Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1889-07-05
TRICKS IN HUNTING.
CuriOuS Methods OF DooeivlnR Game Used
.:##~ In tho Chase.


used deception and ruse to enable him
to get within reasonable distance of
his game Hunting by initiating the
animal to be caught Is very common
among the natives Of many tribes In
Africa we find tho curious dwarfs.
the Akkas. discovered by DR.. Schwein-
furth, hunting Ostriches in this man
ner. An ostrich skin is taken and
drawn over one of the hunters, who
supports the neck either with q stick
or ono arm, bow and arrow being
held ready for use. Fitted in this way
tho human ostrich moves over the
plain, pretending to feed, and initial
ing tho motions of the live birds 30
we'll that in many cases they approach
closely enough to bring them down
with a well-aimed arrow.
A family Of these little people, who
are not over four or five feet in height,
was recently brought to Europe, and
in Berlin gave representation before
some scientific men of their method of
taking ostriches. which was considered
very ingenious.
The ostrich, though stupid, is not
always deceived, and an instance is
related where one of the birds becom-
ing enraged, either at the supposed
bird or the hunter, rushed at it and at
single kick knocked over the I'M
fortunate Akka and tore his ostrich
skin in shreds while trampling him
under foot, and it was with consider
able difficulty that the bird was driven
off and the bogus ostrich rescued.
Some curious tactics have to be
adopted in hunting the crocodile in
eastern countries One method among
the native tribes is to fasten native
baby-a fat, plump one-to stake
near the shore. and when the huge
reptiles, attracted by it's screams, come
out Of the water, they are shot. In
other places the hunters attach
branches to their heads and crawl
along until they are within reaching
distance. This is often attempted
with birds, and the so-called floating
blinds are often merely boats covered
with branches; the wind taking the
latter carries it down among the I'M
suspecting birds.
Very few animals are caught
mapping, unless the hunter displays re-
markable talents in deception. When
a herd of elephants is feeding it invari-
ably Is protected by q guard of watch
full sentinels. So with Monkeys.
When they are devastating corn
field the sentinels are stationed about
to give warning at the slightest noise.
when the whole band will go pell-mell
over the fields in the direction of the
forest
l have often noticed this among
birds. especially the California quail;
the moment approached the sentinel
bird would pipe up and tell all the
rest that danger was nigh. The most
striking example of this guardian
ship observed on the Pacific coast.
about four miles south of the town of
Santa Monica. A mile away l saw n
flock of pure-white cranes, and wish
ing to secure one 1 rode up the beach
upon the ocean side, there left my
horse, and began my walk over the
sand dunes. The majority of the flock
were in q secluded portion of little
bay, presenting the appearance from
distance Of n white sheet upon the
dark shore.
When within an eighth of mile of
them found that there were half
dozen sentinels posted ut various
places. Every slight elevation near
the flock bore very wide-awake
bird, and my only cl ance to mp.
proach them was by hiding behind
the sand hills and crawling from one
to another. This did for at least
half an hour, making perhaps two
hundred feet, and then ventured to
look up. fairly held my breath, as
not ten feet away was beautiful
white sentinel. He saw me immedi-
ately, gave a note Of warning, and at
the moment the air was filed with
waving wings and the long white
necks Of the birds.
. 1t is very evident that the birds have
language understood by themselves.
This system OF placing sentinels is
one Of tho best evidences OF 1t, and