March 28, 1896. J 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
261 
\yortmt\<m ^aumt 
TWO OCEAN PASS. 
IN a former letter I have described our trip via Two 
Ocean Pass to our camp on the headwaters of Bridger's 
Creek. I shall from now on simply copy from my diary. 
Monday, Sept. 4— This was my own guide (Phillips's) first 
visit to this section of the country, but Woody and Billy 
Hague had camped here the previous year with a party of 
English officers. From camp, which was situated at an 
elevation of 9,000ft., we could see some rough high moun- 
tains, the haunts of bighorn sheep, and I was particularly 
anxious to secure a good head of one of these animals. 
This day (Monday) Phillips and I took the wrong trail 
trying to get up to the sheep ground, and followed a 
small creek almost to its source through a canon with 
sides so steep that after some futile attempts to ascend 
them we had to give it up, and returned to camp, I some- 
what disgusted with my guide. Phillips is a good man, 
and no doubt a good hunter by himself, but he is head- 
strong, and hunts too much with his legs and too little 
with his brains. This morning, for instance, I pointed 
out to him what I thought was the right trail, but he in- 
sisted that Billy had told him the trail through the canon 
was the right one. As we were not provided with flying 
machines, we could not get over the top of it. 
Upon our return to camp we found that P. had killed a 
12-point bull wapiti. C. turned up later, having Been some 
sheep, but had been unable to get a shot at them. He 
had, however, killed a swift, and brought back the ekia 
for the purpose of making a rug of it. 
Tuesday, Sept. 5.— This morning Phillips and I made 
another start for the high ground, having previously 
ascertained the right way to it from Woody, who con- 
firmed my opinion of the previous day. We went horse- 
back for a couple of miles until a steep hillside covered 
with sagebrush obliged us to dismount. We led our 
horses during the ascent, and when after a severe climb 
of an hour and a quarter we reached the top, a lovely 
view of mountain scenery met our gaze. To our left we 
could discern some very rough country, cut up by ravines 
and only sparsely settled on the farther side, while in 
front and some distance ahead there rose a gigantic rocky 
buttress almost bare of vegetation, for we were close to 
timber line. 
This looked like good sheep ground, and as the hill we 
were on connected by a rough spur with the mountain in 
front, we tied our horses to trees and proceeded on foot. 
Every now and then we scanned the country carefully 
with our field glasses, but no game was to be seen, and 
there was a complete absence of fresh signs. From our 
elevated position we got a very good view of the surround- 
ing country and made our plans for subsequent hunts. 
In the afternoon, when we were on our way back to 
our horses, Phillips espied what he declared to be a big 
bull on a canon far below us. The glasses told me that it 
was a bull, but a small one only; nevertheless, to humor 
my guide, I decided on the stalk. To get near the bull 
we had to make an almost sheer descent of some 1,500ft.; 
but after we left the ridge the wind changed and began 
to blow from the wrong quarter, so that when we got to 
the place where the bull should have been he had disap- 
peared. Evidently there had been more than one of 
these animals, for we noticed quite a number of fresh 
tracks of different sizes. Tired and disgusted, we made 
our way back to where we had left our horses, hunting 
on the way through several miles of green timber. Just 
before we reached our horses we heard several shots fired 
in rapid succession, and by the smoke located the place, 
but could not on account of the trees see the sportsmen, 
C. and Billy. A moment later, however, we could see 
two large bulls emerge from the forest, about a mile 
away. One of them descended into the canon we liad 
just left, the other one entered a small clump of ever- 
greens, from which he did not emerge again. Soon after 
we could see C. and his guide follow the tracks of the 
bulls. As it was getting dark and was furthermore be- 
ginning to rain, we returned to camp. C. and Billy came 
in late and empty-handed, having lost the tracks of the 
bulls in the dark, both of which 0. had wounded. 
This day, after luncheon, while Phillips was smoking 
his pipe, I took a stroll by myself, and came upon the 
carcass of a small sheep, which had evidently been killed 
only a month or so before; and some 40yds. from it, when 
looking upon the ground for tracks, found a discharged 
.40-82 Winchester cartridge. A sportsman has to go far 
indeed nowadays to find a place where another one has 
not been before. 
P. stayed in camp this day. He had made a vow not to 
shave until after ne had killed his first bull. Having 
been successful the day before, I hardly recognized P. in 
the clean-looking gentleman who greeted us upon our 
return to camp. 
C. cleaned the hollow pointed express bullets which he 
used in his .45-90 Winchester for his non-success, and re- 
solved to use only solid bullets hereafter. 
Wednesday, Sept. 6.— Near the place where I picked up 
the old .40 82 Winchester cartridge yesterday, Phillips 
and I saw two small bulls on the other side of the ravine, 
half a mile away. They had got our wind and were get- 
ting out of the country in great haste, raising great clouds 
of dust where they went over the bare hillside. Leaving 
our horses in a little ravine net far from where we 8a w the 
bulls, I descried a large blacktail bull — the only one that 
I saw during the trip— on the higher ground which we 
had just left. He was looking straight at us, and as he 
had no doubt been disturbed by us there was no use in 
trying to get near him. We then went on the hill which 
I had seen in the distance the day before, and which 
looked such a likely place for sheep. The ascent was very 
steep, and we had to cross a large snowbank near the 
summit; but this day I had the satisfaction of tiring out 
Phillips completely, he declaring "that I was the d— st 
white man for climbing a mountain that he ever saw." 
We reached the summit about noon, and took a careful 
look with the glasses at the other side; but no sheep or 
other game could we see. The view here was sublimely 
grand, it being the highest point we had been on so 
far. 
After luncheon we carefully retraced our steps, and 
upon reaching the "green timber" near which we had left 
our horses, concluded to hunt elk, fresh signs hereabout 
being abundant. Walking quietly along the sloping hill- 
side I soon jumped a good bull, but he disappeared in the 
forest before I could get my rifle to the shoulder. A few 
minutes later, and while I was scrambling over a nasty 
piece of sliderock, Phillips, who had already crossed, 
called to me to "turn around and shoot, quick!" I man- 
aged to turn around in time to put in a quick snap shot at 
a bull who had allowed us to pass him, but missed. 
We then returned to camp, I not very much elated over 
my bad luck and worse shooting. C. and Billy and P. 
WHITE ANTELOPE WOMAN AND HER CHILD NATOYE (BLESSED). 
Forest and Stream's exhibit of the Native American Hunter. 
and Woody also came in empty-handed; the latter, how- 
ever, had seen a band of elk and some mountain sheep, 
unfortunately without getting a shot at either. 
Thursday, Sept. 7.— P. and myself , with our guides, 
started out for the head of the valley in which our camp 
was situated, P. and Woody taking the right, and Phillips 
and I taking the left side. We went horseback for about 
eight miles and then separated. While Phillips was 
tethering the horses I thought I heard a bull "whistle" 
on the hill above us, and upon scanning the mountain 
side with my glasses saw four elk, three cows and a bull, 
half a mile above us. After some rough scrambling and 
climbing, and when yet some distance from the herd, we 
jumped another, smaller bull. As he was going in the 
direction of where the others were and would likely 
alarm them anyhow, I killed him with a shot in the 
shoulder. So steep was the ground that the bull, after 
receiving the shot, rolled down the hillside for at least 
50yds. before he was stopped in his descent by a small 
tree. After gralloching the animal, who had a head of 
only eight points, we proceeded on our way and were 
directly met by P. and Woody. They had, with their 
glasses, seen several bull elk from the opposite side of the 
valley on the hill toward which we were going. One of 
these bulls Woody described as being of truly immense 
size. We now decided to hunt in company, and after 
luncheon and a short rest climbed the hill, near the top 
of which P. and W. had seen the elk. When near the 
top I, being a trifle in advance, saw on the opposite 
mountain an immense bull — likely the same one that 
Woody had seen. The animal was going along the side 
of the mountain, which was so steep that it seemed 
almost impossible for any animal less nimble than a 
mountain sheep to keep its footing. Several times the 
bull did slip down a couple of yards, but he always re- 
covered his footing. As he was at least 800yds. away he 
was of course too far for a shot. Although the early part 
of the day had been fine it now began to rain and snow. 
P. now proposed that we separate; Phillips and I were to 
go to the top of the hill, and he and Woody were to hunt 
the ground we then were on, and which was part-lite in 
its nature. I had hardly proceeded a couple of hund red 
yards when I heard P. shoot twice, and upon rejoining 
him found that he had killed a smallish bull of ten points, 
hitting him each time. While we were skinning the 
bull a cow came to within 50yds. of our party and stood 
looking at us for some time, and on our way down to the 
horses we saw another cow. It rained hard during our 
way back to camp and the rain during the night changed 
to snow. C. did not get out this day, but stayed around 
camp, where he killed a couple of mallards and caught 
some trout. Fishing was not near as good up here as 
further below. 
Friday, Sept. 8. — When we woke up in the morning 
we found that it was snowing and blowing very hard, and 
therefore decided to stay in camp. During the morning 
we amused ourselves by reading and playing cards, and 
thoroughly cleaned our rifles and the shotgun. But after 
dinner, about 1 o'clock, when the storm had let up some- 
what, P. and Woody went out and did not return until 
long after dark. P. was greatly elated, having killed a 
magnificent bull of fourteen points. 
Paul Francke. 
ANOTHER GROWL. 
Editor Fvrest and Stream: 
I inclose you the following clipping taken from our 
local paper, the Hoosick Falls Standard: "A meeting of 
the Eensselaer and Washington Protective Fish and Game 
Association was held on Feb. 25. About twenty-five new 
members were voted into the Association. It was de- 
cided to send Messrs. W. E. Heaton and M. E. Brimmer 
to Albany to confer with the Game Commission in regard 
to introducing a bill in the Legislature to cover and make 
special laws for the county of Rensselaer and certain ad- 
joining towns in Washington county. It is the desire 
of this Association to keep the woods and streams well 
stocked, and if possible to have laws to protect them, and 
to see that these laws are enforced." 
This Association is something new here, having been in 
existence only about one month. This is just what we 
have needed for many years, and although it savors a 
little of "locking the door after the horse has been 
stolen," yet let us hope it is not too late yet to replenish 
our depleted covers and restock our streams. 
Where four or five years ago you could find grouse and 
woodcock plentiful in almost any cover now you might 
travel all day long and could consider yourself very for- 
tunate if you brought to bag one or two birds. Yet de- 
spite all this they are peddled from house to house at 50 
cents per pair. This may seem strange, yet it is so. Ask 
one of these market hunters how he gets so many birds 
and he will unblushingly declare, "Why, I snare 'em of 
course." 
Again, it was but a few years ago when you could go 
into almost any piece of woods and make a good bag of 
rabbits in a short time; now there is not one in ten left 
to tell the tale. And what is the reason? Ferrets. Fer- 
rets from the first of September to the last of March; and 
rabbits sold at 25 cents a pair. 
And our streams and ponds are in even worse shape. 
They have been netted, lined and blown (as it is called 
around here) until there is scarcely a fish of any size 
left. 
I have often read in Forest and Stream that "it is not 
all of fishing to fish." Here we cannot agree with that, 
for it is all fishing and no fish with us, but never mind, 
better times are coming; and I think next season that the 
first one who ferrets a rabbit, dynamites a trout brook or 
snares a partridge will hear something drop. A.nd then 
perhaps I will growl some more, but for the present 
enough. And no doubt the editor will agree with me 
that it is enough. Old Drive. 
■Or 
fi__ _L 
BEAR CHIEF. 
Photo-multigraph (of five positions at one sitting) by Mr. J. D. Bancker, No. 98 Sixth Avenue, New.York, 
