The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-11-25

| Ting up on the neck, While IT'S eyes
glared and its teeth grated together
felt really sorry to Kill it. Though
these were both well-known elks. their
antlers, of ten points. were small.
twisted and ill-shaped; in fact hardly
worth preserving. except to call to
mind chase in which during few
minutes did as much downright hard
work as it has often fallen to my lot
to do. The burnt earth had blackened
our faces and hands till we looked like
negroes.
The finest bull, with the best head
that | got was killed in the midst OF
very beautiful and grand surroundings
We had been hunting through a great
pine wood which ran up to the edge
of broad canyon-like valley. bounded
by sheer walls of rock. There were
fresh tracks of elk about, and we had
been advancing up wind with even
more than our usual caution when. on
stepping out into a patch of open
ground, near the edge of the cliff, we
came upon a great bull, beating and
thrashing his antlers against young
tree about eighty yards off, He
stopped and faced us for a second, his
mighty antlers thrown in the air. as he
held his head aloft. Behind him tow
cred the tall and sombre pines, while
at his feet the jutting crags overhung
the deep chasm below, that stretched
off between high walls Of barren and
snow-streaked rocks, the evergreens
clinging to their sides, while along the
bottom the rapid torrent gathered in
places into black and sullen mountain
lakes. AS the bull turned to run |
struck him just behind the shoulder;
he reeled to the death-blow, but stag
gered gamey on a few rods into the
forest before sinking to the ground,
with my second bullet through his
lungs.
Two or three days later than this
killed another bull. nearly as large, in
the same patch of woods in which
had slain the first. A bear had been
feeding on the carcass of the latter,
and, after a vain effort to find his den,
we determined to beat through the
woods and try to start him up. Ac-
cordingly. Merrifield, the teamster, and
myself took parallel courses some three
hundred yards apart. and started at
, one end to walk through to the other.
. l doubt if the teamster much wished to
meet bear alone (while nothing would
have given Mortified more hearty and
unaffected enjoyment than to have en-
countered an entire family, and he
gradually edged in pretty close to me.
Where the woods became pretty open
saw him suddenly lift his rife and
fire, and Immediately afterwards 8
splendid bull elk trotted past in front
of me. evidently untouched. the team
ster having missed. The elk ran tc
the other side of two trees that stood
close together some seventy yards off
and stopped for moment to look
round. Kneeling down l fired at the
only part Of his body l could see be
tween the two trees, and sent bullet
into his flank. Away he went, and
after, running in my moccasins ovel
the moss and pine needles for all there
was in me. If a wounded elk gets
fairly started he will go at a measured
trot for many hours, and even If NOR
tally hurt may run twenty miles be
fore falling; while at the same time
he does not start off at full speed, an(
will often give an active hunter s
chance for another shot as he turn:
and changes his course preparatory t.
taking straight line. So raced along
after the elk at my very best speed TO
few hundred feet. and then got an
other shot as he went across a little
glade, injuring his hip somewhat. Thi'
made it all right for me, and another
hundred yards burst took me up t.
where / was able to put ball in ,
fatal spot, and the grand old fellow
sank down and fell over on his side.
No sportsman can ever feel mucl
keener pleasure and self-satisfactio1
than when, after successful stall
K and good shot, he walks up to CRANE
!, elk lying dead in the cool shade o.
u the great evergreens, and looks at tn,
e massive and yet finely moulded form
It and at the mighty antlers which ar
e to serve in the future as the troph,
q and proof Of his successful skill. Still
q hunting the elk on the mountains is al
y noble kind Of sport as can well b.
e imagined; there is nothing more pleas
II ant and enjoyable, and at the sam,
It time it demands that the hunter shall
q bring into play many manly qualities
g There have been few days of my hunt
1t ing life that were SO full of unalloyet
d happiness as were those spent on tn
y Bighorn range. From morning til
It night was on foot. In cool. bracini
= air. now moving silently through tn
. vast melancholy pine forests, nov
d. treading the brink Of high, rocky prec
" lpices always amid the most gran,
81 and beautiful scenery; and alway
! after as noble and lordly game as Is t
. be found In the Western world.
y Since writing the above l killed Al
elk near my ranch; probably the las
o Of his race that will ever be found Il
our neighborhood TWAS just befor
- l a. - -