, 1883-08-11

across the vast region lying between
Glendive and Mandan, says the Helena,
Mont, Independent, one is struck with
the evident scarcity Of game. This IA
nous region, where two or three years
AGO herds OF buffalo, antelope aud deer
were to be seen on every side Is now, to
all appearances, stripped Of Its game
For the entire distance from Livingston TO
Mandan 1 only saw two or three small
bands OF antelope and not sign Of deer
or buffalo. The fact Is the slaughter Of
butfalos and deer has been immense for
the past two years and particularly the
former IL is estimated that during the
past Winter there have been 1000 hun
tiers engaged in the business Of slaughter
ing buffalo along the line OF the Northern
Pacific, between Mandan and Livingston.
An eagle eyed hunter got aboard Of the
tram at Glendive, anu he gave me the fol-
lowing details as to the modus operandi
in slaughtering herds Of buffalo: In the
FIRST place, the hunter uses the Sharpe III
fie, 1890 cahbre With this he can Kill
a. 1000 yards. When he sees herd OF
buffalo he usually slips up to within con-
renient range, from 500 to 800 yards,
and always selects {: coS for his first VIC
tim. He does this for the reason that the
COW is followed by both her yearlings and
two-year old calves, and they will usually
stand by her to the last. But under no
circumstances will the experienced hun
ter Kill the buffalo outright II nc does,
the herd will stampede at once. The pol
icy is TO wound fatally, bat so that the
animal VIII dash around IN 4 circle before
failing This II always does when NOR
tally wounded, and after few moments
lies down, The remainder Of the herd
ere not alarmed at this, but continue to
gaze or look on, dazed spectators Of the
tragedy being enacted. After his Gist
shot Ire hunter pauses until quiet Is re
stored, and again fires at another COW
with similar results. He always aims to
put his ball Just behind the fore shoulder
which viii cause death in five minutes at
The fur,hest. When cows haze all been
slam he turns his attention 10 the calves,
and lastly to the bulls. The experienced
hunter generally bags the entire herd,
unless he is so unfortunate rs 70 drop his
game Immediately, when the survivors
stampede az once. The buffalo does not
scare al the crack of a gun. He has de
cidedly more courage than discretion. II
is only when the crack is followed by an
immediate fall that he realizes its deadly
nature and takes the alarm. The policy
Of killing the cows first and then the
calves has resulted almost III the extlnc-
tion of the female buffalo Herds Of mel
anchoIy bulls can still occasionally be
seen, sometimes in bands Of twenty or
thirty, and often without a single cox.
The few remaining cows now have the
pick of lovers, and always choose from the
young bloods of th'u.th :,
The buffalo bull, after he passes hia
fourth year, loses his atsractiveness TO
the opposite sex, and the ayersio" seems
to be mutual. Gathering about bin his
bachelor friends Of equal age, he suiieniy
retires into the wilderness and forever
avoids the female members Of the herd,
who mate with younger and more uXorlous
mascuIines. As | have said, the bnils
are about all that are ncU LETT OF the bull
aIo. They largely owe their safety to the
fact that their hides are less valuable than
those of the COWS, while at the same time
thew are far more difficult 20 Kill. The
hide Of the bull is only worth u the
hunter from 81. so to 81, while that oi
the COW brings s. %, and that Of the two
year-old cali is worth from 81. 20 81. .5o.
But Of late there has sprung mp quite a
enand throughout the East for the head
u the buffalo bull The well-preserved
head of an aged bull, decked out with
lass eyes, aud horns intact, Will readily
sell for SO IN the Eastern markets
Consequently the buffalo hunter OF the
future will wage destructive war on the
bull tribe, and these Venerable relics ot a
bysoae era will also pass swiftly away.