Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-25
GLOBE REPUBLIC THURSDAY EVENING NOVEMBER 26 1885
CHASING ANTEL0PES.
WILD SPORT FOR HUNTSMeN ON THE
PLAINS OF MONTANA.

WILL SfOhl run FlOlN O"CN Wv trlG
PLAINS OF MONTANA.
Swiftly RUuning Animals with the Eye
OF "a axk-The Red Mans Method of
Crawling Near the Game-Using Two
Balls.
To hunt the antelope successfully requires
more than ordinary skill With the excep-
ton of mountain sheep, antelope are the
most difficult game animals of approach on
this continent 4 bear will stand up and
actually seek fight; a buffalo bull will run at
first, but once wounded a stand up fight to
the bitter end is the probable outcome, an
elk can be approached and stain without ex-
ercising extraordinary precautions, and
deer Is sometimes as dangerous and As bellig
erent as a mountain lion. On the other
hand, the antelope first, last and all the time
depends upon his legs for safety, and it is fair
to say that they are tine tieetest, as they are
the most graceful Of quadruPeds. There is
no fun in store TOR the greenhorn who at
tempts to hunt this animal without under
standing its ways and habits. Anybody can
hunt and kill bison, a bear and many of
the other large game animals; but the ante
lOpe demands the most skillful Of huntSmen
to compete with its keen senses of sight and
smell, not TO SIeak of that other important
adjunct, extreme heetneSs of foot. The
power Of scent is wonderfully acute in them,
for it seems that they can smell a man" at
600 yards and beyond with the most aStOnish-
ing eXaCtneSs. Their tenacity of life is be-
yond all conception. | have frequently seen
antelope with one leg shot away and hanging
by the tendons alone, outrun and escape from
the tieeteSt plains ponies. Their race is not
a long one mot more than six or seven miles,
and it is possible that an American horse
might run them down; but as a rule nothing
on the praries can catch them, and the grey
hound is about the only four-footed beast in
existence that can be depended upon 10 keep
pace with and possibly outrun them.
Tue EYE OF HAWK.
No animal in the world possesses a keener
sight excepting the giraffe. In stalking ante
lope the principal point is to keep out Of sight
and next to keep ont Of smell. Don't imagine
because a band is a couplepf miles away ap-
parently feeding and all with heads down
that none are on the lookout The chances
are ten to one that you are seen first, although
NItN HtN illpNN always hhAA NN'i
broken ground and undulating prairie II
on horseback, diSmount and skirt the ridge
ahead, as your horses head always comes into
view before you do and take off Your hat,
which becomes visible before You yourself
can see beyond. Do all the crawling possible.
Such is the red mans method, and he gen.
orally bags three times as much game as any
two white men, unless the latter adopt the
same tactics. Ninety per cent Of all the
game secured by Indians is shot within 800
Yards They are everlasting "rawlers and
simply no good at all beyond the 800 yard
limit On the other hand, a white man
plunges ahead in his natural happy 90 lucky
fashion, scarcs the game, thus giving it a good
send off, and then blazes away while the ami
mails are on a dead run
have discover e,l many valua ble pointers as
the result of long experience. and note few
Of them for the benefit nf those who have
notion to try their hand at stalking antelope.
When a band scents OF sees YOU they run
across the wind for sLeIr 90 or 600 wards,
and then turn and rnr straight up the wind
The species are victims Of intense curiosity
and at times have walked straight into death
traps, all the while knowing and Srenting
danger, vet 50 nnlnunded is their curiosity
to investigate strange and unusual objects
that they are unable IN Withstand the temp
tation to look a little deeper and satisfy this
truly feminine instinct A hunter in full
knowledge of this failing either flags them or
sticks weeds into his hat while crawling. So
long as not seen and particularly not under
stood, they will not run, but merely bound a
few steps at a time, then halt, or else run
around the strange object in a circle. Even
if scented. though not seen the antelope will
want TO know more about you and the object
Of your visit before taking 10 their heels
WHEN To HUNT THEM.
An excellent time to hunt them is Just be
fore sunset and when about to seek cover or
a bed Get TO the leeward and between them
and the sun, when the latter is about to drop
behind the hills; then walk slowly towards
the game with as little motion as possible.
Unless scented, there Is little danger Of n dis
turbance or Of flight for this particular ami
NAL, gifted with such keen eycsight, cannot
see anything that is between them and the
sun. l have often approached TO within 100
yards OF a band by adopting the tactics
named, and yet they did not become alarmed
Buffalo will also pass to the windwarl, like
their cousins of the antelope family, but they
will stand no such fooliShneSS As sun blind
ness. A red flannel shirt is extremely fasci-
mating to antelope; also, a red handkerchief
or anything else of a crimson hue. As a rule
these animals browse in small bands of fifty
or sixty, and if in large numbers among the
foothills, on the open prairie or elsewhere, a
close examination viii discover them to be
in S,uaiIer groups or four or five
4
herded among themselves. They are neat,
clean cut handsome, and as dainty as a lady
in their diet, feeding as they do on the ten
derest stalks of grass and the delightful
prairie clover. Astonishing as it may seem,
a crippled animal is, or appears to be, the
feeteSt Of them all, As he generally takes the
lead, the whole band following whittier he
goes.
! once made an important discovery in
hanting which | have frequently tried on
antelope with marvellous success. 1t is to
load with two balls instead of one The
method named is Of no service whatever ex-
rept at short range. At distances beyond
200 vardSand even a little less it proves a
failure; but have found it " work like a
charm at $50 yards and under. Antelope are
such everlasting flyers that aftar being shot
10 death they run tremendous distance he
fore falling; but i'll the case of catching two
balls instead of one, have never known an
antelope run more than fifty yards before
going to grass For the Springfield breech
oader, which use on all my hunting trips,
besides the ordinary cartridge case which
holds the charge of powder and the conical
bullet wr.;hing 800 grains, 1 also carry a
-ound bali, the calibre of the gun, which /
irst insert in the breech and then shove the
metal cartridge in afterwards. At 100 yards
he spread is not more than three inches, and
1t $50 yards both shots are pretty apt to
,atCb the beast somewhere II is surprising
low quickly an antelope will come TO halt
with two balls shot through him instead of
me Fort keogh Cor. Philadelphia Times.