The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-08
ON SKIS STALKING ELK.
A Sport of Tremendous Daring ana
wild Excitement.

From the Helena Independent
Mule stalking the elk with rifles is the
method best known to sportsmen. 1t Is
by no means the most venturesome or ex-
citing, in fact, the ski elk hunters of Mon
tana, who take the animals alive. proba-
bly, equal any class Of men In skill and
daring. r he winter in Montana coats the
mountains. valleys and plains with deep
snow, and the elk are mostly found in
deep valleys and canyons of the ranges,
where they are protected from the wind
and find ample heritage, and It is when
in this fanciful security that the ski
riders hunt them.
one cold morning a little party might
have been seen preparing for an elk hunt
in front OF typical mountain cabin
1t has been estimated that about one
man In LOCO will make good elk hunter
on the skis, hence the three men who had
gathered for the sport were objects Of
no ordinary interest. The party was or
ganized, as a rancher had decided to
take number Of elk alive to make up a
herd and had sent for the best and most
skillful ski riders for that purpose in the
Montana mountains. The men were try
ing on their skis, rubbing on dope, sup
posed to make them swifter and increase
the polish, and discussing the prospects.
Finally the party was ready and the
start made; three men moving along cas-
lily on the skis, and others on ordinary
snow shoes; the former armed with lar
iats, an important feature in the hunt.
Elk had been massing in a canyon about
two miles away several days before, and
since then there had been heavy storm
and freeze. so that the mountains were
piled deep with snow, over which was a
hard crust that cleaned and glistened in
the sunlight like glass.
The little cavalcade moves away slowly,
the regular snowshoe men walking clum-
silly along, with their wonderful shoes,
rushing down impossible places and far
up the other side with incredible Veloc-
The plan of the hunt was to steal along
the crest of the hills and mountains until
a herd of elk was sighted in the valley be-
low, then at the word start, slide down
the mountain, dash into the herd at full
speed and rope the elk with the lariat
before they could recover from their as
constituent
After travelling son distance, the hunt
ers finally reached the ravine in which
the elk had been seen, and carefully fol-
lowed along the edge, which was lined
with snoW-covered brush. They had gone
nearly a mile, when the leader suddenly
stopped and pointed ahead. Through an
opening in the brush down in the canyon,
at the base of the deep slide, the dark
forms of numerous elk were seen. The
men estimated that 1t was at least two
miles from the open country, and that II
would be almost impossible for the elk
to make much Roadway up the sides OF
the ravine. owing to the deep drifts.
Lariats were now taken in hand and
made ready and the three ski riders be
place TO take the slide. This was an i'm
portant matter, as If a tree, or some OBJ
struction that could not be leaped, was
struck, 1t would end the hunt so far as
the ski man was concerned
The slope of the mountain was dotted
with large pines, about which the snow
was piled so that many looked as though
the tops were projecting from the snow.
Some distance on they came to place
where evidently early in the winter there
had been a slide, and trees and brush
had been carried down in the rush, leav-
ing a comparatively smooth run which
would bring them directly in the path
of the herd. The edge was approached
carefully, then at the word the men
sprang forward and went flying down the
side of the mountain.
There was a ridge part way down. so
that the elk could not see them until they
had passed it, and 1t seemed hardly a
second before the riders reached 1t. bound
ed into the air, coming down gracefully
and rushing on like the wind Itself the
snow-shoe party witnessing the marvel
Gus sight from the ridge. The elk saw
the mysterious figures Ike birds rushing
down the slope upon them and for a
second stood rigid with amazement, then
rushed ahead, some going up the opposite
slope, others plunging down the canyon.