Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-21
HUNTERS DELIGHT.
FAMOUS HUNTING eRouhps WEST
or THE BIG MUDDY.

haps Sport for the Adysnta,sas IN he
ootsan Hills and the Bad Lanas-Fss III
cred and Hairy Game oalors-Hew De
Meres Killed ths Bear.
ing grounds In the United States are she
famous Coseaus and Bad Lands. Duck and
prairie chickens are found In the grsaaas
numbers on abe outsT edge Of civilization,
where they can feed in comparative ssear-
fty In the wheat fields.
The Coteaus arc = range OF hills, or rather
. region OF hills, occupying strip OF COIN
try as large IS the state of Massachusetts,
on the east side OF the Missouri river. Ina
settlement there Is scant. owing to she
billy nature of the territory. There are in
Vulnerable small lakes and meadows and
patches OF timber. It is q safe feeding
ground for deer and the most desirs Bile
kind OF a resting place for duck and geese.
The big wheat fields of Diekey, La Moure,
Ridder and Wells counties extend to che
foot Of the Coteaus and afford convenient
food for the myriads of prairie chickens
which fattea there.
When the Coteaus are first entered a
scene OF desolation forces itself upon che
vision, but this is soon relieved by a mag
nificent perspective Of water and landscap Pc
The mountains are singulsrly abrupt. VAL
legs which at the season are luxurians
with vegetation and fragrant with bloom
ing flowers wind among the hills. Lovely
fresh water, with surface smooth as glass,
shimmers in the sunlight. Myriads of birds
awaken the echoes with melodious W ar
bling. Small game Of various kinds is al
most constantly In sight The hunter can
travel for miles without detecting the rst
sign of civilization. The name Coteau or
Coteaux, means the hills Of the Dakotas,
or Of the Sioux tCutthroat) Indians.
Deer, antelope, coyotes, badgers and
foxes disport by the waters of those noun
tain lakes and offer excellent sport to n M
rods who seek for it in that direction.
There are still great many beaver on the
creeks which flow from the hills into the
Missouri or the James. This is the prair RE
chicken season and hunting parties are
thick along the foot Of the hills. There Is
simply no limit to the game and the fun
After a month of duck and chicken shoot
ing the sportsmen begin deer stalking IN
the CoteauS- There are no swamps or
marshes to make travel wearisome and
slow. There is no timber to beguile and
retard the hunter. A person gets over The
bills and hard prairie at a rapid pace, and
the opportunity to come upon the deer
feeding in the big meadows Is excellent
In the Missouri bottoms north of Bis
marck there Is big game. and the bunting
there is carr..d on successfully In the win
ter montha- There Is less chance OF getting
lost along ths Missouri than in the Cotes u
and Bad Lands. Tho river country is q N
bersd, and On that account Is made the
winter quarters of large game While the
stalking is comparatively safe, It Is hard
work IN that region, and is not followed to
any great extent by visiting sportsu en-
After the stormy season comes on Farm
ers living along the Missouri get q good
many deer every winter, but hunters can
do better along in October and November
Rattlesnakes are thick in the river bot
toms during the warm weather, but af .er
the sharp frosts OF October have set in Il ey
are seldom seen and do little harm. A
great advantage to sportsmen anywhere
east OF the Missouri Is that there are DO
rattlesnakes. Farmers and old frontiers
men do well in the Missouri country dur
ing the winter, sometimes making big
money out of desr. but tenderfeet will be
| more comfortable out of there after the Lst
of December.
One Of the most interesting places on
earth, rs well as a fine hunting ground FOR
and weird scenery, for curious formatiC rs
and for opportunities to get lost the Bad
Lands beat the world. 1t is Incompatible
so far as the northern frontier is concern ed
for wild outdoor life There are some
buffalo, but more bear. Dear are common.
There are some mountain sheep, an occa-
sional wildcat, any number OF wolves and
. variety OF feathered game. There are
the widest kinds of canyons to traverse
and the steepest kind of hills to climb. No
/ man can pass week in the Bad Lands
without having adventures to relate
Hunting in that region is rough and W Id
enough to satisfy the most romantic turn
Of mind II a fellow wants to test his
nerve he can tackle cinnamon bear OF .
panther. 1t is fact that the Marquis de
Mores killed cinnamon there single hand
ed and alone, after lying out all night to
find the brute. The marquis used only 8
hunting knife, but gun that will throw
an ounce bullet three-quarters Of a mile is
much safer. AS a nerve tester, however,
De Mores took the proper course.
8 hunting party going to the Bad Lands
needs to leave the railroad at Medora or
Glendive, and drive or tramp twenty or
thirty miles. Then they will get clear Of
the cattle ranches and find good sport. De
cember hunting tours for deer are beco-n-
ing popular. A little snow is an advan n
tage, and it is seldom as deep in that Sec
ton as it is east of the Missouri, or any
where in the Missouri bottoms.
/ Wisconsin and Minnesota hunters W no
are accustomed to spending a week or two
with an expensive outfit in shooting hall a
dozen or a dozen mallards may think they
are having fun, but they do not know WI at
sport is. Duck are slaughtered by the
hundred in this country.-ColoradoS Sun
Common misconceptions.