Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-10-07
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP.
The Use They Mako of THOR Big
Horns.
Curling Themselves Up Into Balls and
Rolling Over Lofty rrecipices-rhirtccn
Out of Three Hundred Killed by
Failing Fifteen Hundred Feet.

Rolling Over Lofty rreclpiccS-Thirtccn
out of Three Hundred Killed by
Failing Fifteen Hundred Feet.
OF all the game animals i'm the
Northwest, and particularly Montana,
the Big Horn or Rocky mountain sheep
furnishes the most sport u huntsmcn.
Chasing thc buffalo across the plains
ON horseback and killing thcm with -
revolver, which was at one time the IA
voritc method of Luu,ing the big bison.
used to bc tho Nc plus ultra Of MINI
rodic amu,ymcn.> in Montana. but
since the buffalo have diSappcard Il
hunters have driftcd back into the
mo'.rntain>, where the 'Ovi, Montana
are to b. found during lato year, in the
greatest abundance. There must be-
lots OF fun >campcring over the prairie
after n iiftocn-hundrcd-pound bull. but
there j. the heat and violent exercise.
not 90 speak OF the danger of your
horse plungins into q prairic-dog hole
and sending YOU downward To grass at
an angle of fifteen or twenty degrees.
The mountain sheep is always found
among the peaks and ellis in cool alti-
tude> and pretty near the timber or
perpetual snow line. The Big Horn
sheep Of the Rocky mountains is amoSt
difficult animal to bag. They are usual
~ found in pairs. often in flock, of
from four TO forty, and sometimes in
bands of hundred or more. One old
shccp-h:n,cr living ON pryor's fork.
near here. relates that he SAW not long
ago a flock ot cight-onc sheep in the
Bitter Root range, and 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 n band
that must have numbered over three
hundred.
These animals range all the way
from the Rio Grandr 10 the Mackenzie,
but at the limits named they are eN-
cccdinsly scarce and most difficult to
Kill. Their natural home i, among the
mountains OF the Upper Yellowstone
and Missouri rivers. Some few are
found in Washington Territory. Ore
gon and California, but the center
around which they rcvOlve is the Yell
lowstone National Park and the bor-
dering counties of Montana, Idaho aud
Wyoming. Particularly are they plcn-
tiful in the mountains from which they
take their name-viz., the Biz Horn.
Very little is known of the habits of
this rare game animal, even by those
who have written OH the subject.
They range winter and summer alike
in the same attitudes and attitudes,
only in summer they wander farther
away than in the opposite season. Dur
ing the cold months they sta, on the
southern slopes of the mountains so
u 10 catch the sun. In the summer
they are generally found on the higher
benches, whcrc the bunch grass and
mountain clover are abundant. Among
the peaks where they habituatc one Of
the first things TO appear in the spring
is the wild onion or lcck, which is eager
ly sought out and devourcd 10y them.
This wild plant imparts to the flesh a
delightful flavor. and makes the meat
of the Big Horn the most delicious in
the mountains. Their greatest enemy
is the mountain lion. In fact the prin-
cipal diet Of the mountain lion is the
tender offspring of the "Ovis Mon
tana." When lambs are not to bc had
the fierce North American panther
does not object to fcaSting on the par
ents. These rare sheep are also SUBJ
feet to a sort Of scab disease. which,
when il becomes epidemic. sweeps oil
ut shor. notice scores of them, young
and old alike.
The "Ovis Montana" is adorned
with the most remarkable hcadgcar
imaginable In the shape of monstrous
horns. These are used by them for
various purposes, but principally rs a
means of defense. Astonishing rs it
may seem. they also use their immense
horns to assist them in descending
from one lofty eminencc to II lower.
II in skipping from crag to crag and
from ridge to ridge it should become
necessary to make jump downward,
no matter what the height, they roll
themselves up into a kind OF ball.
vault out into the air, and. turning
q succession of somersaults. keep the
ball rolling, so to speak. until they
strikc>on their powerful horns below.
The shock would kill an ordinary ami
nal. but these hardy denizens of the
mountains don't seem TO mind itmuch.
for they spring to their feet aud 80