Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-15
HUNTING THE ELK.
EXCITEMENT OF THE CHASE OF
THE STATELY ANIMALS.

colorado Is the Place Where These Noble
Creatures Are Found in Large Num-
bers-They Are Going, However, tho
Way of the Once Numerous Buffalo.
This is perhaps the greatest game coun-
try in the United States. Situated in the
very heart of the Rocky mountains, the
least settled part, the towering peaks and
wooded slopes literally TEEN with deer, elk
and bear But the onward march of civil
| lization Is making greac inroads upon these
proud densZens of the forest. and soon they
will have Joined the buffalo in the happy
hunting ground. In a varied experience,
covering several years, it has been my
pleasure TO study the habits and character
istics of these animals and believe of all
the large game on this continent the elk is
the noblest, the grandest, the stateliest.
The moose, caribou, deer or mountain
sheep has each its points of excellence that
endear IL TO the heart of the sportsman
but the elk possesses more than any of the
others. In size, sagacity, cunning and
wariness he is the superior of them all.
His keen scent, his penetrating eye, his
acute sense of hearing, combine in making
him one of the moot difficult animals to
kill.
He will travel twenty-four hours with
ease, never stopping to eat or drink. His
gait is swift, swinging trot. He is as
ground at an astonishing pace. With his
immense antlers thrown back on his shout
ders he will go through rocks, down tim
Der or brush with the greatest ease where
a horse, and sometimes a man. would have
difficulty in following. H. is often found
above timber line and will traverse narrow
passes and defiles, climbing over walls of
rock and through assures where it would
seem impossible for animal of his size
to go.
well remember the first time heard an
elk bugle. was alone on top of the great
divide, and was walking along the bank of
the dizzy canyon at the very head of Fish
creek. L was novice in those days, and
fully expected to see herd of grizzly bears
at every step. My nerves were at a great
tension, the deep and gloomy canyons
and craggy cliffs at that point are dark
and foreboding, and have an oppressive eff
feet on tenderfoOt.
Suddenly there burst upon my ears the
clear, penetrating bugle of an elk. 1t was
a most strange, weird, peculiar sound,
battling all efforts of the most skillful
word painter and startling in it's sudden
ness. My hair stood on end. l wanted to
run, but did not know which way to go,
as the sound seemed to come rolling in
from every direction. / was bewildered
rs the sound echoed from cliff to cliff and
went rolling away in the distance. Again
pealed out that clarion note, and this time
| espied along the canyon bank a moving
object, which | soon made out to be an elk
He a noble specimen, with immense
spreading antlers, and was coming directly
toward me. dropped down behind a rock
and awaited him. Just in front of me was
a beautiful little park covered with
carpet of green grass, plentifully sprinkled
with flowers, and into this he turned. He
stopped, threw his head back swelled his
nnfEr 70 Sir
emitted that mournful wall. While be
was standing thus | took careful aim and
fired. He dropped like log. The bullet
took him square between the eyes. His
antlers had nine prongs TO the side, and
the tip was six feet from his head
During the latter part of November
when the soft downy snow had piled up
over foot deep on the valley, / accompa-
MED hunting expedition to the head
waters of Elk river. Here the elk congre-
gate in large bands preparatory for their
winter trip south. We shoveled off
camping place and built a roaring fire
After supper we sat around on logs and
smoked and told stories until late and
then rolled into our beds, spread on q
thick layer of spruce boughs, and dreamed
of elk and bear and all other game that is
dear to the heart of the sportsman. How
one can sleep on bed of spruce boughs!
Morning dawned bright and clear, and
long before sunrise were in motion.
We heard an elk bugle just over a little
hill from our camp, and believing there
was band of them we made in that direc-
ton.
AS we came upon the hill and looked
over we saw a beautiful sight. There in a
little valley was bunch of more than 200
elk. Some were lying, some standing and
others walking back and forth like senti-
nels watching over sleeping army. Noise
lessly we crept back, and making a wide
detour we surrounded them. The sun
was we'll up by this time, and as it shone
upon the frost incrusted boughs of the
spruce they shone and sparkled like clus-
tiers of diamonds. The peaks are warmed
with a glow of sunlight, and tinged
with a golden halo. 1t was a scene of
marvellous grandeur and beauty. A signal
was given and we all moved forward. An
ever watchful bull sounds a note of alarm,
and instantly the herd is in motion. They
go slowly down the gulch, moving in good
order. although the snow is three feet
deep
The leader stalks proudly at the head of
the band. Suddenly from in front there
is report, and we see a little puff of
smoke ascend. The leader stops, turns
around with his noble head lowered to the
ground, and his noble body trembles with
a new and deathly sensation. The snow
around is covered bright crimson, and
this magnificent animal, which n few mo-
ments ago walked proudly at the head of
his band, summons all his effort for great
leap and falls over dead. The band thus
suddenly deprived of a leader stands wa
vering for a moment and then breaks
apart, and one part runs up our hillside
while the others go the other way. Now
is the chance for the hunter, and we, who
are above him, look with eager expectancy
to see him accept it. He PUSHES forward