The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-05-13
THE MOUFlON is SLY GAME.
An Animal Which Knowing Sportsmen
Find on Corsican Hills.

Find on Corsican Hills.
There are some surprises awaiting the
sportsman who visits Corsica, a few OF
which are told about in The Badminton
Magazine. The writer of the article was
a British naval officer, and the Corsican
commandant treated him and his party
very politely, refused to look at their
hunting permits and passports, gave
them dinner with fine cigars and wine
captured from a brigand band by his
own gendarmes and sent for the best ma
tive guide to be put at their disposal.
What is more, he put small squad OF
cavalry at their service to rescue any
member of the party 50 unfortunate as
to be captured and held for ransom.
The goatherd who served as guide
was good one. He knew the moufion,
or wild mountain sheep, perfectly, and
it was through his efforts mainly that
the party was successful. The writer car
ried o 9S caliber, double barreled ex-
press rife, shooting hard head bullet.
A long, hard climb in the steep noun
tains, with frequent pauses for using
the telescope, resulted in sighting the
quarry moving in patch Of heather,
which frequently hid them from view.
All but the old ram were feeding in a
restless, shifty manner. He was perched
on an overhanging ledge looking out for
hunters. The moufion knows thing or
two, and when a flock are feeding they
always have some keen old ram or eve
where it can see the country below best.
They are as wild as, perhaps wilder
than, any of their kind, whether found
in Europe, Asia or America; but, like
others, they may be approached from
above, wind and ground permitting. No
bungler need hope for one, as they are
80 constantly hunted by natives as to be
always on the lookout The natives kill
at all times, and kill all things from
lambs to rams The first kill was by
good luck, not by reason Of skill, for the
animals ran past one Of the party, who
shot at so yards, missed the big ram and
hit another, which happened to be just
beyond, in the neck. The throat shot is
a right good one to make. Itkills quick
er than either head or shoulder shots,
which are somewhat easier to make.
The guide refused to dress the killed
animal "Why should he waste the best
part?' he asked So he carried the rs
pounds five miles to camp, where he
got his choice and the Englishmen got
theirs.
Their camp was in an attractive place,
at the edge Of clump Of pine trees, at
least 120 feet high, near a babbling
trout stream, just Is miles from Corte.
They bought some fresh milk, loaf OF
chestnut bread, and some goat milk
cheese, just to get acquainted with the
herders Of q big flock of goats and
few sheep. Later they were welcomed
to huts Of the herders, which shows the
best way to treat the natives Of any re-
gion, more especially in region where
native cavalry is put at ones disposal by
coed natured officials. IF they had put
themselves on pinnacles for the herders
to look at, half the fun Of the trip would
have been lost or gained in man hunt
ing.
Nocasual glance will detect the mouf-
lon, even if it is wholly within the
range Of vision, for it possesses mar
velous development Of sight, great nose
cunning, and-what is more interesting
to the hunter-a discriminating nowl-
edge Of light and shade, which largely
contributes to its safety. The animals
get into places where their color blends
With that of the background-an easy
thing for them to do in that country OF
neutral colors or shades-and there they
stand waiting for the hunter to show
the end Of his little finger or the light
CLINT Of his gun in the sunlight, when
away they go, dashing over the rocks
as if they were lawn.
The eve secretes her young in caves
and among the precipices they inhabit,
else long ago they would have ceased
to exist They are untamable and
fierce, using their horns on the most de-
mure or warlike keepers indiscriminate-
~, and only strong ropes will keep
them from battering doors to flinders.
Moufon venison, favored by wild
thyme, is tasteful dish to all, but the
natives do not care to eat it: