The weekly messenger., 1890-07-12
GREAT GAME GOING.
Elk and Antelopes Almost Ex-
terminated by Hide Hunters.
The Animals RuthleSSly Slaugh-
tered for Their Skins.

time haunts, due to the persistent raids
of the hide hunters" said New
Yorker who was in the engineer corps
Of the Northern Plcfc Railway while
that road was building through the
northwestern territories. "The fact
that elk were becoming scarce did not
surprise me, for when 1 was out there
the game butchers were slauyhtering
not only elk, but antelope and mule
deer, at a rate of 20, 900 head a year.
am surprised, rather, that there are
any of these animals left.
al can remember when elk were still
plenty in Kansas and Nebraska, and
once their range extended from the
Middle States TO the Pacific coast. The
rapid advance of civilization drove
them into the dense and as yet unin-
habited regions of Minnesota and the
northwestern territories. If they had
been doomed to extinction by the nat
ural progress of civilization or the ef.
fects of legitimate hunting. they would
have been certain of a long life tenure.
but the wholesale slaughter of elk that
has been going on for years. has so
thinned out and terrorized the great
herds, that even as long ago as 1880
the sportsman had to seek the game in
the most remote parts of even the COM
paratively un fire. equented region to which
they had been driven.
'.Indiscriminste and organized cru
ssde against elk, mule deer and an
telope began in the North west twenty
years ago. 1t was the project of specu.
istors, who saw a great business in trad
ing in the skins of these animals on q
large scale. They fitted out hunting
parties which were scattered all through
th9 country mentioned, with orders to
let no pelt escape them. The result
was so satisfactory that still larger
parties and more of them, equipped
with the most impr owed and destructive
weapons then known, were sent out,
and the business was increased every
year while was in the region.
elk travel in herds, and, to the
legitimate hunter, there is no more
noble and exciting sport than an elk
chase. When not hindered by deep
snow, they make their way with won
derful ease and rapidity through the
very worst of tho bad lands of the
legions they inhabit. Mounted on q
feet horse, the hunter is frequently led
achase of many miles before he is able
to bag his wary game. The natural
gait of the elk is a graceful swinging
trot, and as long as the fleeing animal
is able to maintain that he never tir es.
It is the one great object Of tie
hunter to follow so closely and press
the elk so hard that he becomes ratified
and breaks from his trot into gal
lop When the elk strikes the gallon
his fate is scaled. for it seems impossi-
sible for the animal to fall back into
his natural gait again. The galloI
soon tires the elk. He begins to lag
and sway from side to side. He seems
to know that he is doomed, stops in
his course and turns to fight for hi
lie. No wise hunter ever approaches
near enough to an elk brought to bay
to be within range of his tremendoul
horns or the deadly stroke of his for'
feet. The hunter might better stand
face to face with q grizzly. From
safe distance the sportsman sends
ball from his Winchester through the
elk's heart or brain, and tho hunt i
over. A bull elk in good condition
will weigh from 300 to 500 pounds,
COW from 200 to $50.
''The greatest destruction by tn
hide hunters is done among the elk
during the season of deep snow. II
April the cows of herd leave the bull
to themselves and retire to the thicket
and close timber. have known sin
gle hide hunter to kill in one month il
the snow. and that in the month o
April, 35 COW elks. This man was on
OF partv Of fhirtaan opd aocb ope n