Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-23
Buffalo Hunting in 1877.

When camp was pitched the horses
We're turned loose to Craze and re-
fresh themselves after their trying
Journey, during which they had lost
flesh wofully. They were watched
and tended by the two men who
were always left in camp, and, save
on rare occasions, the horses were
only used TO haul in the buffalo
hides. The camp guards for the time
being acted rs cocks: and, though
coffee and flour both ran short and
finally gave out, fresh meat of
every kind was abundant. The
camp was never without buffalo
beef, deer and antelope venison.
wild turkeys, prairie chickens,
quails, ducks, and rabbits. The
birds were simply s'potted, -
as occasion required; when the
quarry was deer or antelope, the
hunters took the dogs with them to
run down the wounded animals.
But almost the entire attention OF
the hunters was given 10 buffalo.
After an evening spent In lOunging
around the campfire, and n sound
nights sleep, wrapped in robes and
blankets, they would get UP before
daybTeak, snatch a hurried-break-
fast, and start off in couples through
the chilly dawn. The great beasts
were very plentiful; in the first
days hunt, twenty were slain: but
the herds were restless ami ever on
the move. Sometimes they would
be seen by the camp, and again it
would need fn al-day's tramp TO
find them. There was no difficulty
in spying them-the chief trouble
with forest game; for on the prairie
a buffalo makes no effort to
hide, and its black, shaggy bulk
looms up as far As the eye can see.
Sometimes they were found in small
parties OF three or four individuals.
sometimes in bands of about two
hundred and again in great herds of
many thousand; and solitary old
bulls, expelled from the herds, were
common. lion broken land, among
hills and ravines, there was not
much difficulty in approaching
from the leewand; for, though the
sense OF smell in the buffalo is very
acute, they do not see well at a dis
lance through their Overhasging
frOntlets Of coarse and matted
hair. If, as was generally the
case, they were out ON the
open rolling prairie, the stalking
was far more difficult. Every hol-
low, every earth hummock and sage
urush had 20 be used as cover. The
hunter wriggled through the grass
fat on his face, pushing himself
along for perhaps n quarter OF
mile by his toes and fingers, heed
less Of the spiry cactus. When near
enough to the huge unconscious
quarry the hunter began firing, still
keeping himself carefully concealed.
II the smoke WIS blown away by
the wind, and If the buffaloes caught
no glimpse Of the assailant, they
would often stand motiOnless and
stupid until many of their number
had been slain; the hunter being
careful not to fire too high,
aiming just behind the shoulder,
about a third Of the way up the
bOiy, that bis bullet might 90
through the lungs. Sometimes, even
after they saw the man, they would
act as if confused and panic-struck,
up together and staring at
the smoke puffs-but generally they
were of at numbering gal!op as
soon as they had an idea OF the
point Of danger. When once started,
they ran for many miles before halt
ing, and their pursuit on foot was
laborious.-ET.