The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-04-08
A Race After Snow Elk.

A Lander, Wyoming correspondent of
the New York Mail and Express writes:
About two months ago band of snow
elk was discovered in the Green River
mountains. The rare animals at once
excited the hunters of the region, and
the snow elk were pursued by a large
party. The pursuit was signal fail
ure, the cunning animals battling the
hunters and escaping into the deepest
recesses of the mountains The party
was led into district of precipices and
snow drifts, from which they only es-
capped by abandoning everything except
their arms. One of the baffled hunters,
came to the conclusion that he could,
by himself, get the best of the cunning
snow elk. So ten days ago he left his
camp on the Green river for the haunts
of those animals 1t took him three
days of hard toll to reach their habitat
Once there he found the elk.
The rays of an afternoon sun shone
full upon the band as it fed upon the
side Of mountain some two miles dis
tant. Night-fall found the hunter with
in mile of the game, and he lay down
in a snow-drift for the night. fully per-
suaded that the next day would see at
least one of the famed snow elk fall by
his rifle. With the morning light The
elk were still to be seen, and the hunter
began his wary approach. Through
deep arroyos, beneath lofty precipices,
behind huge walls of snow, and ice, the
hunter took his way, and by 10 O'Clock
was almost within range. Selecting a
fine COW, whose dazzling white coat
shone in the outer circle of the herd, he
began a still more cautious approach.
Suddenly the herd, as if moved by a
common impulse, raised their heads.
and the next instant moved off toward
the interior of the mountain. Puzzled
and disappointed the hunter followed in
their wake All he could do was to
maintain the relative nearness to the
herd he had already gained. He could
get no nearer. For two days the hunter
followed the snow elk into the noun
tains. Rising from his snowy bed one
morning, the hunter found the entire
heavens black with the announcement
of an approaching storm. The move
ments of the snow elk no longer puzzled
the hunter They were seeking refuge
from the storm their instinct told them
was approaching. The hunter lost not
a moment in taking the back track. TO
be caught in these Businesses by such a
storm as was portended means certain
death.
Six hours hard travelling placed the
hunter on a comparatively low level.
Here the storm struck him. For two
days he wandered blindly forward, in
the midst of whirling SHOWS and saw
age winds. He dared not pause though
every instant he expected to fall over
some hidden precipice, and be buried
fathoms deep. When the storm cleared
away, our hunter found that he was lost
in the midst of frightful drifts. Here
his hunting craft saved him. Taking a
course he kept it, and after four days of
exhausting toll and fearful privations,
he came out upon the southern slope of
the Wind mountains and saw before
him the Lander settlements, ninety miles
distant from where he started
The snow elk is most rare animal
and is know chiefly to this generation
by tradition. Until this band was dis
covered the tales of the snow elk were
looked upon as fgments. The snow elk
is a third larger than the common brown
variety and is far more active and cum
ming. His color is dazzling white,
and it takes the surest and quickest eye
to detect his presence amid the snow
drifts w hen he is not in motion