was cut out just under the skin 

 on the opposite side. The second bullet 

 had pierced the paunch and taken a direc- 

 tion lengthwise of the body toward the 

 head. Either bullet would have proven 

 fatal. 



We dressed our prize, protected it so 

 that wild animals would not molest it, and 

 started for camp, intending to return with 

 the pack horse in the morning for the veni- 

 son. 



The judge, in the meantime, succeeded 

 in locating a 5-point buck contentedly 

 resting under a pine tree, unaware of the 

 proximity of danger. The buck presented 



