The bee., 1883-07-21
THE BUFFALO.
Hls Tramp Will soon be Heard No More on
the P.nins His MhoIesnIe . anRhter.

His Tramp VIII soon he Heard No More on
the P.nins His WhoIesnle II 8uRhter.
In going down the Yellowstone and
across the vast region lying between
Glendiye AID Mandan, writes a CORE
spondent, one is struck with the evil
dent scarcity Of game. This famous
region, where, two or three years ago,
herds of buffalo, antelope and deer
were to be seen on every side, is now
TO all appearance stripped of its game.
For the entire distance from Living
ston to Mandan / only saw two or
three small bands of antelope, and not
a sign Of deer or buffalo. The fact
is the slaughter of buffalo and deer
has been immense for the past two
years, and particularly of the former.
It is estimated that during the past
winter there have been thou
sand hunters engaged in the business
of slaughtering buffalo along the line
of the Northern Pacific between Man
dan and Living ton. An eagle-eyed
hunter got aboard of the train at Glen
dive, and he gave me the following in
teresting details as tD the modus
operandi in slaughtering herds of
buffalo. In the first place the eype-
rienced hunter uses the Sharp rife,
1890 caliber. With this he can kill at
1000 yards. When he sees herd of
buffalo he usually slips up to within
convenient range, from 30O TO 500
yards, and always selects cow for his
first victim. lie does this for the
reason that the cow is followed 10y
both her yearling and two year-old
calves, and they will usually stand by
her to the last. But under no circum-
stances will the experienced hunter kill
his buffalo outright. If he does the
herd will stampede at once. The
policy is to wound fatally. but SO that
the animal will dash around in circle
before falling. This it always does,
where mortally wounded, and after a
few moments lies down.
The remainder Of the herd are not
alarmed at this, but continue to Craze,
or look on, dazel spectators of the
tragedy being ena ted. After his first
shot the hunter pauses until quiet is
restored, and aga n fires at another
cow, with similar result. lie always
aims to put his ball just behind the
fore shoulder, which will cause death
in five minutes at fartheSt. When the
COWS have all been slain he then turns
his attention to the calves. and lastly
to the bulls. The experienced hunter
generally bags tn entire herd unless
he is 50 unfortunate as TO drop his game
immediately, when al the survivors
stampede at once. The buffalo does
not scare at the era of gun. He
has decidedly more courage than s.
cretion. 1t is only when the crack is
followed by an immed ate fall that ht
realizes its deadly nature End takes
alarm. The p llicy of kill ng the cow.
first and then tie calves has resulted
in the almost utter extinct on of the
female buffalo. Herds of melancholy
bulls can still occasionally be seen
sometimes in bands of twenty or thirty
and often w thout nole COW.
The bur all bull. after he passes hi,
fourth year, lo.es his attire ivcne5s Il
the oppos te sex, ana the aversion
seems TO be mutual. Gathering about
him his bachelor friends of equal age,
he sullenly retires nto TIE wilderne S
and forever after avodI the female
members of the herd, who mate Will
younger bul'S. As [ have said, The
bulls are about a that are now left oi
the buffalo. They Largely owe theil
safety TO the fact That tier hides arr
less valu be than tho e # the COWS
while at the same time they are fal
more difficult to kill. Tie hide Of tht
bull is on V worth TO the hunter from
$1.80 to s., while that of the COW
brings 1926, and that Of the two-year
old calf is worth from 81 to $50. Blu
of late there has sprung up qu te de
mand throughout the Ia for the he3c
of the buffalo bull. The well-preserve,
head of an aged bull, dacked out with
glass eyes and no rs int lct, will read ],
sell for $25 in the East IN IN rket ;
Consequent, the buffalo hunter of tn,
future will wage destructive wa
upon the blll tr be, and these wonder
full re'ies OF by-gone era will ais
pass swiftly away.