Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-10-01
BUFFALO HUNTING.

A Sport tho Description of which VIII
Sound like Legend 30 tho Rising Gem
| Grafton,
In riding ovor tho green turf Of the
open country one sees everywhere
white objects which SO reflect the
strong sunshine that they almost daz-
zle the eye. These are the bleaching
skulls of tho buffalocs that used to
roam in thousands through this region.
Every ono has read how. only fifty
years ago, millions of bullaloes wan
dored over nearly half of the United
States; now there arc no great herds
except in the Territory Of Montana,
and from that Territory more than
hundred thousand skins have been sent
to tho East In n year For nearly
every skin that is sent away, about half
ton of fine meat is left to decay on
the prairie. 1t is reckless waste of
animal life. and am sorry to say that
our Government does very little TO
stop it. Within ten years there will be
no more great herds of buflaloes in tho
United States. Small bands of them
will linger hidden away in valleys, but
by the time some boys who read this have
lived to be old men, the American bison
will probably be seen only where it is
kept rs curiosity; just as tho one little
band of aurochs --thclast descendants
of the wild cattle which used to roam
over all Europe kept by the Emperor
of Russia. Still, even now, at times,
single builaloos or small bands of them
will wander back to the Rockies to
their old grazing grounds. Last sum
mer party of hay-makers saw band
of dozen or more in remote valley
behind the peak. And n few days later,
one of our ncighbors at the nearest
ranch beyond the mountains, was sit
ting in the doorway of his snug home
one morning, after an early breakfast,
when, to his astonishment, great
buffalo bull came trotting easily along
within hundred yards of the door.
He would hardly have been more sur
prised had an elephant or rhinoceros
happened in for morning call; for he
had never seen buffalo, nor had he
ever expected to see one at his own
ranch. But his surprise left him breath
enough to shout; "A buffalol buffalo!"
The house was full of men just in from
the work of gathering beef-cattle for
OH HlplHblJi anu nv bIlU sluIlllIS MOlu,
every man seized the nearest rifle or
pistol or shotgun, and dashed away to
join the chase; only one or two stopping
hastily to throw saddle on n horse.
As soon as the chase began, the big
beast ran swiftly into the thicket along
the creek, and was able to keep out of
sight for some time. The chase was
long and exciting, but the buffalo's
pursuers were too many for him.
Some followed up his trail, while others
watched the outskirts of the thicket;
and at last one of the best marksmen
among them, catching sight of the big
black body, took quick line aim and
brought the buffalo down with single
bullet; so all the inhabitants of the
ranch were feasted with buffalo meat
as long as it could be kept from spoil
ing. But where the great herds range,
there is no such excitement about kill
ing them.
One day young fellow from the
East, listening to the yarns of an old
buffalo-hunter, said, as the hunter
finished his story:
1T must be very exciting sport,
joint"
"Well, I'll tell you how it is" said
John. "It's about as exciting as if you
were to go out into the corral and shoot
n dozen of those old dairy-cows with
pistol. "-Ayred Terry Bacon, i" 81.
NichOlls |