268 



RECREATION. 



A DEER HUNT IN THE ROCKIES. 



C. W. CLEAVER. 



Plumb, Elmer Walter Howard and I 

 set out, September 3, 1900, by wagon from 

 Colorado Springs, on a 150 mile drive 

 for Rio Blanco and Routt counties. Our 

 first stop was in Ute Pass, where we dined 

 hastily on bacon, coffee and eggs. 



I was armed with a Savage rifle, and, be- 

 ing anxious to test it on something, I took 

 advantage of a chance at one of a colony of 

 badgers. The animal's head was literally 

 pulverized. 



A ranchman, near the foot of Western 

 pass, complained of the destruction of his 

 cattle by bears. Three cinnamon hides in 

 his possession showed that his herds were 

 not unavenged. The bears had been caught 

 in traps. The ranchmen seem afraid to hunt 

 them, and they are increasing alarmingly. 



At McCoy's ranch, on Grand river, we had 

 our first taste of fresh meat, trout, and 

 grouse, after 15 days of salt side. There 

 Elmer Howard, who had not been well at 

 starting, grew worse and reluctantly took 

 the stage for home. 



Reaching the big game country, we 

 camped on the main fork of Williams river, 

 6 miles East of Pagoda peak. Plumb de- 

 clared at once that we must have fresh meat, 

 so, oiling up my 30-30, I prepared to kill my 

 first deer. Our camp was already made. A 

 Denver party had just left it. Tables were 

 made on stumps. Nails, on which to hang 

 our fixings, protruded -everywhere. Above 

 and around us stood pines and aspens, shel- 

 tering us alike from sun and wind, and 

 from the wary eye of game. A mountain 

 stream of pure, "cold water, abounding in 

 trout, ran singing by, only 20 feet from our 

 tent. 



Early next morning Plumb and I started 

 out, leaving Howard to watch camp, catch 

 trout, and kill grouse. The woods were un- 

 dergrown with grass one to 2 feet high, af- 

 fording good cover for game: Slowly I 

 climbed the mountain side, speculating as 

 to whether my first sight of deer would pre- 

 cipitate an attack of buck fever. As I 

 paused to scan the cliff in front of me, 2 

 deer suddenly came into sight on the top, 

 50 feet above me. Clearly outlined against 

 the sky, they stood and gazed. It was a 

 pretty picture. 



They were too distant for a shot, so I 

 could only wait and look. Presently they 

 started down into the gulch, and I began to 

 climb to the top, hoping to get a nearer 

 sight and a shot. When I reached the sum- 

 mit they had disappeared. However, there 

 was plenty of sign, so I kept my finger on 

 the trigger and my eyes sticking out, so as 

 to see behind me. 



j Less than a mile from camp a buck broke 

 cover from an aspen thicket, at 40 yards. 

 Ho ivas badly frightened, rose noisily, and 

 sprang rapidly away, but after 3 or 4 leaps 

 stopped to investigate. Instantly I placed 

 a 30-30 bullet in his neck, just behind the 

 jaws, severing his windpipe and tearing the 

 throat to shreds. He fell, and I stood over 



my first deer. Only those can appreciate 

 my emotions who have shared my expe- 

 rience. To get him to camp over the rough 

 ground and fallen trees was a big job, but 

 I accomplished it. At noon Plumb re- 

 turned to camp, having also killed a buck. 



We then had plenty of meat, and settled 

 down to enjoy ourselves. Next day we 

 started early, expecting to find deer in the 

 open. In crossing a big burn we found 

 numerous tracks where deer had played 

 in the night, but we saw no deer. Late in 

 the evening, while returning through a piece 

 of heavy timber on whose needle carpeted 

 floor I trod noiselessly, I came on a buck 

 rubbing the velvet from his antlers. I could 

 -see the tips of his shoulders and, fancying 

 I could get him, I fired. He ran, and as it 

 was nearly dark I did not follow. 



Next day, as we were coming in empty 

 handed, a buck sprang from the grass, ran 

 to the top of a hill 200 yards distant, and 

 stopped to look. He fell, with a ball in 

 the neck. 



The fellows whose place we had taken in 

 camp had left the fore quarters of 5 or 6 

 deer in the brush, taking home only the 

 hams and saddles. They had also caught 

 and thrown away about 200 trout. Not 

 wishing to pattern after them, we closed our 

 hunt, and broke camp. 



On our homeward journey we camped 

 once more en Grand river, and were told 

 by a ranchman that at a neighboring water 

 hole deer were accustomed to drink early 

 in the morning. We rose early next morn- 

 ing, and sought the water hole, but failed 

 to find game. On our return to camp 

 Walter, who had not gone out, told us of 

 seeing 2 deer a few minutes before. We at 

 once separated and hunted some time, with- 

 out discovering sign. All at once 5 deer, 

 winding Plumb, came toward me, but as all 

 were does I did not molest them. Whist- 

 ling Plumb to me, I told him the woods 

 were full of deer. We started for a piece 

 of heavy timber, and crept softly through 

 it, with the wind in our faces. Presently, 

 while we were resting, a big buck stepped 

 out, followed by a doe. When the firing 

 ceased, the buck was down and the doe go- 

 ing at a 2 minute gait. We killed 2 or 3 

 grouse on our way to camp, also a snow- 

 shoe rabbit, making a variety as well as a 

 sufficiency of game. 



We note that the handsome young woman 

 wears many military buttons, badges and 

 other mementoes. 



'Are you the daughter of the regiment?" 

 we ask. 



"Oh, no, sir," responds the gentle thing ; 

 "but I have promised to be a sister to all 

 the officers." 



At this juncture we might have made a 

 witty remark about a call to arms and the 

 penalty for disregarding it, but because of 

 her blushes we refrained. — Judge. 



"Pa, what is repartee?" 

 "Oh, merely an insult with its dress suit 

 on, my son-" — Puck, 



