Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-09-16
HUNTING FOR BISON.
DR.. CARVER GIVES SOME OF
HIS EXPERIENCE.
He Shot Bunalo Cow One Day and Then
Had a Very Hard Tussle of It
They Trapped a Menager
Poisoning Wolves.


was done in the winter 1t usually
1.-The manner in which we used to
go about it was, first sight our buffa-
Ices and thenEstart for them; II they
were too far away from camp we
usually endeavored to ride around
them and lead then back so as to
leave their carcasses as near the
station as possible. We would ride
up to bunch OF buffalo and cut loose
mt them. following them and shooting
them down as long as our horses
would stand the work. Many a time
n small party OF us would entirely
wipe out a good sized herd of buffalo
in one day.
The horses / rode were trained
buffalo hunters and required very
little guiding. They knew the wal
low or prairie dog town as well or
better than l did and their instinct
made them avoid charging buffalo
better than If they had been held IN
check by the rein and had | attempted
to guide them away from the infuri-
ated animals that would sometimes
turn and show fight We usually
shot the butfaloes between the ribs
through the lungs; one shot in this
manner would run n few yards until
the throat and lungs would fill with
blood. when they would choke up and
tumble er and lie there until the
men with the teams came up to skin
them and cut up the meat for ship
ment East
Il shot remarkably big COW that
way one morning. and after being
satisfied that she was hit turned my
attention TO an old bull running Just
ahead on the other side OF the horse
AS | was watching my opportunity to
make short shot | suddenly heard a
snort ana then felt as though bucket
OF water had been dashed in my face
from n distance great enough to make
it reach me as a spray rather than as
solid stream.
Almost at tho same instant the
old horse | was riding rose and made
leap. over something, and az
turned and cleared my eyes / dis
covered that the old COW had whirled
and attempted TO charge and in
giving her final blow had completely
covered myself and horse with blood
from her throat and nostrils going
down almo t in front of the horse at
the same time If the old fellow had
not been sure-footed and on the watch
nothing could have prevented bad
spill.
The hide hunters pursued very
nearly the same tactics as we observed.
having wagons and SINNERS to follow
after them the principal difference
being that they woulc generally kill
more buffalo than the meat hunters
as the men with the wagons ddn' I
have near rs much work. We seldom
had any trouble with the Indians as
we didn't hurt them. and even when
on the war path. they were not look
ing for the buffalo hunters. Emigrant
trains and settlers were more in their
way as they orded more plumber
and didn't give them such a tough
fight.
The only direct attack that was
ever made on me by an Indian was up
on the Medicine. was cantering
around one afternoon toward a can.
yon where ! had seen bunch OF
butfaloes disappear, when heard and
al most felt something strike my horse
just ahead OF my legs The poor
animal gave jump or two and went
down head foremost on the frozen
ground never TO rise again. looked
him over and found that he had been
struck by "a rifle bullet
.Of course l Immediately began
looking in all directions for an enemy.
but saw none. consequently the con-
clusion is that the shot had been fired
by an Indian from n great distance,
probably not less than n mile away.
where there was some foot hills and
rocks in which ne had evidently been
hiding. Twas in no condition TO look
for him. ASH were obliged to carry nv
saddle and traps back to camp to get
another horse. and even If there had
been another animal handy. | proba-
bly, should not have gone into the
! foothills as might have found more
indians than / wanted.
IL the meat and hide hunters in the
early days could only have known as
much as we know now they might
have all been millionaires by saving
the heads aud having them mounted.
as am told that good buffalo head
now is a very hard thing to get. and
those that are in the market are held
| at from $500 to 81 600 each.
| did a good deal Of trapping along
the springs principally at the beaver
dams and / am told by some of the
boys who have been up along the Re-
publican that there are still plenty OF
beaver in that section. One sure way
10 get one was to make hole In the
dam. and set trap very near 1t un.
derneath the water. AS soon as the
leak was discovered some old beaver
would go there to repair the dam. and
be pretty sure TO get caught An.
other favorite place to set traps was
along the top of the dam. as many
different animals would try to cross
the river in the night and get caught.
One afternoon we had set our trap.
along the top OF the big dam on the