The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-06-01
CANADIANS TELL oF HERDING
4 BUFFALO TOGETHER TO SHIP
TO PARKS.
4 NEW METHOD EMPLOYED
Those in Charge Of the Task Of seqre.
eating and Shipping the Animals to
Be Sent From the Pablo Herd to
Canada Are Taking No Chances on
Losing the Herd as They Did Before.

| Howard Douglas, superintendent of
the western Canadian parks, and Alex
Ayott, immigration agent for the
Canadian government arrived in the
city from the reservation late Sum
day night. They had been at Ravalli,
where they were attending to the
roundup of the buffalo bought from
the Pablo herd, the animals to be
taken to Canada, where they will be
placed in national parks.
Mr.. Douglas, in speaking of the
methods used in this years roundup,
said to Muscular reporter: 1--WE
are using somewhat different
method this spring in the roundup
such having been made necessary
when we learned that the animals
could not be loaded by the system .~e
attempted last fall. AT that time we
tried to load the beasts into the cars
by l1erding them into long V-shaped
chute leading to large corral, or
loading pen; but they escaped, much
to our surprise, by climbing what we
had thought to be an unsurmountable
hill That Is why we have changed
the system. This year the cowboys
are busy at the present time in round
ing up the buffalo in small herds, TAX
ing them to small corrals in various
places in the region. There are about
25 cowboys engaged in this work, and
for their use about 100 horses are
made necessary on account of the
superior hardihood of the wild beasts,
Just now we have about half of the
anlpaals &in these corrals, or say $50.
AS vet there is a large drove of them,
consisting of from 14O to 1864 which
have, not been molested, and will not
be until the last. Then they will be
rounded up.
After tho animals have been cor
rallied we will try the scheme of haul
ing them by wagon to Ravalli, where
they will be placed in loading pens,
supplied with chutes, from which they
can be easily driven into the railroad
cars
Nearing End.
The work Of corralling is expected
to be completed about the end of this
week. and then the teaming will be
started. To haul the animals to Ra-
valli there will be 80 four-horse teams,
and we think it will be advisable to
handle only one bull or two cows at
each load. This will take some time,
and when that is DONE which should
be In about two weeks, the loading
VIII commence. This, in itself, Is no
small task, and will keep us busy for
a while.
The work of rounding UP the ami
mails is very strenuous and hard on
both horses and men. 1t is often the
case that a man will catch sight of
one Of tho animals about one-half /
mile away. The beast, for the buffalo !
are very shy and far-sighted, will at
once choose direction in which he
intends to go, and the cowboy might !
Just as well make up his mind to fol-
low along. The animal simply cannot !
be headed. and will run almost blind
" ahead in a direct line.
One of the incidents of the round |
up happened a few days ago. One of |
The cows was being chased by cow
BOY, and had headed straight toward
perpendicular bluff, and when the .
bluff was reached instead of stopping (
Ind giving In to the inevitable, she .
started vertically UP the precipitous
sides 1t looked to be almost impos-
'cale the heights, but she made a
oraye effort. She had attained a
1e1ght of about 40 feet when she
started to fall, tumbling head over
leels, around and around. until she,l
struck the ground. Here is where the
Inference between cattle and buffalo
s made apparent, for instead of be-
ng seriously injured, or killed out
lght, she alighted on her feet and
vas off like a flash, this time shoot
ng Off at a tangent to her former
curse. 1t took much riding before
he was finally caught.
Wear Out Horses.
"The cowboys will often wear out
Our horses in day while rounding
'p the wild and wiry animals. know
nat one time one of the boys started
Liter tough and shaggy bull, who
Ut up such hard and strenuous run
nat IT was two days before he was
'rought in tired out, but still
efiant.''
me animals will be shipped to wha'
known as Buffalo park. which is
. the new Grand Trunk Pacific rail-
oad, l2O miles east of Edmonton, the
apltal OF Alberta. 1t had been the
riginal Intention of the Canadian
government to place the animals in
he park at Banff, but this was
hanged. A part of the herd, which
VIZ consist altogether of about 300
.nlmals, will be placed in Elk Island
ark.
MI Douglas is superintendent of the ,
Eg