Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-05-25
THE BUFFALO.


His Tramp Will Soon be Heard NO
More ON the Plains.
In going down the Yellowstone and
across the vast region lying between Glen
dive and Mandan one 10 struck, says the
Helena tMontana) Independent, with the
evident 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 appear.
ances stripped Of its game. For the entire
distance from Livingston to Msndan ]
only saw some two or three small bands Of
antelope. and not . sign OF . deer or
buffalo. The fact Il, 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 has been q thousand
hunters engaged 10 the business of slaugh.
tering buffalo along the line Of the North
ern Pacific between Mandsn aud Liv-
ingstou. An eagle-eyed hunter got aboard
OF the train ct Glendivs, and he gave me
the following interesting details 90 to the
modus operandi In slaughtering herds Of
buffalo. In the frss place, the expert
encsd hunter uses the 6harp's rife. 1920
cslibrs. With this he can kill at 1000
yards. When he sees Z herd Of buffalo
be usually slips mp to within con
venisnt range, from 800 to 500 yards,
and always selects . COW for his frst
| victim. He does this for the reason that
the cow 10 followed by both her yearling
aud two-year.old cali, and they will usually
stand BY her 70 the last. But under no
circumstances will the experienced hunter
I'LL hsa ~. Halo rutxiohk ~ ho Anoo Aha
herd will stampede ct nee. The policy 10
| 20 wound fatally, but 90 that the dying ami.
NAL will dash around In 9 circle before fall.
ing. This 1t always does where MORALLY
| wounded, and after . few moments lies
| down. The remainder Of the herd are not
alarmed ct this, but continue to Craze, or
look on dazed spectators Of the tragedy be-
ing enacted. After his frat shot the hunter
| pauses until quiet 10 restored. and again
| Ares at another COW, with similar results.
! He always aims to put his ball Just behind
| the fore shoulder, which will cause death
| in Ave minutes ct furthest. When the cows
have eli been slain he then turns his atten-
tion to the calves. and lastly to the bulls.
The experienced hunter generally bags the
sntire herd unless be Is 90 unfortunate -
TO drop his game immediately, when all
the survivors stampede ct once. The
buffalo does not scare ct the crack Of . gun.
He has decidedly more courage than dis
lowed by an immedist to fall that he real
ICES its deadly nature and takes alarm.
The policy OF killing the COWS Arst and
| then the calves has resulted In the A.
most utter extinction Of the female bui-
falo. Herds Of melancholy bulls can
still occasionally be seen, sometimes In
bands Of 20 or 80, and often without Z
single COW. The few remaining ows 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 attractiveness
TO the opposite sex. and the aversion
seems to be mutual. Gathering about
| him his bachelor friends OF equal age he
~sullenly retires into the wilderness and
forever after avoids the female members
| Of the herd. who mate with younger and
more uxorious masculines. Az I have
said, the bulls are about all that are now
left Of the buffalo. They largely owe
their safety to the fact that their hides
are less valuable than those Of the cows,
| more difficult to kill. The hide Of the
| bull is only worth to the hunter from
81 so to 50, while that Of the COW brings
| So rs and that OF the two-year-old cali
is worth from 81 to 81 so. But Of late
there has sprung up quite Q demand
throughout the East for the head Of the
buffalo bull. The well preserved head Of
an aged bull, decked out with glass eyee
| and horns intact, will readily sell foi
S25 in the Eastern markets. Conse-
| ouently the buffalo hunter Of the future
will wage q destructive wal upon the
| brill tribe, and these venerable relics Of
. by-gone ere will also pass swiftly away