Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-04-04
AN OVERLAND TRIP "
y TO CAIFORN IA

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There were about Il dozen Amcri-
can families in our ncighburhood
and we would take it by turns in
going out in the mountains to kill
game, which we found in abund-
ancc. Four or five would go with
II wagon and bring in load of
meat and divide it out. In these
hunts we always hunted for big
game, such as elk, deer, wild cat
tie, with an occasional bear. When
it came Dads time he said that he
would let the bear killing out. The
mountains where we hunted were
covered with wild oats, and all
game was fine and fat. The deer
were known as the black tailed
deer, not so large as our deer and
not so wild. The elk were not so
easily killed, as about the only way
to get them was to run up to them
on horseback and as the country
was rough it was not easy to get
them. Now if YOU will stand an
other bear story, | will give YOU
Dads experience, and this will be
the last bear story.
While out on one of our noun
tain hunts there was II drove of
deer that frcQuentcd an open piece
of ground and We concluded Ia
take stands and some one of the
party go around and drive the deer
thru, as they did in oldcn times.
SO Dad selected his stand at the
edge Of the open space near some
trees that stood near the trail.
It was not long until big bear
made his appearance, coming dl-
rcctly towards Dad. As he was
not hunting bears he dropped his
gun and reached up and caught
hold of limb of tree. Swing
ing himself up he reached one foot
above, parrot fashion, and put hi,
heel in Il fork of the tree, and
when he tried to swing his body
up, the limb that he held with his
hands broke and his heel drew
down in the fork. There he hung
| by the foot, with his back to tn,
tree and his head about two feet
from the ground and the old bear
passed along within about ten feet
of him without seeing him. DAD
/ hung there until some of the boys
came up and helped him down
When Dad got over his scare h,
/ declared that the bear was as big
as a horse; but Dad was looking
at him upside down and of cours
he looked big.
There is probably no place in
the world where more water fowl
can bc found than here. There
are many lakes and lagoons and
they nest on the banks and are
here all the year round. | will
mention Il few of them. WILD
geese are here by the millions.
They nest and rear their young II.
round Tulare Lake, in the upper
San Joaquin valley. In the fall
and winter, when the wheat anC
/ barley fields are green in the cOaSt
valley, they come down on the
north side of the Coast mountains
II long way to the pass, and fOl
several hours in the morning they
will pass over in a continual stream
and SO low that YOU can see thcil
eyes. You could walk along any
of the lagoonS and see the glistcn
ing green of the Mallard's necl
and wing fairly dotting the water
OF mornings and evenings whcI
they take their flight to and from
the feeding grounds they furnish
fine sport for anyone who is Il win!
shot.
Along with the Mallard is tn,
canvass back. He is II proud look
ing bird AS he glides over tn,
smooth water. The Sprlg-tail
with his snow white breast and
forked tail, is Il game bird ant
will give the expert all the Spor
he wants, as he is heet.wingc(
bird, and as he passes over yOu i
You are not on the watch you viii
only hear the noise made by hi
wings, and you won t know wheth
cr It was IL duck or II cannon bal
that whizzed by. There are ais,
the widgeon, known us the whist
ling duck, and the spoon bill. Tn
little blue wing is found also
These little fellows are SO tame /