The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-10-17
ID.S
By

his lead thrown bdck as he rubbed his
shoulders with his horns. There were
Several COWS around him. and one saw
me Immediately. aud toos alartn. !
EHrel bio the bulls shoulder. lnfIeting
a mortal wound; but he went on, ana
lraced after him Mt top speed. firing
Twice into his aank; then he stopped,
very sick. and broke his neck with d
fourth bullet An elk often hesitatesi
In the first moments OF surprise aud
fright, and does not get really under
way for two or three hundred yards:
but when once fairly started, he may
go several miles. even though MORALLY
wounded: therefore. the hunter. after
hts first shot, should run forward us
fast as he eau, and shoot again and
again until the quarry drops In this
way nlduy animals that would other
wise he lost nre obtained. especially
by the min who has. "a repeating.
rifle.
The elk ! thus slew was giant.
Els body was the size Of steers,
and his antIers, though not unusually
long, were very massive and heavy.
He lay In glade. on the edge OF
great cliff. Standing on It's brink we
overlooked a most beautiful country.
the home Of all homes for the elk:
wilderness Of mountains. the.immenSe
evergreen forest broken by park and
glade. by meadow and pasture. By
bare hillside aud barren table.land
Some live miles of lay the sheet of
water known TO the old hunters as
Spotted Lake; two or three shallow.
sedgy places. and spots of geyser for
matioI tade pale green blotches on
It's vi 4rippled surface. Far to the
southwest, In daring beauty and mai
esty, the grand domes and lofty spires
OF the Tetons shot into. the blue
sky.
That night as on more than one
night afterward. bull elk came down
whlsting to within two or three hun
dred yards Of the tents. aud tried to
join the horse herd. The moon had
set, so l could not so after It. Elk are
Wy tSs1FSse auu hcllhe thEOuShout
tue night In the rutting season: but
where undisturbed they feed freely In
the daytime. resting for two or three
hours about noon.
| Next day, which was rainy. we spent
IN getting In the antlers and meat of
the two dead elk: and | shot on the
Eeads OF two or three blue grouse on
the way home. Tile following day ]
Killed another bull elk. following him
by the strong, not unpleasing. smell.
ana htlng MIN twice as he ran. at
ABOUT elgnty YARDS. so far had had
4 Rooa ucks Kliilng everything tshad
snot at out now the luck changed,
through no fault OF mine, as far as ]
could see. and Ferguson had his In
nlnes- me daS atter l Killed this
nun ne snot TWO nne mountain rams;
ana curing Inc REMAINDER Of our nnnt
ne Kn llt'l nYe elk-7one COW, tor meat,
ana roor COCA palls. Inc two rams
were WIN tnFee others, all old and
WIN nhe horns; ferguson peeped over
a lofty precipice and saw them COM
ing up ie only my yards below MIN
HIS two tirst and finest bulls were OBJ
tained BY hard running and good
shooting; the herds were on the move
at the time, and only his speed Of foot
and soundness OF wind enabled him
60 gee near enough for a shot one
nero started before be got close. and
he Killed the master bull by shot
right through the heart. as It trotted
past, a hundred and fifty yards dis
tant.
AS for me. during the next ten days
I killed nothing save ore COW for meat:
and this though hunted herd every
day from morning till night, no matter
what the weather. Our III success was
in part due to sheer bud luck; hut the
chief element therein was the presence
OF q great huntlng-party Of Shoshone
Indians. Split into bands Of eight TO
ten each. they secured the whole coun-
try on their tough. sure-footed ponies.
AS they slew whatever they could, but
BY preference cows and calves, and as
they We're very perseverIng, but also
very excitabe and generally poor shots.
SO that they wasted much powder. they
not only wrought havoc among the elk,
1 LWnk -.