Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-10-07
KILLING A BULL ELK.
~ ExttILAJsATiNo ADVENTURE At
TWO OCEAN PASS :

TWO OCEAN PASa
N Interesting DssssiDsasa 81 . Asnssss
rrip-ous fer Mig Ga.s-Chasasg
ws~.AsA Ball-Crsspiag UDsa . Dss-
t.~ Hera-A C.sfsss Aboas Firing.
From an interesting article on An
ylk HINT st Two Ocean Pass, BY the
Hon. Theodore Roosevelt, in The Cen
iury. the following quotation Is made
Next morning dawned clear and cold
The sky q glorious blue. Woody ana
started to hunt over the great tableiand
md led our stout horses mp the noun
tain side by elk trails 90 bad that they
had 10 climb like goats. All these elk
trails have one striking peculiarly
lead through thick timber, but every
now and then send of short. well worn
branches to some cliff edge or Jutting
crag commanding .. view far and wide
over the country beneath. Elk love to
stand on these lookout points and scan
the valleys and mountains round about.
Blue grouse rose from beside our path:
Clarke's crows flew past us. with hol-
low, tapping sound. OF lighted in the
pine tops. calling and flirting their tails;
the gray clad whisky jacks, with multi
tudinous cries, hoped and futtered
near us. Snowshoe rabbits scuttled
away, the great furry feet which give
them their name already turning white.
At last we came out ON the great pla-
teau. scanned with deep. narrow rayines.
Reaches of pasture alternated with
groves and open forests of varying size.
Almost Immediately we heard the bugle
of bull elk and saw big band ofcows
and calves on the other side Of u valley
There were three bulls with them, one
very large, and We tried 10 creep up on
them, but the wind was battling and
spoiled our stalk. SO we returned TO our
horses, mounted them and rode mile
farther, toward a large open wood on a
hillside.
When within 200 yards we heard di-
rectly ahead the bugle of bull and
pulled up short. In u moment saw
him walking through an open glade. he
lad not seen us. The slight breeze
"a 81, 70 40 90 ~ = 80.
like that Of herd of Attorney cows,
but in old bulls while ruttinS it is rank
pungeIIt and lasting We stood motion
less till the bull was out Of sight, then
ttole to the wood, tied our horses and
.rotVe" amer NM ne was ,i"'eiiis
last occasionaiis eaiiihs' "he,eupon
others IL, tne ishoo, hoo', "ouiu an
:wer. EVfaehtiy ne hao peeh ori'eh
ouI oi some hero ny ihe master Dull
lie Went faster IMAM we diu' anu WINE
we were faihly trying 10 o'ertake MN
we hearu announcer very iouu anu sohor-
Gus challenge To our lett IL came from
:. ridge crest at the edge OF the woods,
among some scattered clumps OF the
northern nut pine, or pinon, a queer conf
fer growing very high on the noun
tains, Its nultiforked trunk and wide
spreading branches giving 1t the round
cd top and at distance the general
look Of an oak rather than pine. We
1T once walked toward the ridge-up
wind. In minute or two. to our cha
grin, we stumbled ON an outlying spike
bull. evidently kept on the outskirts Of
the herd by the master bull. l thought
it would alarm all the rest, but as we
stood motionless 1t could not see clearly
what we We're. 1t stood, ran. stood
again, gazed at us and trotted slowly off.
We hurried forward as fast as We
dared. and with too little care, for we
suddenly came in view of two cows. As
they raised their heads to look, Woody
,luatted down where he was, to keep
their attention fixed. while | cautiously
tried to slip off to one side unobserved.
Favored by the neutral tint OF my buck
kin hunting shirt, with which my
,hoes, legglngs and soft hat matched,
succeeded. As soon as l was out of
sight ran hard and came up to
hillock crested with pinons, behind
which judged should ma the nerd.
rs approached the crest, their strong,
sweet smell smote my hostrils. In an
other moment saw the tips OF pair OF
mighty antiers, ana peered over the
crest with my rifle at the ready. Thirty
yards on behiiid ciump OF plhohs,
stood huge Duli, his head thrown BACK
Us he rubbed ms shoulders with ms
horhs. lhefe Were seFera cows around