The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-22
DEER KILLING MATCH.
A Pacific Coast HultinG Experience on
Christmas Day.

Christmas Day.
From the Chicago Record.
The most memorable Christmas of my
! life occurred at N point west OF Colusa,
| Cal. on the Pacific Coast range mount
aims, where a half dozen hunters, myself
| among the number, encamped for the
winter of 1867.
1t was agreed that the man who should
kill the most deer between the rising and
setting of the sun on Christmas should
take all. l killed nine and won the prize.
1t was not because l was the best marks
man, for there were others in the camp
equally as good as myself, but 1t seemed
that a streak of good luck fingered in my
pathway during the day.
1t happened in this way: 1 started out
early in the morning, accompanied by an
unarmed old Indian whom we had mex
named "Skap."
We had scarcely gone half mile from
camp when l downed beautiful three
pronged buck. mile further up the
mountain killed my second deer. We
were greatly encouraged and pressed on
up to the snow line, where deer usually
were the most plentiful; but TO our sur
prise we failed to find any more until
about noon, when, having turned our
course obliquely down the mountain, we
suddenly came to an almost perpendicu-
lar, rocky bluff, and looking over into n
little valley or level spot of ground, cover
ing not more than an acre, just below. we
saw eight deer. Slipping quietly behind
big pine tree standing near the edge of
the bluff, where / had n full view of the
ground below me, drew down upon a
large slx-pronged buck, which | supposed
10 be the leader of the herd, and at the
crack of my rifle he fell.
Deer never knowingly run into danger
If they can help 1t.
Tho wind, as we'll as the position / &C.
cuped, was in my favor.
Tho echo seemed to confuse them.
They did not know from what direction
the danger came. So they simply ran in
a short circle, stopping near the point
where the first one tell.
A second shot killed another, and
seemed to intensity the confusion. They
did not know in what direction to run TO
get out of danger, so they repeated the
short circle. Another was killed; an
other, another, and SO on until seven had
fallen. The eighth, a splendid-looking
doe, stood there trembling like an aspen
leaf. really felt sorry for her, for the
thought struck me that the one just killed,
| was anxious to win the prize.
had already killed nine, and deer we're
worth $40 head in the market, and who
should stop under such circumstances to
consider a mothers grief, when her baby
could be sold for revenue?
So bang went my gun and down
dropped the doe; but l had only creased
her. and she had barely fallen when she
sprung TO her feet and dashed down tho
mountain al frightful speed, crossing a
| canyon; as she struggled up tho rocky
| steep beyond she suddenly paused, and,
| looking back across the chasm she gave n
last pitiful call for her baby, but it an
| swered her MOTT was dead.
'Skap" said: "She heap cry, no shoot
any more," and dldn't.
she passed on out of sight, only to meet
death half hour later at the hands of
| another hunter, who that evening turned
| her over to me as one of the sc which fell
| 10 my lot as the man who, by reason of
| having killed the greatest number, was
| entitled TO all.