Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-07
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
THE PECULIAR USE THEY MAKE OF
THEIR BIG HORNS.

/ and Ron Over Lofty Prscipicss - A
Frightful Leap.
OF all the game animals In the north
west, and particularly Montana. the Big
Horn OF Rocky mountain sheep furnishes
the most sport to huntsmen. Chasing the
buffalo across the plains on horseback and
killing them with q revolver, which was
at one time the favorite method OF hunt
ing the big bison, used TO be the ne plus
ultra OF Nimrodic amusements in Mon
tana, hut since the buffalo have dissp-
peared hunters have DIR fted back into the
mountains, where the owls Montana
are to be found during late years In great
abundance. There must be lots OF fun
scampering over the prairie after l.Joo-
pound bull, but There is the heat and vio-
lent exercise. not to speak OF the danger
of your horse plunging into prairie-doB
holeand sending you downward To grass al
an angle OF Is To ~ degrees The mountain
sheep is always found among the peaks
and cliffs in cool altitude and pretty near
the timber or perpetual SHOWN line. The
Big Horn sheep of the Rocky mountains
is a most difficult animal 10 bag. They
are usually found in pairs, often in nocks
of from four to forty, and sometimes in
sheep hunter, living on Prior's fork, near
here relates that he saw not long ago
flock of eighty-one sheep in the Bitter
Root range, aud about five years ago,
while scouting through the Teton basin,
IN northern Wyoming. near the southern
boundary OF the Yellowstone National
park, he ran upon a band that must have
numbered over 300.
EXCEEDINGLY SCARCE.
These animals range all the way from
Rio Grande to the Mackenzie, but at the
limits named they are exceedingly scarce
and most difficult TO kill. Their natural
hone is among the mountains OF the up
per Yellowstone and Missouri rivers.
Some few are found in Washington terri
tory, Oregon, and California. but the cen
ter around which they revolve is the
Yellowstone National park and the bor-
derdering counties of Montana, Idaho.
and Wyoming. Particularly are they
plentiful in the mountains from which
they take their name-viz, the Big Horn.
Very little Is known of the habits of this
rare game animal. even by those who
have written on this subject. They range
winter and summer alike in the
same latitudes and attitudes, only in
lUtN "hllutI
in the opposite season. During the cold
hs they stay on the southern slopes
OF the mountains SO as to catch the sun
In the summer they are generally found
on the higher benches. where the bunch
grass and mountain clover are abundant.
Among the peaks where they habituate
one of the first things to appear in the
spring is the wild onion or leek, which is
III aud Al r.a1 hy
them This wild plant imparts TO the
flesh delightful flavor, and makes the
meat of the Big Horn the most delicious
in the mountains. Their great est enemy
is the mountain lion. In fact, the prin
, cipal diet OF the mountain lion is the
tender offspring of the "Ovis Montana"
( When lambs are not to be had the fierce
North American panther does not object
TO teasting on the parents. These rare
sheep are also subject to a sort OF scab
disease. which. when it becomes epi-
demic, sweeps off at short notice scores of
them, young and old alike. The lambs
are brought forth from the 5th TO the 10th
of May.
The ~Ovis Montana" Is adorned with the
most remarkable hesdgear imaginable in
the shape of monstrous horns. These are
used by them for various purposes, but
principally as a means OF defense. Aston
ishing rs 1t may seem, they also use their
immense horns to assist them in descend
ing from one lofty eminence to lower.
If in skipping from crag TO crag and from
/ ridge 10 ridge 1t should become necessary
10 make a jump downward. no matter
what the height, they roll themselves up
into kind of ball, vault out into the air,
and, turning a succession of somersaults,
keep the ball rolling, SO TO speak, until
they strike on their powerful horns be
. low.
VERY HARD TO KILL.
The shock would kill an ordinary ami
NAL. but these hardy denizens of the
mountains don't seem to mind 1t much,
for they spring to their feet and go bound
ing over impossible chasms and jagged
rocks until it becomes necessary to make
another descent, when the same tactics
are repeated.
w b. Dow. OF the Green Mountain Cat
tie company, relates that he saw near his
ranch on Powder river, not long ago a
band OF 800 mountain sheep They were
browsing on lofty cliff, when for some
unaccountable reason the flock became
stampeded and rushed away like the
VIII Nv on pth "
the edge of the cliff, which WAS cut sharp
into a perpendicular decline Of fully l,5oO
feet The leaders paused, but there was
no help for it. The rear guard crowded
them over, and the entire flock went neck
over heels down into space. II was no
doubt curious sight to see 800 mountain
sheep doubled up into balls and falling
over such a lofty precipice. Down they
came, Obs after another, until the whole
band had made the awful jump. As this
was such a frightful leap for any breath
ing creature to make aud live, 1t is not
surpr sing TO know that thirteen out OF
the 800 were killed by the conclusion. The
cowboys of the ranch secured the meat,
which they declared far superior to their
. choice Montana steers.
Some of the mountain sheep horns at
tain remarkable size One pair brought
into this fort last February by a Cheyenne
| Indian measured seventeen inches in cir
conference, although only forty inches in
length. The ram from which they were
taken was splendid specimen, weighing
over 30 pounds, and stood, when erect
nearly up to a mans shoulders.-FOrt
keosh Cor. Philadelphia Times.