The Delta independent., 1888-10-23
A BISON HUNT IN LOST PARK.

From Sports Ahcld.
Ductng the month of July, while fishing
Up tae Platte, | fell in with ranchnan,
VITO Informed me that there was a herd Of
olson not a hund' ed miles from Denver.
TO say / WIS surpris ed would hardly ex.
| press 1t; hut as the young man was so con-
fident, finally fixed the day and date to
i 20, viz, October 10, 1885. In company
with j. NJ. SVEN and a man to Keep camp,
| We set out to climb one Of the craggiest OF
| mountains. We took team, with bresd
| and salt for one week, with the intention
| Of killing enough meat to eat, at least. we
| arrived in Lost Park all safe and found it
about l., 0oo feet elevation, with a dense
| forest all around the margin, and some
strips of timber through the park. The
| first day we locked around and found some
signs. Tie second, with the assistance of
| a slight fall of snow, we were able TO find
| our game
Now, Mr.. Reader, don't get the Idea that
| here were two green" hunters, for such
| was not the case. Both carried IS Winches
tiers, with which we were familiar.
carried gun with which had killed
large game in almost all the territories.
.
knew nothin; about; for the mountain BIZ
son are as different In their habits as the
white and black-tail deer.
When We first came upon them, no: over
seventy-five yards away, the forest was SO
dense that when my partner gave the signal
| of discovery it was impossible for me to
see any thing. In trying 10 tetter my posi-
tion i alarmed the game, and SVEN lostan
excellent opportunity to kill at least one.
| AS We did not shoot, they only went few
hundred yards. AT this encounter failed
| to get In a position 10 see, owing 10 the
| density Of the forest Sven fired once and
with effect-although we did not ind 1t
TIL the second day after. The animal did
| not run over 200 yards in a good tracking
snow. shot through and through, and still
no. one drop OF blood escaped.
| We paid little attention to anything except
the trail, for we wanted an opportunity
| at them In the open feld-s something in
which We were never grati;iId. They gave
us a straight chase of about miles, ever
crags and precipices, and in this they took
us within mile Of camp. We took some
;ood and ccHee and again came upon the
game in . steep gulch of young pine where
we could only see the moving animals and
not any individual ones. We turned loose
for general results, which resulted as such
shooting almost always does; but we had
no other alternative, for the moment We
saw them they fired themselves down a
mountain side at such rate Of speed as
would put Maud S. to shame. At this en-
gagement fired eight shots in very rapid
succession, without any visible effect One
animal fell and rolled some distance down
the mountain; but he recovered and went
on his way rejoicing. The only wonder 10
our hewildered senses was that they did
not all break their necks over such rocks
and fallen timber. Knowing their habit
now for straightaway chase, we went to
camp. We were not aware that. we hsd
killed one. We went to camp de-,
jected, but with the determination to have
one on the morrow. We swapped guns and
lies ana found . mascot While we were
searching the woods for dead bison the
herd came out close to camp and the man
| there without q gum counted twenty-elght
| in close rifle range and where they could
no. 20 to cover short of half q mile. Such
an opportunity! But 1t never comes to the
| fellow that has gun. The work thus far
had been accomplished on foot On the
following morning we took the horses; but
they were OF little use, the ground being SO
rugged that riding was unsatisfactory. The
snow had gone on the south side of the
hills and we had 10 trail sometimes fol
mile without snow. About one o'clock, at-
ter trailing about fourteen miles, we were
rewarded by coming upon our game, appsr-
emily at rest. At this time we were both
on horseback. first discovered the game
and gave the signal. We both rolled of
our horses and began shooting. This time
was no exception to the others as regards
heavy forest; but when we ended we had
two down inside OF $50 yards; another one
was found day or two later by hunter,
partly eaten by bear. After skinning
the animals and packing on the horses the
hides, heads and some of the humps, we
started for camp, but failed to make It and
lay down with the canopy Of heaven for a
cover. At 10 o'clock we went into camp
without having eaten anything since seven
In the morning. Perhaps bison hump did
not taste goodl When the camp man ie
turned for the meat, Mr.. Bear had done the
work for us
Now, these mountain bison are very
black and the hair amounts almost to fur
The covering to tho leg Is also very thick.
Only q few remain In the United States, or
perhaps In the world, Of this particular
species A few in Yellowstone National
| Park, besides this small band, are all that
are known. The heads Of the three AMI.
mails we killed adorn the wails Of our ONCE,
and the hide OF one serves ~ ruE In my