June 14, 1888.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



411 



Address aU commuHlcatiom to the Forest and Stream Pub. Co. 



THE AMERICAN BUFFALO. 



BY DR. R. W. SHUFELDT, C.M.Z.S. 



T\7 E now P ass *° tiie consideration of the Family Bo- 

 \ » vidce, or ratber such members of it as we have 

 represented in our United States fauna, and these have 

 already been classified and presented in my former con- 

 tribution on the peccary. As I write these lines, there 

 still exist a few living buffalo {Bison americanus) — old 

 bulls, cows and young — herding in the very least fre- 

 quented districts of their former domain, to yet assert 

 themselves as being the noblest representatives of the 

 bovine kind in this country. Miserable remnants of a 

 race that once numbered its head by millions upon mill- 

 ions, and roamed over the greater part of the territorial 

 regions now our own, even in early days extending east 

 as far as western New York, Virginia and the Caro- 

 lines. 



My own experience with these animals is quite lim- 

 ited. In the month of June, 1877, when accompanying 

 a small military party, composed of one troop of cavalry, 

 nine packers, and a d< zen or more Sioux scouts, we struck 

 at the head of Tongue River, on the north side of the 

 Big Horn Range, a herd of sixty head of buffalo — and I 

 joined in their chase accompanied by two soldiers and a 

 young Sioux buck. On that occasion I killed a cow 

 buffalo and three old bulls, when my hurse played out 

 from the run. The meat was all utilized, and packed 



could put about, my horse actually reared almost in to the 

 vertical position, standmg on his hindlegs, and leaving 

 noihing for me to do but slide off the cantle of the 

 saddle, as it was too narrow for me to retain my 



Elace upon it alone. Stepping to one side of my 

 orse with the charging and infuriated bull not 10ft. to 

 my front, I fired upon him, and the heavy ball took him 

 square in the chest, bringing him to his knees, with a gush 

 of scarlet blood from his mouth and nostrils. He tried 

 powerfully to plunge forward, and actually succeeded in 

 righting himself again for a charge, but I gave him an- 

 other just behind the shoulder, and he rolled over dead. 

 At this feat my horse seemed mm h ashamed of himself, 

 and came snorting forward to inspect the victim of my 

 fire. Upon examining the specimen I found it to be an 

 old bull, apparently smaller and very much blacker than 

 the ones I had seen killed on the plains only a day or so 

 before: then I examined the first one I had shot, as well 

 as others which were killed by the packer from the same 

 bunch, and I came to the conclusion that they were 

 typical representative of the variety known as the "moun- 

 tain buffalo," a form much more active in movement, of 

 Slighter limbs, blacker and far more dangerous to attack. 

 My opinion in the premises remains unaltered ro-day. 

 In all this I may be mistaken, but it was also the opinion 

 held by the old buffalo hunter who accompanied me, and 

 who at once remarked when he saw them that they were 

 "mountain buffalo," and not the plain variety. Iam 

 well aware that this is a very different view of the mat- 

 ter from the one held by no less an eminent authority 

 than Mr. J. A. Allen, who says in hie exhaustive memoir 

 on this subject ("History of the American Bison' ) that 

 "there are two commonly recognized varieties of the 

 buffalo, known respectively as the wood buffalo and the 

 mountain buffalo. The wood buffalo is described by 

 Hind as larger than the common bison of the plains, with 



THE AMERICAN BUFFALO (Bison americanus). Ax Old Bull. 



along on the mules. It was the first time I ever noticed 

 an Indian use the sights on a Government carbine, but 

 the young fellow that was with me put his up in the 

 proper manner, to 200yds., and handsomely killed an old 

 bull at that distance across an intervening ravine. Dur- 

 ing the month of August of that year we were again on 

 Tongue River, and met General Crook and his party, who 

 crossed over the Big Horn Range from the Wind River 

 country , and they reported that on the opposite side of 

 the rana;e they had come to close quarters with a herd of 

 some 3,000 head. I saw none of these, as we did not cross 

 the range that summer. Later in the same year we 

 passed around the north side of the Big Horns, and on 

 one occasion when wc-t of the Big Horn River, I saw to 

 the right of the column an old solitary bull out on the 

 prairie, with no others in sight. 



Next day I saw some of our Sioux scouts rundown and 

 kill three old bulls that formed a "herd" by themselves. 

 These miserable Indians were loaded down with deer 

 and antelope meat at the time, and so only took the 

 tongues of these three noble animals. A da^ or so_ later, 

 and we crossed a stream near Pryer's Gap, and I sighted 

 eight buffalo up on the mountainside, and with one of 

 the packers I started out in their pursuit. We came upon 

 them during a fearful blizzard of heavy hail, during 

 which our animals could barely retain their feet. In fact 

 the packer's mule absolutely lay down on the ground 

 rather than risk being blown down the mountain side, 

 and my own horse, totally unable to face such a violent 

 blow and the pelting had, the stones being as large as 

 big marbles, positively stood stock still facing an old 

 buffalo bull that was not more than 25ft. in front of me. 

 It was impossible for me to shoot as I had a double 

 blanket over the back and sides of toy head to prevent 

 the severe punishment of the hail, and was obliged to 

 keep my eyes on the falling limbs, which came thickly 

 down as the entire forest roared with one continuous peal 

 like -the near firing of the very heaviest artillery. 

 Strange to say this fearful gust did not last more than 

 ten minutes, when it stopped as suddenly as it had com- 

 menced, and I deliberately killed my old buffalo at one 

 shot, just where he stood, and separating two other bulls 

 from the rest, charged them down a rugged ravine. 

 They passed over this and into another one. but with hss 

 precipitous sides and no trees in tjje way, and when I 

 was on top I noticed that the largest bull had halted in 

 the bottom; checking my horse, an excellent buffalo 

 hunter, I fired down at hi a without dismounting. The 

 ball merely barked his shoulder, and to my infinite sur- 

 prise he turned and charged me up the hill, and before I 



very short, soft pelage and soft, short, incurled mane, 

 thus more resembling in these points the Lithuanian 

 bison or aurochs. . t is said to be very scarce, and to be 

 found onlv north of the Saskatchewan and along the 

 flanks of the Rocky Mountains, and to never venture 

 into the plains." 



These specimens were not actually measured by me in 

 either case, and their being considered smaller only rested 

 upon my judging them by my eye. But they were of a 

 softer pelage," black, lighter in limb, and when discovered 

 were in the timber, on the side of one of the Big Horn 

 Mountains. 



It will not be my aim in the present connection to pre- 

 sent an account of the appearance of the buffalo, as that 

 is more or less well known, no doubt, to every reader of 

 Forest and Stream. To those who would have an ex- 

 haustive history of the animal, I can recommend no better 

 work than the one written by Professor J. A. Allen, re- 

 ferred to above, and the best 'figures of buffaloes, known 

 to me. are those recently published bv Mi-. W. T. Horna- 

 day, in The Cosmopolitan (N. Y., Vol. IV., Nos. 2 and 

 3. 1887) — they are ver? life-like and deserve the thanks 

 of every naturalist in this or any other country. The 

 bibliography of the authoritative works upon this animal 

 is quite extensive, including some fifty or more, and com- 

 mencing with Catesby in 1743, so I will be unable to offer 

 it in such a brief account as the present one. 



We have reason to believe that in some parts of Texas 

 quite a numerous little herd of buffalo still exist, while 

 others are undoubtedly to be found in Wyoming and 

 some parts of the country further to the northward. I 

 wish that I could use language sufficiently strong, or 

 reasons sufficiently cogent to induce our government to 

 make the effort to secure living specimens of a dozen or 

 more of these, and by properly caring for them, let them 

 form a nucleus upon which to rear a stock that might 

 pass down and increase in future ages. _ I much fear that 

 my poor words will not have their weight; yet even to- 

 day *uch a step is perfectly practicable, and would, if 

 promptly and properly undertaken, meet with success. 



The examination of the American bison teaches us 

 many a lesson. Aside from the fearful waste of the very 

 best of material, it further goes to show how rapidly a 

 species of large animal, represented by its millions, can 

 be swept from the face of the earth; and finally, may I 

 ask, at the end of the next hundred years, where will the 

 paleontological student find in nature the skeleton of a 

 buffalo? Comparatively speaking, how few have mired 

 where their skeletons will be preserved, and how slight 

 the chances of finding them really are. 



PANTHERS CLIMB TREES. 



PIEGAN, Mont., May 10.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In regard to the panther question, I can give some 

 very positive evidence that they climb trees on certain 

 occasions. 



In the months of January a-id February, 1878, 1 hunted 

 panthers in Brown's Tract, N. Y., with E, L. Sheppard, 

 and Edwin Arnold, two of the best-known guides of that 

 region. We would start out. carrying provisions to last 

 say two weeks, a blanket or two, a teapot, two axes and 

 a rifle. Being a novice and anxious to kill a "cat." I was 

 allowed to carry the nfle and do the shooting. Each one 

 of us led a dog, the chains being fastened to our pack 

 straps, and, as we wore snowshoes, we got many a fall 

 by the dogs stepping on our shoes and tripping us. 



We would strike out into the forest and travel for days, 

 and when we found a panther track, follow it until we 

 came up with it. But this we never did until we came 

 to where the animal had killed a deer. The panther 

 would be lyin^ close by, and of course would run as soon 

 as he heard us coming. We then turned one dog loo.^e, 

 and if he left the panther's track for a deer's track, as 

 sometimes happened, we would turn another dog loose. 

 Like all others of the cat family, the panther can run very 

 swiftly for a short dibtance, but soon tires out, and then 

 he climbs a tree. The first one I killed that winter 

 climbed a maple tree., and crouched on a large limb ahuit 

 15ft. from the ground. When we came up, the panther 

 was watching the dog, which was barking frantically 

 around the tree; its large eyes were a blaze of yellow 

 light, and it switched its tail nervously to and fro. It 

 paid no attention to us. We sat down and smoked and 

 watched it for at least an hour, when I took a careful aim 

 and shot it in the brain. It was a female, and measured 

 Oft. Gin. from tip to tip. 



The next one we got after that climbed a very tall 

 spruce, and stopped on a limb at least 40ft. from the 

 ground. I wounded this animal mortally, and it made 

 sad havoc with our dogs before it gave up its life. It 

 was also a female, and measured, 1 believe, 7ft. Sin. 



Shortly after this Mr. Sheppard and Frank Johnson 

 killed a very large old male, whi ch was aLo treed by the 

 hounds. Others whom I know have kiJled panthers in 

 trees are: Mr. B. P. Graves, Boonville, N. Y.; Mr. Ver- 

 planck C. Colvin, Albany, N. Y. ; Mr. E. L. Sheppard, 

 Boonville, N. Y.: Mr. Edwin Arnold, Boonville, N. Y. 



I am very certain that adult panthers never climb trees 

 unless pursued by dogs. Young cubs, however, do so to 

 a certain extent in play. Mr. Graves once killed a female 

 and two cubs, and by the tracks in the snow and the torn 

 bark he saw that the cubs had been up and down the tree 

 a number of times. I am also certain that panthers never 

 climb trees and lie in wait to pounce down on passing 

 game or children, as the newspapers often tell us is their 

 habit. Mr. Sheppard says that at least the only place he 

 ever knew them to do so was "around the bar room 

 stove in the winter time." 



I have often thought that I could have great sport in 

 the mountains here if I could get two or three mongrel 

 hounds, as "mountain lions," as we call them out here, 

 are very plenty. J. W. Schuxtz. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Last October a party of three of us from Livingston, 

 Mont., enjoyed a fine hunt in the Crazy Mountains. The 

 day before starting for home, we went to the top of a 

 large foothill for pine hens, taking nothing with us but 

 our shotguns. Having hunted all over the hill without 

 raising a bird, we started down a ridge, my partner tak- 

 ing the right side and I the left. I sent my little cocker 

 spaniel Mollie down, while I staid near the top. She 

 worked nicely until she got near a clump of brush, and 

 then she stopped, sniffed the air a bit, and then made a 

 dash for the brush. As she reached the clump, a fine 

 mountain lioness bounded out of the opposite side. The 

 dog took after it, and it ran up a bare tree which had no 

 limbs on it. I called for my "pard" and ran down hill. 

 The mountain lion jumped out of the tree and ran for a 

 large thicket, the dog still after it; and we lost it in the 

 thicket. As soon as my friend came up we began search- 

 ing for it and could not see it from outside. We then 

 began from opposite sides to crawl into the thicket. As 

 soon as I was able I stood up, just in time to see the lion- 

 ess ready to spring on my friend. I raised my gun and 

 taking deliberate aim shot her in the neck. She tumbled 

 from the limo on to the ground, and after tumbling 

 around a short time fell dead. 



The marks of her claws were on the tree where she 

 climbed up, and the limb she was lying on was not heavy 

 enough to stand the strain of her jumping on it from the 

 ground; and from what I saw in regard to her climbing 

 the first tree I take my stand that the mountain lion does 

 climb trees. She measured from tip to tip 7ft. 4£in., and 

 was one of the largest killed in those parts. I have the 

 hide and am getting the head mounted. 



This was the first game larger than a duck I had ever 

 shot. I used a 10 bore gun, 5$ drains wood powder and 

 lJjOz. No. 1 shot; shot her in the neck, right in the jugu- 

 lar—did not want to spoil the head, you know. 



Mr. Ed Cook, of Livingston, was the gmtleman with 

 me on this affair, and he will corroborate my statement, 

 and be-ides I believe the two trees are still there for 

 doubting Thomases to examine. N. B.— Dog not for sale. 



Will J. MacHaffie. 



Helen 4, Montana. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Panthers are very abundant on the McCloud River, and 

 very destructive to stock, especi lly to pigs; and from 

 the experience we have had with them here, I should say 

 that in this region at least they very seldom climb trees. 

 They are perfectly well able to, but they can jump into a 

 tree so much quicker and easier than they can climb 

 into it. that they very seldom if ever resort to climbing. 

 I think they would consider it slow wotk. 



The hunters here assert very positively, and stick to it, 

 that panthers can jump to the limb of a tree twenty 

 or thirty feet from the ground, and as all the trees about 

 here have limbs nearer the ground than that, it is obvious 

 that our panthers would have very lilt e occarion to resort 

 to the slow process of climbing. But in other parts of 

 the country where the trees grow to a greater height 

 without branches there is hardly a doubt, I think, that 

 panthers clirnb up the trunks of the trees when necessity 

 for it occurs. But even then I fancy that they jump the 

 first twenty feet or more up the tree. They must cer- 

 tainly be able to climb trees whenever they want to, for 



