188 



Notes on Illinois. 



becomes furious, and rushes upon his enemy, making desperate plunges With 

 his sharp horns, and striking and trampling violently with his fore legs, 

 which being extremely muscular, and armed with sharp hoofs, are capable of 

 inflicting very severe wounds. Aw^are of this circumstance, the hunter 

 approaches him with caution, and either secures his prey by a second shot, 

 where the first has been but partially successful, or, as is more frequently 

 the case, causes his dog to seize the wounded animal, while he watches 

 his own opportunity to stab him with his hunting knife. Sometimes where 

 a noble buck is the victim, and the hunter is impatient or inexperienced, 

 terrible conflicts ensue on such occasions. 



Another mode, is to watch at night, in the neighbourhood of the salt licks. 

 These are spots where the earth is impregnated with saline particles, or 

 where the salt water oozes through the soil. Deer and other grazing animals 

 frequent such places, and remain for hours licking the earth. The hunter 

 secretes himself here, either in the thick top of a tree, or most generally in 

 a screen erected for the purpose, and artfully concealed like a masked 

 battery, with logs or green boughs. This practice is pursued only in the 

 summer, or early in the autumn, in cloudless nights, when the moon shines 

 brilliantly, and objects may be readily discovered. At the rising of the 

 moon or shortly after, the deer having risen from their beds, approach the 

 lick. Such placed are generally denuded of timber, but surrounded by it; 

 and as the animal is about to emerge from the shade into the clear moon- 

 light, he stops, looks cautiously around, and snuffs the air. Then he advances 

 a few steps, and stops again, smells the ground, or raises his expanded 

 nostrils, as if he " snuffed the approach of danger in every tainted breeze." 

 The hunter sits motionless, and almost breathless, waiting until the animal 

 shall get within rifle shot, and until its position in relation to the hunter, and 

 the light, shall be favourable, when he fires with an unerring aim. A few 

 deer only can be thus taken in one night, and afler a few nights these timor- 

 ous animals are driven from the haunts which are thus disturbed. 



Another practice is called driving, and is only practised' in those parts of 

 the country where thiS' kind of game is scarce, and where hunting is pursued 

 as an amusement. A large party is made up, and the hunters ride forth with 

 their dogs. The hunting ground is selected, and as it is pretty well known 

 what tracks are usually taken by the deer when started, an individual is 

 placed at each of those passes, to intercept the retreating animal. The 

 scene of action being thus, in some measure, sinTounded, small parties* 

 advance with the dogs from different directions, and the startled deer, in flying, 

 most generally pass some of the persons who are concealed, and who fire at 

 them as they pass. 



The elk; has disappeared. A few have been seen in late years, and some taken ; 

 but it is not known that any remain at this time, within the limits of the state. 



The bear is seldom seen. This animal inhabits those parts of the country 

 that are thickly w^ooded, and delights particularly in cane brakes, where it 

 feeds in the winter on the tender shoots of the young cane. The meat is 

 tender and finely flavoured, and is esteemed a great delicacy. 



Wolves arc very numerous in every part of the state. There are two 

 kinds : the corhmon, or black wolfi and the prairie wolf The former is a 

 large fierce animal, and very destructive to sheep, pigs, calves, poultry, and 

 even young colts. They hunt in large packs, and after using every strata- 

 gem to circumvent their prey, attack it with remarkable ferocity. Like the 

 Indian, they always endeavour to surprise their victim, and strike the mortal 

 blow without exposing themselves to danger. They seldom attack man, 

 except when asleep or wovmded. The largest animals, when wounded, 

 entangled, or otherwise disabled, become their prey , but in general they 

 only attack such as are incap;iblo of resistance. They have been known to 

 lie in wait upon the bank of a stream which the buffaloes were in the habit 



