40 



RECREATION. 



cow camp, near the head of Big Sheep creek. 



The canyon through which Big Sheep 

 creek runs is rough and the mountain trails 

 are hard traveling. 



As we were about to leave the canyon 

 to make our journey across the barren 1 

 saw, high up on the mountain, a bunch of 

 bighorn sheep. In order to fool them we 

 rode on as if we had not seen them, but in 

 a few minutes we rode back, went down 

 the canyon and tied our horses. Then we 

 commenced the high, steep climb which had 

 to be made to get to our game. We finally 

 gained a point from which we had a grand 

 view of the big fellows. There were 17. 



I brought my rifle to my shoulder, took 

 a careful aim and the sheep with the largest 

 horns fell backward, rolling and tumbling 

 down the mountain. By the time he was 

 fairly dead I got 2 more. Thinking I had 

 killed already too many, I watched the 

 other boys until the sheep were out of 

 sight. 



It was growing dark, but we had to drag 

 our game down a canyon to where we 

 could hang it in some trees. That done, 

 we went to our horses and continued toward 

 the cow camp. 



After visiting a few days and watching 

 the boys break bronchos and brand calves, 

 w r e again left for home by the way of our 

 game, which was all right. We packed it 

 on our ponies and reached home just be- 

 fore dusk. 



John Patterson, Dell, Mont. 



DEPENDS ON THE SEASON. 



Since boyhood I have been an ardent 

 lover of hunting, and as I have always lived 

 in the heart of one of the best game coun- 

 tries in America, I have had every facility 

 for studying the habits of some of our big 

 game and fur-bearing animals. 



Some hunters contend that a moose will 

 not come to a call, others maintaining he 

 can be called up at any time. A long life- 

 time in the woods enables me to state that 

 both claims are wrong. For about 2 weeks 

 in the rutting season moose and caribou 

 throw all their natural caution to the winds 

 and will come to a call. In fact, I have 

 known them to interview a man chopping 

 wood. 



After the close of the rutting season 

 they will not pay the slightest attention to 

 any call. 



Some hunters claim that a moose will not 

 attack a man without provocation. Another 

 fallacy, as I know from experience. Let 

 no hunter feel secure under the impression 

 that a bull moose, in the rutting season, will 

 not go for anything in sight, if he happens 

 to be out for trouble. 



The caribou, on the contrary, is the most 

 stupid of animals until he scents you or 



hears you, which puts him on his mettle. 

 Then it is almost impossible to get near 

 him. If you stand still when there is no 

 wind he will walk up within 10 feet of 

 you. They will not believe their eyes un- 

 less you move. 



W. S. Crooker, South Brookfield, N. S. 



GAME NOTES. 



, I wonder if any of your thousands of 

 ,' readers have ever thought of Cuba as a 

 cattle country, and of the immense profits 

 that may be made in this line of business 

 if properly conducted and with sufficient 

 capital ; to say nothing of ranch life, which 

 is capable of restoring a dead man to life. 



I am in the cattle business and every day 

 become more interested in it. I should like 

 to correspond privately with readers of 

 Recreation, especially cattlemen, on this 

 matter. Our correspondence might prove 

 of mutual benefit. 



We have excellent hunting here ov, deer, 

 wild boars, etc. 



Recreation is doing effective work. Kill 

 the hogs ! Do not thin out the herd, but 

 exterminate it completely. 



O. A. Fischer, Trinidad, Cuba. 



It now behooves the L. A. S. to please 

 crows. Seriously note that I do not say ex- 

 crows. Please note that I do not say ex- 

 terminate them, but thin them out. You, 

 no doubt, are better informed than I as to 

 the magnitude of their depredations, so I 

 will say nothing further than that I have 

 watched some of them at their nefarious 

 work and realize something must be done 

 soon or between the crows and the human 

 game hogs our song and game birds will 

 soon be as scarce everywhere as they al- 

 ready have become in "some districts. A 

 bount3 r of 5 cents a head would set the 

 youngsters to work with their 22's. 



O. B. Coe, Jr., Boston, Mass. 



Herewith I enclose money order for $1 

 for which please send Recreation to me 

 another year. I like to read it better than 

 any other maerazine published. I like the 

 way you roast the bristlebacks. It is doing 

 them good. 



Game was scarce here last season. Prai- 

 rie chickens and ducks are almost gone. I 

 was out hunting 4 times one month and only 

 killed 2 chickens and 2 ducks. I only saw 

 one quail last season. I have lived in Min- 

 nesota and South Dakota 30 years and I 

 never saw game so scarce as it was last 



season. 



H. F. Hunter, Jackson, Minn. 



I have lived many years on a ranch in 

 the West, and have hunted over a great 



