Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-28
GETTING THE BUCK FEVER"
Old Guide Gives Reasons for Peculiar
Action OF Hunters When Facing
Big Game.

The old guide sat on the front porch,
lazily blowing smoke from his pipe. His
theme was the curious action of men when
they see deer or big game. He called the
peculiar action buck fever"
yes, sir. when I was guiding II 1 saw
lots of 'em nave buck fever. They act the
queerest way you ever see when they get
it. Why, I have actually seen men drop
their guns on the ground when they saw
a deer, or sometimes they shoot into the
air or into the ground. thinking they are
filling the animal full of holes. They ac-
tually go plumb crazy. About every man
has a way Of his own OF acting when he's
got the fever. Some will stare and cape
away and not think a thing or their gun
"But the queerest case / ever heard of or
tee was when 1 had a party from New
York up to Twin lakes. One of the men
lin that party went clean crazy, and 1t took
lin nigh onto an hour. before he came out
of it. He wasn't violeEt or anything Of
that sort. but just out of his head. It was
a bear that gave him the buck fever. and
l suppose that's why he got It so bad.
1T was one morning at breakfast time
that it all happened. l was cooking ~'taters,
v~entson and other stuff to eat while the
| feliers went down to the brook and washed
AiAtilStlNeSs INtg ldu VI WdSllIu up tA-
oept one Teller. who was late getting up.
He went down to the brook alone. and by
and by he came back. When he came into
the door the first thing he did was TO stand
on one foot and swing around on It with
his other foot in the air. l looked at him
and thought he was doing it for fun, but l
remember afterwards that his eyes sort
Of bulged out a little. After he swUug
around he went to the towel and wiped
his face. After he did that he up and
swung around on the toe OF his foot again
Then he took his toothbrush and a cup
Of water and washed his teeth, and when
he got through I'll be bowed If he didn't
up and swing around on the toe of his shoe
with his other foot in the air, just as he
did before.
Steve is happy today said one OF the
f~ellers. Must be he is going to kill a
deer Stevenson didn't say a word, but
planted himself before the looking glass
and began combing his hair. Pretty quick
he finished and took another swing around
He whipped out a funny kind of knife and
fixed up his finger nails, swung around
put on his collar, his tie. then his coat
and, idiotic like, swurg around after he did
each OF these things. It was crazy ac-
tions, but we supposed he was doing 1t for
fun. Then he got down his gun, damned
il fun of cartridges and started for the
door.
Where are you going said l Break
fasts about ready
Bear! Bear!' said he. and he up and
swung around, and his eyes popped and
stuck out Ike a scared owls. | Jumped
and grabbed my gun and made for the
door, with the other felle.s after me. We
ran down TO the brook. Stevenson came
along and pointed to where he'd seen the
bear. Wen, the man had been SO lonf
fixing up that / knew the bear was on the
other side Of the mountain by that time
But We went down the brook where ii haC
been, and there, In the sand. was the big
gest tracks OF a bear l ever see.
when Stevenson saw them he stuck
one foot in the air, whirled around anc
fell to the ground in a faint. We poured
some whisky down his throat. and befor,
long he came Ia, He was weak and shool
all over.
Did l KIM him? said he. lie seemed tc