Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1908-09-17

and direction, he feels confident thnt
the deer Is in some particular space of
ground, and then hunt through it, guild
Ing himself by his knowledge of the
deer's habits and by the character of
the land. Tracks are of most use I'm
showing whether deer are plenty or
scarce, whether they have been in the
place recently or not. Generally, signs
OF deer are infinitely more plentiful
than the animals themselves-al
in regions where tracking is especially
difficult deer are often jumped with
out any sign having been seen at all.
Although still-hunting on foot is on
the whole the best way to get deer,
yet there are many places where from
the nature of the land the sport can be
followed quite as we'll on horseback,
than which there is no more pleasant
kind of hunting The best shot l ever
made in my life-a shot into which.
however, | am afraid the element of
chance entered much more largely
than the element of Skill-was made
while hunting black-tail on horseback
We were ut that time making quite
going up the fork of plains river in
Western Montana. AS We were out
of food, those two of our number who
usually undertook to keep the camp
supplied with game determined to
make 4 hunt off back of the river after
black-tail for though there We're some
Whitehall in the more densely timbered
river bottom, we had been unable to
get any. II W:.s arranged that the
wagon should go on a few mills, and
then halt for the night, as it was al
ready the middle of the afternoon
when we started out. The country
reSembled in character other parts of
the cattle plains. but it was absolutely
bare of trees except along the bed of
the river. The rolling hills sloped
steeply off into long valleys and deep
ravines. They were sparsely covered
with coarse grass, and also with an
irregular growth of tall sage-brush,
which in some places gathered into
dense thickets. A beginner would
have thought the country entirely too
barren of cover to hold deer but a
very little experience teaches one that
deer will be found in thickets of such
short and sparse growth that it seems
as If they could hide nothing; and,
what is more, that they will often
skulk round in such thickets without
being discovered. And Il black-tail is
bold, free animal, liking to 90 out in
comparatively open country, where he
must trust to his own powers, and not
to any concealment, to protect him
from danger
Where the hilly country joined the
alluvial river bottom, it broke off short
into steep bluffs, up which none but Il
Western pony could have climbed. 1t
is really wonderful to see what places
q pony can get over and the indiffer-
ence with which it regards tumbles.
In getting up from the bottom we went
into a wash-out, and then led our po-
nies along clay ledge, from which we
turned off and went straight up very
steep sandy bluff. My companion was
ahead; just us he turned off the ledge,
and as | was right underneath him. his |
horse, in plunginS TO try to get up the |
sand bluff. overbalanced itself, and !
after standing erect on its hind legs for !
a second, came over backward The |
seconds pause while 1t stood bolt up |
right, gave me time to make Il frantic !
leap out of the way with my pony, !
which scrambled after me, and we !
both clung with hands and hoofs to the
side of the bank. while the other horse
took two us complete somersaults as l
i 4,
the bottom of the wash-out, feet upper
most | thought it was done for, but
not bit After a moment or two it
struggled to it's legs, shook itself, and
looked round III rather Il shame-faced
way, apparently not in the least the
worse for the fall. We now got my
pony up to the top by vigorous pulling,
and then went down for the other
which at first strongly objected to
making another trial, but, after much
coaXing and Il good deal of abuse took
u start and went UP without trouble.
For some time after reaching the top
Of the bluffs we rode along without
seeing anything. When it was posi-
BILE, we kept one on each side of Il
creek, avoiding the tops of the ridges,
because while on them horseman can
be seen at Il very long distance, and
going with particular caution when
ever we went round spur or came up
over Il crest The country stretched
away like an endless, billowy sea of
lull-brown soil and barren sage-brush,
The valleys making long parallel fur
rows, and every thing having a look
IF dreary sameness.
AT length, as we came out on n
'ounded ridge, three black-tail bucks
started up from a lot of sage-brush
some two hundred yards away and be-
Ow us, and made off down hill. 1t
vas very long shot, especially to try
but. as game seemed scarce
md cArIrilgnS Mere nlentN | lnannl |