The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-19
FAMOUS CHICKEN HUNT
How a Party of Hunters Enjoyed
Themselves in Montana.
A DAY OF FINE SHOOTING
"a Napaguin" Tells OF How His Party
Bageed a Pretty Lot OF Birds in the
Coulees About Fort Benton
and the Highwoods.

The following is a contribution to
Field and Stream, written by 'Napa-
gum under which nom de plume many
sportsmen will recognize a ~well-known
gunner of Montana. The story Is in
terestIng in hat II tells Of a small
party that went out to have a good time
without killing everything that came
within range of their guns.
I'VE planned out first chicken hunt
for Aug. 81, n getting our guns. am
munition and camp outfit. we left old
Fort Benton. the head of navigation on
the Missouri, at 3 O'Clock on the after
noon of Aug. 20.
'Our party consisted of three. / be-
ing deputed To act as driver and guide.
Crossing the Big Muddy. we drove up
a long canyon for at least a mile, when
The Dad leads out onto the vast prai-
RE. To the east of us the Highwcod
mountains. where we expected to lind
good chicken shooting. looked to be not
more than five or six miles away,
whereas the distance is fully 80; to our
left the Bear Paw mountains, said to
be 60 miles from Fort Benton, do not
look more h one-fourth the distance.
Warm n dusty, we travel on, the
logs, tTOttl1S at IN sue Oh the WdSOn
and covered with dust, run to every lit
tie water hole to quench their thirst and
Incidentally to lie down. AS we near
the foot hills il grows cooler and we
urge our horses along, hoping to make
amp before dark. s
I'VE have just crossed the Shonkin, a
little mountain stream. wnen Brown an
nounces, Chickens ahead!' The dogs
are promptly held i'm by Miller, and /
n,,t ,,x, M. tannthar i'm a htrrxys tho
chickens have crossed the road not
more than three yards ahead of us and
gone into some tall grass. Hurriedly
throwing in two shells of No. Z chilled
and taking my Llewellyn setter, Dan, /
go but a short distance when Dan
comes to a point. Burr burr! and the
bunch rises. l have dropped a right
and left; my dog following the re-
naming six over a little hill, 4 come up
and succeed in bagging one more.
Fifteen or twenty minutes of cur
time having been expended, we get un-
der way as fast as possible, with sun
down upon us and six miles TO go be-
fore making camp. We put on cur
coats, as 1t Is getting cooler, and drive
up a beautiful canyon below us, fully
200 feet. the Shonkin. one of those mag
nificent mountain stream the waters
of which TEEN with the speckled beau
ties. comes rushing down. Following
the Shonkin for three miles, we arrive
at a suitable camping placA, wood and
water being at hand n good grazing
for our picketed horses. Brown and j
set up the tent, unroll the bedding and
get the fire started, while Miller takes
care of the horses. We are soon enjoy
ing our evening meal of fried eggs and
potatoes, prepared by Brown. chief
chef, after which the pipes are lighted
and plans for the morrow are talked
over. After taking a might cap we
are soon lulled to sleep by the music
which all true sportsmen love. the MUIR
muir of the little brook rushing over its
rocky bed but a few feet from our
tent.
I'VE are up at daylight and soon have
the fire going and breakfast ready.
Then we take down u tent and pack
up. as we LAY two miles more to go
before reaching our shooting grounds.
We have driven but a short distance
when Miller, wishing to go through
some stubble, gets out. while Brown
and / drive on to the ranch. where we
put our horses up n prepare Tor
shooting. We start first throug some
oat stubble. and have not gone far when
my dog comes to a point; as a result
we bag three. A little farther we sue
ceed in bagging two more. Going over
a little hill. one gets up on my right
n i score an legan miss. Brown,
who is some distance from me, tries a
long shot and scores. After walking
up hills and down coulees we succeed
in bagging several more before Miller
arrives. Poor Miller! He has walked
about two miles and didn't see a bird.
We decide to try a coulee on our right
before going back to the wagon Tor
lunch, and fortunately find good shoot
ing. Arriving at the wagon We count
our birds and find we a W is. We are
somewhat hungry and thirsty after our
long tramp and find our four bottles OF
refreshments we placed in the spring
before starting out have a tendency 10
revive us when served with canned
Frankfurters. bread, cookies and some
fruit.
After a good rest and a smoke we
TAX a different course. and the dogs
o come To point in the long grass
at the edge of grain. Before leaving
we succeed in bagging five. Crossing
a deep coulee. we head for a little
spring, as chickens are usually found
near water during the heat OF day.
AS we near some brush a large Owl mes
out n affords an excellent shot, whicn
] cannot resist. having a special anti
patty toward the owl tribe in general.
My firing puts up a covey OF chicken
which scatter ahead of US in the brush.
For a few moments we have some pref
ty shooting. Following the stream
down. We bag a few s~tragglers before
reaching a clean SPOT. when the ooys
propose a rest. As IL Is now AFTER :
O'Clock we head toward the ranch, mop
. ing TO reach home before dark once