St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-01-21
HUNTING BUFfALOEs
BUT WITH \ CAMERA, AND Ncr
WITH A GUN.
Ernest Earold Baynes Tells Of an In
teresting Day in the Corbin Game
Preserve on Croydon
Mountain.

l
Yesterday morning, as looked from
my window upon Croydon mountain,
| the sun, which was rising behind it,
| sllvered the white tree-tops along its
summit. The day before, white clouds
enveloped the top of Croydon, and the
moisture which had condensed upon
the tops of the evergreens had turned
to crystals in the night. A grassy
plateau to the west of the mountain.
and just outside my garden, was also
white with a heavy coating of hoar
frost, and upon this cleaning field
herd of more than hundred buffaloes
stood facing the northwest gate. which
opens directly from my garden into the
Corbin game preserve. They had passed
the night on a grassy hilltop, mile to
the southeast; had just charged down
over a woodland trail, and now stood
blowing clouds of yapor from their wet,
black nostrils.
AS there was the promise of bright
day, took my camera, score of plates,
and field glass and set out prepared
to hunt the buffalo until sunset, or un-
til all my ammunition was gone.
After entering the gate, walked
| quietly eastward, along the fence, pre-
tending not to see the buffaloes, for,
| often as not, the moment they see that
they are attracting special attention,
| they will give few grunts of alarm and
gallop Off, leaving you to follow them
| over hill and Gale for mile or two, and
| then another mile Or two after that,
| if you are not careful. After getting
well to the east of the herd, crawled
along under cover of stone wall, until
the animals were within reasonable
range. From where l lay, the ground
slanted slightly upwards toward the
west, SO the dark forms of the butfaloes
were in good relief against the light
brown grass. Some of them were lying
down now, and, slipping the nozzle Of
the camera through gap in the wall,
| got picture Of them in this position.
l then worked round them until could
get them against the sky, for this is one
Of the best Of all backgrounds for buf-
faloes. In order to do this, however.
| was obliged to show myself, but as
walked along as though on business in
some other part Of the preserve, the
animals took no notice of me- One
photograph of the herd in the distance.
and another at much closer range, were
the result of this manenver, and the
buffaloes, finding that no harm came
from my presence, now seemed pre-
pared for even further advances. AS
sauntered very slowly toward them.
those which were lying down quickly
arose to their feet. and all Of them gave
me their. undivided attention, After
getting two more snaps at the herd.
began to try for pictures of individuals.
But first l sat down and waited, that
they might become used to seeing mo
near them. Two or three animals, how
ever, were getting restless, and one
young four-year-old bull kept grunting
from time to time, as though giving 1t
as his opinion that I was not to betrust-
ed. Presently he gave an emphatic
yrunt and started to walk away in the
direction of a valley to the south, and
/ knew that, if he ever broke into q
trot going down that hillside, the entire
herd would follow him like sheep
through a gap in the fence. So, as
though by accident, / quickly placed
myself between him and the valley.
and he, finding that his move was
checked, trotted back to his compan-
ions, and the danger of stampede was
for the moment averted.
The herd was now becoming uneasy,
and my friend, the young bull before
mentioned, gave a loud grunt and
dashed away toward the valley, with
two or three others close in his wake.
I knew that to stop the stampede now
would be about as easy as to stop an
avalanche or landslide, SO stood
apart and gave them plenty of room.
One great flying wedge Of brown, with
the four-yearold bull at its apex, they
went laundering down the hill, and
through the valley along the bank Of
the brook. Then, in long string, they
filed up a hill to the west, along the
ridge, and down into valley beyond.
As I watched them through the glass
from hill-top,I could see, in hollow
which was crossed by the trail, another
smaller herd of buffaloes, lying at rest.
and in the apple orchard further to the
south was still another herd; and as
the main body went through, these
smaller ones fell in with them, until
about $50 buffaloes were on the march.
Laden as was, it seemed wiser to give
them time to slow down before attempt
ing to come up with them. SO sat down
by the brook and had my lunch. When
I overlook the buffaloes, they were
about to enter wood, land here photo
graphed them again AS they moved
through the wood, they presented
strange appearance The trail was dim
" lighted and was filled with surging
mass of great hairy beasts, parts only
of whose outlines could be seen. Now
and then few rays of sunshine filtered
the trees, and for moment
lighted up rolling sea Of humps and
slinted from the well-curved horns.
The sun was setting behind the
Green mountains when the buffalOes
together on the top of a hill
Tor the night
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.
LII
Wise.