Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-04
PITTSBURG'S NLMR0DS.
A Surprise Party for a Band Of Elks
That Panned Out Well.
PLENTY OF BEAR MEAT IN CAMP.
Lively Encounter With a Nine Hundred
Pound Grizzly Bear.
PARKERS RECORD AS A sPRINTER
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE D1spArcH.l

CORRESPONDENCE OF THE DIsPATcH.l
BEAR RIVER CAMP, COL, Sept. 20
The letter written you on the 8th inst. had
quite delay in reaching you. The guide
who undertook to take it across the range
to the postofice succeeded in getting lost In
a snow storm and returned to camp with 1t
after having been absent two days. we
gave him fresh supplies and on the second
trial he went through all right.
On the 11th inst. met with quite pain
full accident which has kept me in camp un-
til yesterday. In the morning in company
with Parker and Lyons, went to look at
two bear traps that we had set in deep
gulch about four miles from camp where we
had noticed bear signs quite plentiful and
some tracks very large. We had
baited each trap very carefully
with the forequarters Of an elk.
Batting the trap consists of hanging
ground. Then the trap is set on the ground
at the foot of the tree and covered carefully
with grass and leaves. The tree is smeared
with honey. In reaching for the meat, the
bear is caught by one of the feet, and is
WATCHING AN ELK FIGHT.
On our way to the trap, sighted band
of about so e1ks. I examined them care
fully with my field glass and discovered
that there was a fierce battle in progress
between two very large bulls for the posses
sion of the band. We concluded to ap-
proach them on foot, and leaving our horses
in the timber, stalked the elk carefully to
yards the fighting was still going on. We
found that instead of there being two bulls
with the band, there were five. Two of
them were badly gored and evidently out
of the fight. The third appeared to be
spectator with the cows.
They were in small park of about three
acres, while we lay concealed at the edge of
timber The fight was of the most desper-
ate character. The opponents were unequal
ly matched, one being a small bull of about
800 pounds and the other a monster of at
least LOO. The smaller fought with a
ferceness that promised victory. One mo-
ment their horns would be locked and the
next they would wheel and the charge that
followed would be terrific. The superior
weight of the large bull was telling and the
small one was fought to his knees 1t was
only matter of a few minutes until the
contest would be decided, and as I was par
ticularly anxious to own the antlers that
the large chap carried, gave the word to
open fire. Lyons had selected the spectator
bull as his prey, Parker q wounded bull
with fine head, and the big fellow was
left to me.
A SURPRISE FOR THE ELKS.
Anyone who has punted elk knows how
badly ratified they become on being alarmed,
running both toward and from the hunter
in their endeavor to escape. The band was
quite taken by surprise. They mistook the
echo for the report of our rifles and instead
of running from US rushed down on the mar
row strip Of quaking aspens we were stand.
ing in. 1t was our time to be surprised. My
big bull had become mixed up with the
herd. still directed my fire at him strictly.
1 had given him II shots and he was still