The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-11-01
THE LAST OF THE BUFFALO.
Disappearance OF the Elk, Deer and
Antelope of the West.
Wholesale Rutchery Carried on by
the Hide Hunters.
George Phllers in n. y. Times.

George Phllers in N. Y. Times
The wholesale butchery of large game in
the Rocky Mountain regions, which has been
engaged in by good sized army Of men for
the past 10 years, is about to be stopped, and
the reason It is TO cease is that the races Of
animals against which the ruthless crusade
has been carried on, from
Buffalo to antelope, are nearly annihilated.
1t may be said that the buffalo Is virtually
extinct, for of the enormous herds whose
tread once made the plains tremble as they
marched it is doubtful If there are 1900 left
and they are corralled by skin speculator
who will slaughter them as he sees profit in
so doing
spent eight years in Minnesota, Montana
and Wyoming, and during these years not
less than 10000 elk, mule deer, and antelope
were killed annually in these regions alone.
Elk, which formerly ranged from the Middle
States to the Pacific coast. are now never
found east Of the Missouri River. Twenty
five years ago they were still abundant in
Kansas and Nebraska, but the rapid advance
OF civilization in these states drove them into
the dense and as yet uninhabitable portions Of
Minnesota and the northern Territories. III
they had been doomed to extinction by the
natural progress OF civilization or the effects
OF legitimate hunting in those regions, they
would have been certain of long life tenure
but the wholesale slaughter in all seasons in
these animals which began to be syste-
matte business in 1872, has resulted in so thin
ming out their ranks that the sportsman must
seek this noble game in the most remote
parts of even the comparatively unfrequented
region to which the war uDon them has
forced the remnants Of the race to fly. Not
only has the elk been made the victim Of
this indlseriminate and organized raid, but
the mule deer and antelope have been pur-
sued in the same ruthless manner. Begun
in 1872 by party OF Fort Benton traders,
who conceived the idea of making the skins
of these animals an important item in the
commerce OF the plains and mountains, the
business rapidly increased in proportions
year after year and hunting parties fitted out
to perfection for the prosecution Of their de-
structive work, spread through the country
named, and gave no mercy. The industry of
collecting elk, mule deer, and antelope skins
reached the eliminating point of destructive
ness in 1879, and since then has been decreas-
ing annually in Importance, because of the
rapid disappearance of material upon which
to work, but against the remnants of these
three races of the noblest game animals on
the American continent the war is still per-
sistently waged, and it must be but mat
ter Of year or two when they will be prac-
tically extinct. Provisions of law, which
are strict in prohibiting the killing Of the
game as 1t is being killed, are virtually use
less, for it would take standing army Of
10000 men to stand guard around the haunts
of the doomed animals and protect them
from the butchers.
Elk travel in herds, and to the legitimate
hunter there is no more noble and exciting
sport than elk hunting. When not hindered
by deep snow they make their way with
wonderful ease and Iapidity through the very
worst of the Bad Lands of,the regions they
inhabit. Mounted on a fleet broncho the
hunter is frequently led chase fer many
miles before he is able TO capture his wary
game. The natural gait of the elk is a
graceful swinging tr0t, and as long as they
maintain that they never tire. tits one great
object of the hunter to follow the elk 50
closely on his pony as to break this tr0t into
a gallop Il the hunter succeeds in his
object he follows on with the certainty that
the game is his, for the gallop being an un-
natural gait for the elk, soon tires the
animal, and he begins to lag and fall behind
Once broken from his tr0t into the run he
does not seem to be able to fall back into his
natural gait again, the hunter IS able to get
in easy range and the elk soon falls victim
to his rifle. An elk in good condition will
weigh from 300 to 800 pounds, and no member
ofthe deer family has such delicate and finely
favored flesh.
The range of the mule deer before he fell
under the ban Of the game butchers was
from Idaho to Oregon. The mule deer Is
shyer than the elk and seeks the higher
portions OF LHe DdQ IdnuS. QUICK OIL eye
and scent, they are better able to elude the
hunter, and the sportsman finds that he needs
all of his best skill and cunning in bagging a
mule deer. The elk, once fired at, or on
hearing the sound Of gun, will Immediately
run and once chased will not stop until he
crosses running water, although the run NAV
be many miles before that Is reached. The
mule deer, on the other hand, has his regular
runs, like the common red deer of the East
and may be hunted throughout the season in
the locality where he is first started
The shyness and feet-footedness Of the
antelope is known to all hunters, and its
chase is given an added zest ON that account.
All sorts of stratagems are adopted by the
hunter to get shot at one. The cOursing of
antelOpeS with greyhounds is probably one
of the most exciting of all legitimate wild
sport. Gen. Stanley, when he was stationed
among the Rockies, had a greyhound that
was famous all through that region for his
wonderful success in courSing antelope.
This was the standard recreation of all the
army officers in the West when l was out
there. l do not believe any of them would
have hesitated to turn his whole force against
party of skin hunters if occasion offered,
as the war on the antelope began to come
home to their individual interest and pleas
ure.
The greatest destruction to these three
game animals is carried on by the hide
hunters during the breeding season, when it
is an easy matter to take them. In April the
COW tlk ltdNtS lHt DuliS 10 themselves.
have known a single hide hunter to kill in
one month, in the snow, and that In the
month of April, 80 COW elks. This man was
of large party who were hunting in the
same neighborho0d. and there is no reason
to suppose that each one of them was not
fully as successful as the one mentioned; in
fact, it was known that the party butchered
nearly 500 COW elks that month. Each one
of those cows would have brought forth a
calf in the course OF few weeks being In
xlntaul fD~f hat
but small proportion of the hide hunters
who were operating in the region, and thous-
ands of elk, unable to escape or offer resist
anee were slaughtered there that month.
The mule deer and antelope are killed after
the same manner. When an animal is killed
whether elk, deer, or antelope, the skin Is
stripped from his body and the carcass left
lying in the snow. / have seen hundreds OF
dead elk along the Yellowstone. The hide
hunters are equipped with repeating rifles,
and even when the snow does not aud them IN
their butchery they are able to kill from six
to twelve elk in herd before it gets out of
range.
All the hide hunters l came in contact
with were the toughest kind of characters
and first rate people to let alone | have
and most reckless men they can obtain for
this lawless gathering of hides. They are
paid So apiece for elk skins and 50 for mule
deer and antelope. skins. 1t was these same
Fort benton people VINO IOstereu the per-
sstent and wholesale raids on the buffalo in
that region and at last exterminated them.
One year while l was in the Yellowstone
country they killed $1,000 buffalo between
the headwaters Of the Little Missouri and
the Yellowstone. would advise any sports
man who desires to have shot at an elk, a
mule deer, or an antelope to go out west now.
He will not find them as accessible nor as
certain Of being found as they were five
years ago but good hnuter will be able to
find some and have fine sport. But If he
waits another year or two he might as well
stay at home and take his sport with possible
red deer nearer home, He will never see an
elk or any of his kin, although he may hunt
the great Northwest over inch by inch.
November Dividends.
The following dividends are payable this