The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-03-16
HUNTING THE BIG HORN

It's Skill ana speed In TraversinS fiaces
Inaccessible to Other Animals.
started down the mountain the next
morning, and suppose l had reached
about mile from the level country
when started big bowlder that went
rushing down the slope. and looking
over the edge / saw a big animal /
thought was deer spring up from
rock. It stood a second and looked at
me, then dashed away and was out of
sight before l could unsling my rife,
which in climbing l had put on my
back, little thinking should find any
game among the rocks of the upper
range. In that second l recognized
the big horns and massive head of the
mountain sheep, and right then and
there 1 got the fever. / would have
those horns or would never go home,
and, to make long story short, there
they are. l followed the animal cer-
tainly week before got shot. and
then he was so far away across a big
canyon that it was the merest chance
that hit him.
What do you think of crawling on
your stomach for five hours, not daring
to breathe or look cross-eyed, worm
ing your way over rocks and around
corners trying to keep down the windP
But that old buck had my measure;
he knew / was after him and always
kept just so far away. l finally saw
him with several others on a spur of
the range, and by three hours climb
ing / got so that could see him fairly,
and when had the chance / shook 80
that it was miracle that / hit him.
The mountain sheep is thoroughly
game animal, and the sportsman who
brings down buck may be said to
have earned his spurs and be rated as
a true hunter. The animal is instinct
lively suspicious. cautious to remark
able degree and endowed with remark
able powers of speed and skill in max
ing its way over places inaccessible to
other animals.
The horns are enormous, resembling
those of the European ibex, though
more graceful in their shape. The
size of the horns have given rise to
many remarkable stories regarding
their use. One old hunter, who I'M
doubtedly believed what he said, in
formed me that he had seen sheep
descend mountain by leaping thirty
or forty feet at a time, striking upon
the horns at every landing, and that
this was favorite method That the
capra does land upon its horns at times
in its terrific leaps or falls there can be
no doubt, and it is equally certain that
| it is an accident. The horns are, as
in all animals of the kind, merely
weapons of defense, and are Clipped
and worn by the males in their furious
battles with each other.
On the plains below-the rocky fast
nesses of the mountain sheep-bands
of antelope are still found, and a party
from Pasadena recently enjoyed this
most exciting sport While the noun.
tain sheep requires great strategy
on the part of the hunter, the antelope
draws upon other resources. The ami
NAL keeps to the open country-tht
great level tracts and rich valleys neal
the borders of the Mojave and Arizon'
deserts. It is there difficult to ap
proach them unseen, and a cool hand
at the rife and good seat in the sad
die are the requisites. In a recon
hunt the antelope were chased at leas
| hafpr.o fh0u
down, and afforded magnificent sport
November is the rutting season. ant
then exceedingly large herds are seen
but in the warm season they separate
to a greater or less extent, when tn
bucks afford fine sport. Some readil,
outrun the swiftest horse and hounds
though it is possible to wear then
out by continuous running. -Pdsdden'
(Cal.) Cor. ~. y Times.
L n.s2 he