The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-08-18
Tho Bu Halo.

In going down the Yellowstone and
aoross the vast region lying between
dlend1ve and Mandan, one is strnok
with the evident scarcity Of game. This
famous region, where two or three years
ago herds OF buffalo, antelope and deer
were to be seon on every side, Is now, to
all appearances, STRIPPED of its game.
For the entire distance from Living gston
to Mandan l only saw two or three
small bands Of antelope and not a sign
OF deer Or buffalo. The fact 1s. the
slaughter of buffalo and deer has been
lmmense for the past two years, and
particularly of the former. It is esti-
mated that during the past winter there
have been 1000 hunters engaged in
the business Of ,slaughteGing ,buffaloes
along the line of the Northern Pacific
between Mandan and Livingston. An
eagle-eyed hunter got aboard OF the
tram at dlendive, and he gave me the
following interesting details as to the
modus operandi in slaughtering herds
OF buffalo: In the first place tho expert
chced huutor uses the Sharpe rltie, 40.
~ cnllbre. With this he can kill at / 900
yards. When he sees a herd of buffalo
he usually slips up to within convenient
range, from 800 to 900 yards, and al
way . selects COW for his first VICTIM
tie does this for the rea son that the COW
ls followed by both her yoaring aud
two-year-old calves, and they will usual
~ stand by her to tho last. But under
no circumstances will tho experienced
hunter kill his buffalo outright. If ho
does, the herd will stampede at onco.
Ihe pohcy Is to wound futally, but 80
That the animal will dash around III o.
fnl Nj, -
does whore mortally wounded, and after
u few moments lies down. The remain.
der OF tho herd are not alarmed Mt this.
but continue to gaze or look on d,z.d
spectators OF the tragedy beng enacted.
Alter his first shot the hunter pauses
until quiet is restored, and again fires
ut another COW with similar results. lie
always aims to put his ball Just behind
tho fore shoulder, which will cause death
III five minutes ut furthest. When tho
COWS have been all slain he turns his at.
tentlon to tho calves, and lastly to tho
bulls. The experienced hunter general
~ bags his entire herd, unless he Is 50
unfortunate rs to drop his game imme-
dlately. whom all the survivors stampede
Mt once. Tue buffalo does not soure at
the crack OF gun. lie has decidedly
more courage thnn discretion, It is ONLY
when the crack is followed by all imme-
dlato fall that he realizes its deadly ma
ture and takes alarm. Tho policy OF
killing tho COWS first aud then the calves
has resulted in almost the utter exiting
ton Of tho female buffllo. Herds OF
melancholy bulls can still occasionally
be seen, sometimes in bands OF twenty
| or thirty, and often without single
COW. Inc few remaining COWS now have
their pick OF lovers. and always choose
from the young blood of the herd.
The buffalo bull, after he passes his
fourth year, loses his attrnctlveness to
the opposite sex, and the aversion
seems to DO mutual. Gathering about
him his bachelor friends of equal age, he
sullenly rotlres INTO the wilderness and
forever avoids the female members OF
tho herd, who mate with younger and
moro HxorlU;!a mnscnlines. AS / hay.
said, the bulls arc about I'LL that are now
lett OF tho buffalo. They largely owe
their safety to tho fact that their hides
are less valuable than those Of the COWS,
while at the same timo they are far
moro difficult to k,Il. Tic hide of tho
bull Is only worth to the hunter from
81 80 to ~, while that OF the COW brings
$3. 25. and that of the two-year-old calf
Ii worth from 81 to $1.50. But OF late
there has sprung mp quite demand
throughout the East for the head of the
buffalo bull. The well-preserved head
OF an aged bull dcoked out with glass
eyes and horns iutact will readily sell
Tor $s26 IN tho Eastern markets. Conse-
quontly the buffalo hunter of the future
viii waRe destructive war upon the
bull tribe, and these venerable relics OF
a bygone era will also pass swiftly
away.