The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-03-07
BUFFALO HUNTING.
How BuGaloes are Killed In Manitoba
shaggy Monsters with 1mpenetrable
Heads.

How BuGaioes are Killed In Manitoba
shaggy Monsters with Impenetrable
| Heads.
A correspondent writes from Manitoba,
British America, to the New York S,tn,
telling how buGaloes are hunted in thatre
| gion. He says The hunt at this season of
the year is generally for robes; but the
scarcity OF provisions necessitates the saw
ing of much of the meat which, at other
times, would become the prey of the VOL
YES. In buffalo robes the season makes
great difference. Before November
after New Years Day it gets ragged,
and its rich black brown is bleached
to the color of tow, especially along
the animals back. The robes are
generally taken from the COWS, some.
times from the young bulls, but
never from the old bulls, whose hides
are much too thick and heavy. The
skins are usually split down the back in
dressing, being too bulky to handle easi.
ly in one piece 4he process of tanning
is left entirely in the hands of the Indian
women. one squaw being supposed ca
pable of dressing ten hides per year. The
skins retained by the Indians for their
own use are dressed much more beauti.
fully, and are in every way superior to
those sold to the traders.
AS a general rule buffalo are hunted
during the winter months by stalking
them on foot. BY this method the hunter
takes advantage of every depression in
the prairie, of bushes. snow-drifts, any,
thing that will conceal his body, to ap-
proach within shooting distance of the
herd. And it is very satisfactory mode
of hunting, when you are not charged by
some old bull, only to find yourself with
an empty gun and no means of getting
ont of the way. I recall an inc dent of
this nature which occurred to me while
hunting some time since near the Indian
Elbow.
shouldered my rifle one morning and
walked mile or two alone into the
prairie on the chance of shooting fat
COW. The only herd I could get near
was feeding in the open plain, but a
slight undulation enabled me to get
within fifty yards; nearer could not go,
being already just on the edge of the
wind. The cows, unluckily, were on the
further side, good fifty PAGES beyond
the bulls; still thought it possible to
kill one. Before had got fair aim,
however, they took the alarm and began
to move off, upon which l rather too
hastily fired both barrels at them. I
found myself in trouble at once. The
old bulls, instead of moving off, too, re.
mained on the spot, believing, paving
the ground, and looking iercely about
them. It was the season when they are
especially savage and dangerous.
1 could not load while stretched flat
on the turf; if I raised myself in the
least I came into view; if I lay still I
was equally sure to be discovered, ow-
ing to a shift in the wind, which now
blew toward them. After moments
thought 1 resolved to load at all haz-
ards; so, getting everything ready, 1
raised myself and began to load one
barrel as quickly as possible. The buf.
faloes must have seen me, but as none
of them showed symptoms of charging
1 grew bolder. Taking deliberate aim,
1 fired at the nearest one. AS soon as
the smoke cleared away, saw my game
, give convulsive start, move off a short
! distance and then stop, while all his
companions ran away. Thinking he was
done for, I walked slowly toward him.
!, No sooner, however, did he catch sight
of me than, to my utter astonishment,
up went his tail and down went his
head, and he came at me like shot.
Here was a pretty situation Not a
/, piece of cover the size of ones hand to
fly to. ran for it, but he took three
! steps to my one. Seeing he was close
; on me tried to dodge him. swerved
suddenly to one side to escape the shock.
But it was no use; I failed in the at
tempt. To my horror he bolted around
,, more quickly than did. I had barely
time to turn sideways, as I met his
charge, in hopes of getting between his
. horns, when he came plump against me
y with shock like battering ram. 1t
! was like being hit with sofa cushion
shot from a cannon. My gun was broken
to pieces by one horn, and my clothes
! torn by the other. 1 went sailing into
. mid-air. landed at last, falling in the
g snow, while my huge assailant subsided
= = in snowdrift little beyond. I was
D not the least hurt, the force of the tre
e mendous blow being perfectly deadened
q by the enormous mass of wool, fur ant
= hair that clothed his shaggy headpiece
!, A full-grown bull is immensely shag
= ! gy, especially about the head, which is
: ! covered with such a vast quantity O
= hair, fur and wool hanging down ovel
LILO C,SCo anu ulbioSO oohSCuiiho LID hol Id
y as to give it the appearance of being
! fully third the size of the Who'll,
! body. To shoot at the head Of bul
- wearing this heavy cushion of hair as
:, helmet, is sheer waste of ammunition
. 1t has no more effect than firing at
stone wall. once found out this Will
! hunting an old bull, very thin and sick
n ly, hardly able to move. 1t was mere
q to save him from the cruelty of the wolves
- SO, as he had to die, rode past him an
n gave him shot for practice sake
:, bufalo's strange form making him
i puzzling mark for beginner. But
). placed it too high, as one is always ar
= to do, and it merely dropped him on hi
! knees. I then dismounted, and, wall
i ing close up to him. fired both barrel
g of a smooth-bore gun right at the cente
. of his forehead. It was as though clio
. of earth had struck him. The bull re
mained in the same position, glaring 6
me with savage eyes the densely mai
ted hair on his thick skull had complete
d ly de6ed the penetrative force of
10 smooth bore. then went to conrad
t. and borrowed an Enfield rifle. At tn
n first shot the conical bullet passed clea
,r through hair and bone, and the old bu
1t falo rolled over dead.
IS The COW is swifter than the bull; br
a fieetest of all is the OK, though they al