The herald., 1895-03-24
GOOD SPORT
WITH THE GOATS
AT CATALINA
Vancouver Put the First Goats on the
Island Over Century Ago, SO
That Shipwrecked Sailors
Should Have Food
By De W. c. L.

1t was sight to stir the blood OF the
most sluggish sportsman: The goats
| closed up in a solid wriggling mass and
then swept down into the canyon like an
animated avalanche.
| Not shot was fired. 1t was useless at
so long range. SO, concealing ourselves
in grove of talon trees, we awaited
| developments knowing that in all proba-
bility the fleeing herd would present a
solid front to us somewhere. But at what
| point and with any chance Of our being
| able to close in upon them were questions
| OF purely speculative nature.
The frightened animals could still be
| heard tearing through the chaparral, and
we listened intently until the sound be-
came merged into that produced by the
rustling leaves about our heads, and was
finally lost altogether.
| Just as we had given up all hope of re-
| covering our game, the sturdy sentinel OF
| the herd shot out upon green mesa
which projected from mountain on the
| other side of the cannon. With head erect
and extended first in one direction and
| then in another, he sought in every quar-
| ter for some trace of the enemy. Appar-
| entity his reflections upon the situati on
were unfavorable, for he suddely turned
about and disappeared in the brush. And
| although we watched the locality from our
| post OF concealment for a half hour or
more, we saw no sign of the goats.
And now a most astonishing thing oc-
Cured. 1t not only filled us with amaze
| ment but seemed at first to be linked with
the supernatural.
A heavy bank of fog had rolled in al
most without warning and very soon the
| goats hiding place was completely shut
off from our view. The fog grew denser
and extended in all directions until it al
most completely enveloped the entire is
land. The only bit of earth visible in a
direct line from our point of observation
was the irregular, bow-shaped crest of
| Laurina Peak, and in moment more, up
in the sky a thousand feet above us, APP
peared the entire band of goats, fantas-
tically outlined against the pale, gray
| background.
Over the rugged peak they clambered,
leapng swiftly from rock to rock, and
| scaling the steep inclines singly or
| abreast half dozen or more
moving in unison-and assuming withal
a rotary motion not unlike that produced
by loose rubber band over a slowrevOlv-
ing wheel.
There were snow-white goats and coal
black goats; goats of brown and yellow
and buff and terra cottta striped goats.
| spotted goats and tri-colored goats all
| apparently cavorting among the clouds.
The heavy veil of fog now rose higher
and higher until it closed in upon the
mountain peak, and moment later the
curious spectacle disappeared like vision
| from our sight.
Our day sport with the Catalina ante
lope would have come to an ignominious
ending except that on the homeward
| tramp, at a sudden turn in the trail
about a mile from Black Jack Mountain.
we came face to face with as fine speci
men of billy as one would wish to see.
| Two shots were fired simultaneously. The
animal dropped in his tracks. and his
antlers and glossy skin are now under
| going the process of the art of preserva-
ton.
Goat hunting on Catalina Island affords
| in many ways a similarity to the sport en-
| joyd in the pursuit of the famous kipp-
| springer of South Africa. There is always
the sentinel to watch which, at the
slightest suspicious sound, scent or object,
| gives vent to snort of warning and then
makes for the highest attainable point,
the whole troop following after. Like his
African brother, the Catalina goats are
| excellent climbers and are found in
greater numbers about the loftiest and
most inaccessible peaks.
The hair of the Catalina goat is coarse
and of uneven length, as rule, but not
infrequently a fine specimen is found
having the tieecy long hair or wool of the
Rocky Mountain variety. The horns are
broad at the base, tapering gradually to
a sharp point, the two extending grace
fully backward and diverging at dis
tance of from twenty to thirty inches
| The largest pair of horns ever secured on
the island, as far as known, measured
thirty six inches from tip to tip. The
horns are either black or light brown in
color and take handsome polish.
The flesh of the adult goats is tough and
| ill-havored, but that of the kids is excel
| lent eating. Certain portions are not in
| frequently introduced in hotel menus as
lamb chops and it would require an
epicure to tell the difference.
nln L tod
playful as kittens, and will romp together
| with all the abandon of group of street
Arabs. They are extremely affectionate,
and at their owners approach the stubby
tails always wag a hearty welcome.
| AS to the origin of the Monarch of
Catalina" it is said thatthe origins band
was turned loose by Vancouver a century
or more ago in philanthropic effort to
provide meat for ship-wrecked or wander
| ing mariners. The goats have thrived
well on the island, and in spite of the
great quantities slain annually by sports
| men and pot hunters, their number today
is vuriously estimated at from 5000 to TO-, :
| 600.
| Certain portions of the island are so
precpitous or so effectualy barricaded
| with cactus as to make them inaccessible
for the two-footed enemy, and there are
evidences that these wild regions are the
| haunts of hundreds of goats.
|
| Pebble Beach and Seal Rock, is favorite
resort for the animals. Here they are
| frequently seen scaling the walls of the
| cliff, which rise straight out of the water.
| some of them to a height of 1900.
| A few days since three intrepid sports
men having sighted band of goats in
| this vicinity, while out fishing, started
after them the next day day over the
crests OF the mountains, and a detailed
| description of the hunters varied expert
| ences certainly would make interesting
| reading. half dozen goats were dropped
| in short order but how to secure the game
was serious problem. The loose soil
and great masses of disintegrated rock
| afford an Indifferent foothold to say the
| least and while the descent is naturally
much simplfied by the attraction Of
| gravitatlon. the return trip. when one has
| to take his life in his hands as we'll as the
| goat. is about as reliable "a brain and
nerve tester as one would wish to find.
| Three goats out of the six were finally
| brought home in triumph and some fine
skins and horns are now being prepared
for Eastern shipment. One of the ami
mails was a beautifully marked black and
gray billy" which has been hunted re-
| peatedly for two years or more by native
! sportsmen, but it remained for an anna
teur to secure the prize.
Among the many stories told of Cata-
| lima goat hunters is that of young man
| who returned one day with fine black
| goat and began at once to entertain "a
| numerous audience with an account of
| his exciting adventure. An old Callahan
! who had been listening to the thrilling