188 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Feb. 24, 1894. 



BUFFALO IN COLORADO. 



Denver, Col., Feb. 10. — Editor Forest and Stream: A 

 few weeks ago the people of Colorado were regaled with 

 a Fairy story in our newspapers, about certain deputy 

 game wardens who, this time, had discovered a second 

 herd of wild buffalo in Colorado. They said these 

 animals were in North Park, in Routt county, and 

 numbered about two dozen; that they were being fed and 

 protected by the neighboring farmers, who wanted no 

 special deputy game warden to watch them. We are fre- 

 quently amused by this kind of game stories, but the 

 subject seldom rises to the dignity of a whole herd of 

 buffalo. They generally refer to deer, elk, fish or other 

 small cattle. Just now it is clouds of elk among the 

 farmers of Routt county, variously estimated by rival game 

 wardens at from 2,000 to 10,000 head, and they, too, are 

 being fed daily by the philanthropic farmers. When this 

 kind of a story is started by some enthusiastic deputy, 

 and is repeated officially by the chief warden, and thus 

 gets into the hands of the talented newspapers reporters, 

 there is no telling to what magnitude it may grow. We 

 may find a flock of mastodons here yet. 



To show the absurdity of this buffalo story, it is only 

 necessary to state that Routt county is not in North Park, 

 and that no part of North Park is in Routt county. That 

 no neighborhood of farmers would feed and protect such 

 a herd without consideration, or without the knowledge 

 of the public at large, even if the animals were disposed 

 to stay with them, which they would not do. It is 

 probable that some deputy game warden has heard a dim 

 and misty story about the remnant of what was a few 

 years ago" known as the Middle Park herd of buffalo. 



As buffalo literature is not very plentiful these later 

 days, Forest and Stream may be willing to give space to 

 a brief history of this band. Thirty odd years ago, it was 

 well known to the few people who visited that region. It 

 had evidentally chosen its permanent abode there, and 

 ranged throughout the park and its bordering slopes, 

 winter and summer. This is a section of country about 

 fifty by ninety miles; of mountains, hills and valleys; 

 timber and prairie. About thirty years ago the band was 

 noted as having a white animal in it. This was after- 

 wards killed and proved to be a common ox. The herd 

 was drawn upon moderately for meat by prospectors and 

 trappers who visited the neighborhood. 



In 1874, Middle Park first began to receive permanent 

 settlement, although the northern band of Ute Indians 

 claimed possession until four years later. In the winter of 

 1875-6, these Indians established their winter camp in the 

 western edge of the park near where Grand River leaves 

 it. The winter was very severe with a remarkable fall 

 and accumulation of snow. In the latter part of the 

 winter, the Indians found the buffalo "snowed in" on the 

 head waters of the Muddy (Fremont's Milk River), near 

 Whiteley's Peak, in the northwestern edge of the park. 

 Taking advantage of their helpless condition, the noble 

 red man slaughtered all that could be conveniently 

 reached — between sixty and seventy. Some reports say 

 more. A few animals escaped by hiding in the willows 

 along the little streams, or by breaking a way through 

 the snow to the ridges where it was less deep. The 

 Indians took the tongues and a small portion of the meat. 

 The great bulk of it was left to rot. The next spring a 

 citizen of Hot Sulphur Springs went to the ground with 

 a team and brought away a wagon load of tallow that he 

 took from the carcasses. 



The few animals that escaped made their way in a 

 northwesterly direction some, twenty miles, and took 

 refuge upon a depressed and broadened section of the 

 main range of the Rocky Mountain range. They found 

 there an extended range, mainly timbered with spruce, 

 pine and fir timber, with aspen groves and thickets upon 

 the lower levels, with abundance of open prairie country 

 interspersed that furnished plenty of the best of grass; a 

 very ideal summer pasture and not bad in winter, except 

 in the event of a very hard and snowy one like that of 

 1875-6. There has been none such since. The altitude is 

 from 8,500 to 10,000ft. above sea level, and the country is 

 yet an absolute wilderness. Here a few buffalo were oc- 

 casionally seen by hunters, but none were reported as 

 being killed except as hereafter stated, 



A year or two after the Indian slaughter, some travelers 

 came into Hot Sulphur Springs and reported that they 

 had seen two buffalo with a bunch of cattle near the 

 road, eight or nine miles east of the Springs. They 

 evidently thought the buffalo belonged with the cattle 

 and did not disturb them. Nobody knew this to be the 

 case, and so there was a chance for an easy buffalo hunt. 

 Some of the hot-bloods of the town were soon upon their 

 horses, with guns, and before night the two buffaloes were 

 butchered in cold blood in the midst of the cattle herd. 

 They proved to be yearlings and where they came from 

 was never known, but it was most probably from the herd 

 in the northern edge of the park. 



Yet later, by a year or two, there came into the park 

 three brothers, known as the Porter boys. They located 

 in a little obscure valley about four miles northwest of 

 the Springs, and built a cabin. They had been buffalo 

 killers, hide hunters and bone gatherers on the plains, and 

 played a large part in the extermination of the great 

 plains herds. That business was finished. . They brought 

 their hunting outfit with them, including teams and 

 wagons. They turned their attention entirely to trapping 

 and hunting. Colorado already had a game protective 

 law which provided for a close season upon all important 

 game animals, and prohibited absolutely the killing of 

 buffalo. Hot Sulphur Springs was by that time quite a 

 lively frontier town, with many visitors. Hotel keepers 

 and others were quite willing to wink at infractions of the 

 game law, provided there was a share of the profit in it 

 for themselves. Elk and deer meat could be bought 

 cheaper thaa beef. The Porter boys soon found a ready 

 market and much profit in their unlawful business, but in 

 order to escape unpleasant consequences, they had to 

 "sneak" their game in at night. One morning, the fact 

 developed that they had in the night before offered 

 buffalo meat for sale. They said they had killed one, but 

 assured their customer that whenever he wanted more of 

 that kind of meat, they could find it for him; that they 

 knew where it was. To anotner citizen they offered two 

 buffalo tongues and told about the same story. The news 

 leaked out early in the morning. A complaint was made 

 before a justice of the peace, who issued a summons for 

 the elder Porter. The regular constable was absent. A 

 special was appointed to serve the paper. He mounted a 

 horse and proceeded to Porter's cabin, where he found the I 



proprietor, with whom he was acquainted, engaged in 

 pegging out a fresh buffalo skin to dry. After the greet- 

 ings of the day, dismounting and with his bridle over bis 

 arm, the constable said, "Mr. Porter, I have a paper to 

 serve cn you," which be began reading. Porter imme- 

 diately responded: "Hold on, hold on, I don't want any 

 of that, d— you." The constable looked up and into the 

 muzzle of a very vigorous looking ".45." Porter reached 

 for the paper and tore it up saying, "You'd better get 

 home." The constable got home and said he wanted no 

 more commissions like that. 



Porter had now violated the law and resisted an officer 

 and naturally felt uneasy. He could defy a frontier 

 court and intimidate its constable, but the district court 

 was to sit at the Springs in a few weeks, and he did not 

 want to face that. A day or two later, it was discovered 

 the Porter boys had mysteriously disappeared with all 

 their movable goods and ' chattels. The next heard of 

 them they were in Montana, at the old business. The 

 people of the Springs have had no buffalo meat since. In 

 their excursions for elk and deer, the Porters had acci- 

 dentally stumbled upon the buffalo. I have heard of none 

 being killed since, and very seldom of their being seen. 

 In 1884. Judge Spicer, now of Chicago, while hunting 

 young elk for capture, in the region referred to, saw five, 

 and soon after described them to the writer. He -was 

 intent upon his elk chase and did not pay much attention 

 to the buffalo or look for more. 



The Lost Park herd of buffalo is about seventy-five 

 miles southwest of Denver. The location is a peculiar 

 one and singularly inaccesible — never frequented by 

 man. It is a depression among the low mountains east of 

 South Park and about 8,000ft. above sea level. The last 

 known raid upon this herd was about six years ago, by 

 a well known Denver man, who boasted of having killed 

 one very large bull. The meat spoiled before he could 

 get it to the railway— some fifteen or twenty miles 

 distant. I think he also lost the head and hide. Although 

 the facts were notoriously well known, he was never 

 prosecuted. Quite an excitement was raised about two 

 years ago by a report that a taxidermist was among 

 these buffalo killing right and left. The game warden 

 fairly surrounded the district with deputies, and made a 

 thorough search for offenders, but found none. The case 

 was left in complete uncertainty as to whether any 

 offence had been committed or attempted, or not. The 

 carcass of one cow was found, but it could not be deter- 

 mined whether she had been killed by man or had died 

 from some other cause. No part had been taken away. 

 From reports it would appear that this band is increasing 

 in numbers. Their range is now included in a National 

 Forest Reserve. I believe, also, that a few of the old time 

 Middle Park herd yet live, but I do not believe that 

 farmers are feeding any of them. 



For the private information of the Forest and Stream, 

 I inclose a map showing the location of these buffalo 

 "game holes," and also where the Ute slaughter occurred 

 in the winter of 1875-6. Wm. N. Byers. 



A Pair of Pet Quail. 



Lincoln, Neb., Jan. 23. — One day last November I went 

 hunting in company with a friend namedi^unningham. 

 We drove twelve miles west of Lincoln to his farm near 

 Malcolm. My friend asked one of the men how the pet 

 quail were getting along. He had hardly asked the 

 question, when one of the children said, "See, there they 

 go now!" The birds were then running on the ground 

 near the house and flew on a small outhouse, and one of 

 the little skirls went out and climbed upon a wagon stand- 

 ing near the house and tried to get them, but they were 

 too high for her to reach. The birds (a cock and hen) sat 

 perfectly still all the time and did not attempt to fly until 

 quite a little while after she had climbed down. These 

 birds were taken during haying lastsummer; the machine 

 was run over the nest, killing the old birds; there were 

 fifteen birds in the nest, just hatched. One of the men 

 took them to the house and gave them to a hen, which 

 had just hatched a setting of eggs, and they were kept 

 in confinement for a few days, when they were liberated ; 

 thirteen of them left. The children have fondled and 

 played with these two so much that they can pick them 

 up most any time. They roost in the hen house with the 

 chickens. 



We found one covey of birds about 5:30 P. M., and suc- 

 ceeded in killing six of them, but it was getting too late 

 in the day to follow them up close. I had a young dog 

 which had never been handled. What do you think of a 

 young dog holding a point until three quail were shot at 

 over him, two of them killed, the gun reloaded and the 

 third one flushed and missed; and this after only having 

 been hunted about four times, and nearly two years old 

 and never yard broken? 



We had lots of birds (quail) here this season ; we could 

 hear and see them everywhere; and plenty of birds were 

 leftover. C. G. F. 



The Weight of Bears. 



Cora, Wyo. — Editor Forest and Stream: I noticed 

 in Forest and Stream of Dec. 16 an article on "Bears of 

 North America," in which the writer says that 8001bs. is 

 about the limit for grizzlies, and that I am inclined to 

 think is very nearly correct. 



At the time of reading the article I had just returned 

 from a hunt for grizzlies with a New York gentleman, 

 and we succeeded in bagging one of the largest I ever 

 saw. As the weight of bears had been under discussion 

 we determined to weigh this one and set all guess work to 

 rest. On the day following the killing of his bearship we 

 armed ourselves with a 50ibs. scale and returned to the 

 carcass. This we cut into pieces and weighed, and when 

 through and summed up we had a total of 7971bs. 



This bear had laid himself away for the winter far up 

 in the mountains near timber line, and it was with much 

 coaxing and teasing that he was induced to come out so 

 we could examine bis fur, but when he did come it was 

 with a rush and a bo-wah! she-ivah! that was intended to 

 make one's hair stand on end. He made a charge at me 

 and the New Yorker failed to stop his coming until he 

 was within 3ft. of me, then he turned on a coat that I 

 had laid on a log a few steps away and nearly shook it 

 into rags before letting go to die. 



This was nearly a year to a day from the time when 

 another grizzly was taking choice steaks out of my 

 anatomy and in the same locality. Ira Dodge. 



Seven live Rocky Mountain oik for sale. Exhibited at World's Fair, 

 Gentle. Price very low. Soper& Arter, 46 Lake street, Chicago,— Adv, 



STOP THE SALE OF GAME. 



A Platform Plank. — The sale of game should be forbidden at all 

 times.— Forest and Stream, Feb. 10. 



West Duluth, Minn.— Editor Forest and Stream: In- 

 closed find clipping from The North, published at Minne- 

 apolis: 



The quantity of game handled yearly in this State by cold storage 

 companies is something enormous; at least 4,000 carcasses of venison 

 for the past year, and for the same period 280,000 birds. From Lake 

 Pepin alone there has been shipped this year 500 tons of coarse fish, 

 such as sturgeon, catfish, red horse, etc. The fishing industry of the 

 State is an important one. More than 6,000 tons of fish are annually 

 handled in tbe cities of St, Paul and Minneapolis and Duluth. During 

 the year the State Board of Fish Commissioners have confiscated and 

 destroyed 339 nets, which spread out would cover a distance of eight 

 miles. Their combined value was $3,500. — The North. 



It isn't the amount of game taken in Minnesota by legit- 

 imate sportsmen that will exterminate, but this wholesale 

 killing for the market that is fast cleaning out our forests 

 and lakes. I know of lakes that eight years ago teemed 

 with black bass, where big fellows of from 3 to 51bs. 

 weight each could be taken as fast as they could be played 

 and landed, that are now cleaned out, and not by use of 

 hook and line either. We have much lake and wood that 

 will be prolific of game for years, but only because of its 

 being remote from shipping stations. Our game wardens 

 do not do their duty near as well as the Fish Commission- 

 ers, and illegal killing of deer is the result in all seasons. 



Hartford, Conn., Feb. 17. — Editor Forest and Stream: 

 I think your scheme of ' 'stopping the sale of game at all 

 times, by all persons and in all plaees," is the true way to 

 prevent the total extermination of game. 



A. C. Collins. 



A WARNING FROM CANADA. 



Toronto, Feb. 12. — Editor Forest and Stream: Your 

 issue of Feb. 10, which has just come to hand bearing 

 new terrors for sportsmen interested in wildfowl, re- 

 minds me that on several occasions during the past few 

 months, upon reading reports of the destruction of game 

 in the United States, I have resolved to ask your permis- 

 sion to draw the attention of your readers to what I be- 

 lieve to be the greatest danger which threatens the exist- 

 ence of migratory game. 



Sportsmen throughout the whole range of the flight of 

 migratory birds are equally interested in their protection, 

 but every one must admit that the power to utterly exter- 

 minate them is with those controlling their breeding 

 grounds. In Ontario we pride ourselves that tbe game 

 law has for the most part been framed from the sports- 

 man's point of view, and therefore from an unselfish 

 point of view. It is many years since spring duck shoot- 

 ing has been allowed here, and even in the open season 

 no one man may shoot more than 400 ducks. Even in the 

 case of plover and other waders, spring shooting is not 

 allowed, although they are seldom seen in any numbers 

 in the fall. The open season for .duck begins Sept. 1, and 

 many species only stay with us for less than a month 

 after that date. These and other valuable provisions of 

 the law have not been obtained without opposition, which 

 becomes stronger instead of weaker on each occasion that 

 an amendment is brought before our Legislature, and it 

 ought to be understood throughout those States lying to 

 the south of Ontario that unless we can prove that some 

 little self-denial is being exercised to the south of us by 

 dealers in, and purchasers of, game as well as by sports- 

 men, the time is not far distant when we may be over- 

 borne by the cry which is now heard in every discussion 

 of the game question (I give it as it is heard): "Why 

 should we preserve game for the Yankees?" 



Almost every week throughout the winter our papers 

 contain more or less exaggerated reports of the slaughter 

 of ducks etc., in the South, and of the use of night lights, 

 batteries, punt guns, etc., and there certainly is a strong 

 feeling among the mass of the people who are not active 

 sportsmen , that our gunners might as well be allowed (in 

 the language of the game hog) to get their share before 

 the last duck is killed. It is unnecessary to say that such 

 arguments are used with considerable effect by many 

 sworn foes of game laws, and they may at no distant date 

 control a majority in our Legislature, in which case it 

 will not be very long before decoys will be chiefly of use 

 for firewood. 



Personally I have for many years tried to have my 

 finger in the pie at_the earliest probable date when any 

 amendment to the game law was being drafted, and have 

 not been far away from the lobbies when any bill has 

 been before the Legislature, and I have taken part in 

 numberless discussions upon the subject, and I regret to 

 say the above statements are well within the mark. I 

 trust that no sportsmen will misunderstand the spirit in 

 which this letter is written; it is intended as a warning, 

 and not as a threat. Ontario sportsmen would not allow 

 spring shooting or take away protection from wildfowl if 

 it were certain that nine-tenths of the ducks would be 

 killed before next season, but unfortunately they are not 

 in the majority, and they can only hold the present law 

 as long as they can convince the majority that they ought 

 fairly to be allowed to do so. Verbum sap. 



What do we want, you will ask; in order to strengthen 

 our hands? Nothing more than every sportsman wants, 

 viz. , no spring shooting, and to the sportsmen this warn- 

 ing is addressed merely as an argument to be urged upon 

 the Legislature of their respective States, "If you don't 

 abolish spring shooting, Canada will not long continue to 

 forbid it and we may then have no ducks to protect. 



While I am upon this subject, perhaps you may allow 

 me as a wildfowler of not a little experience to state my 

 opinion that it is quite within our power to make ducks 

 again as plentiful as they were twenty or thirty years ago. 

 All sportsmen must agree that the ideal plan is the new 

 plank of the Forest and Stream platform, "No Traffic in 

 Game," but wildfowlers need not go so far, "One year's 

 rest" is good enough for us if spring shooting is abolished. 

 Or if it is too much to ask purchasers to deny their ap- 

 petites and dealers their profits for one year in order to 

 I>rovide plenty for years to come, protect marsh duck for 

 one year and deep-water duck the next, and let protection 

 include an absolute prohibition of sale no matter where 

 procured. vVmend the law of each State by adding a 

 provision that the governor shall have power by pro? 



