The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1880-11-10
The RATTLE AZ The EIks.


A New York Herald correspondent
accompanied General Crook and several
other gentlemen on a hunting excursion
in Wyoming Territory. The results oil
the hunt as a whole are best summed
up by the following "bag OF game,
much Of which was brought through 70
Omaha and points beyond: -Four bears,
eighteen buck elk, with magnificent
anilers; sixteen mule deer, ten ante
lopes, grouse and sage hens without
number. This passage from the CORE
spondent's letter will be found interest
ing reading:
At General Crooks suggestion 1t was
decided that owing TO the abundance o
the game, a fact amply proved, h
party should only kill such quantities IS
could be eaten or transported to their
friends, and not leave it to lie or rot on
the plains, as is frequently the ease
when game is abundant. As a result oil
this determination not a single COW or
calf was numbered among the elk killed
by the party.
When it is known that in the noun
tains or on the plains the hunter was
frequently within $50 or 900 yards IRON
herds of elk, numbering from fifty to
500, the wisdom of General Crooks sug-
gestion is seen. The habits OF the elk
have thus far been little known, u II
| was the fortune of members of our party,
both on the initiatday OF the hunt and
later, to remain concealed for hours in
the neighborhood of and occasionally
almost in the midst of large herds oil
these animals, with which the noun
tains were thronged.
1t was discovered that each terd oil
elks was controlled by a few bucks
which proved to be those animals able
to maintain the mastery over all the
other bucks. The proportion of large
horned bucks was small, perhaps n tC
every twenty-five animals, but there
are frequently four or five bucks seen II
a herd of this number, the question o
superiority not having been settled
Such instances, however, were Away
SN1A
accompanied by terrific fights between
the bucks for the mastery, in which no
unfrequently large pieces were broker
of their magnificent antlers, and in on,
instance we found q buck whom col
tinued fights had left with but one sol
tary stump rs an apology for a horn
but this veteran was still game. On
member of our party succeeded by per
sistent labor and caution on n occa
sion in approaching withintwo hundre
Yards of a band of not less than on
hundred. There were four bucks in tn
band, three standing outside, not ye
willing to acknowledge defeat and leav
the band, and yet whom the fourth ha
evidently driven out. The conquero
wandered proudly around through th
band, shaking his towering horns at tn
outsiders as if to invite them to retur
aud renew the combat.
Finally one of the tucks advanced an
a sight was witnessed which it is NJ
often the lot of 2 hunter, sven in the ia
West, to witness. The two ANNA
came savagely together, their head
striking with a loud report. There WI
a locking of horns, several fierce plunge
a terrific struggle which lasted for son
minutes. the outsider being again VA,
pushed and driven out, several Til
having been broken off his horns tt
defeated buck was completely exhauste,
his tongue %protruding and his hea
down, and withdrawing to a point 81
yards from the band be laid down. tt
watching sportsman decided at ont
that the broken antlers of the delicate
buck would form an interesting tropt
and drawing a bead on the animal
| shot him dead.