The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-01-15

rduVn, Wnicu Wun iotHiViis Pais va
the West ranch. and adjoins It. II
consists Of 10000 acres, and on this
ranch we counted - camp fires one
night. II was divided up, lew
years ago, and sold In lots or plats
of 100 OF $40 acres to Northern pur-
chasers, who simply hold 1t for the
further development of the country,
as there IL no railroad within 40
miles OF II and very few settlers.
Upon this ranch any one can hunt,
and whenever buck invades II from
surrounding territory he very sell
dom gets back alive, from Novem-
Der LIST to January LIST OF each year,
for there are many hunters, and
while on the West ranch they will
try to take but one shot, az one
shot Is hard TO locate, yet on the
Simmons ranch the unsophisticated
hunter will shoot a half dozen shots
at the shadow Of buck.
There are many deer killed. |
have seen as many as 10 bucks In
one wagon, and yet, as the doe and
young are protected by law, there
are thousands and thousands Of
them; In fact, do not believe, In
the West pasture, II one were al
lowed to 20 In, he could find feet
OF ground without deer track upon
It. A popularity about a deer Is,
they never jump n barbed wire fence
unless pursued or scared; they al
ways go under II or through the
wires.
Inotice the deer are a little smaller
In stature than the Northern spe-
cies, but we killed some bucks that
would weigh close to 200 pounds.
After staying a few days In the
Simmons country, we went about 30
miles east, into what is known as
the Ramirania country, and obtained
permission to camp and hunt on a
ranch owned by n relative of one Of
our party. We hunted ut will and
got some "hne fellows" This ranch
is located near Mikeska p. o., Live
Oak county, Texas. In going there
we drove through the West ranch,
along the public road, and got few
shots from the road. We were told
TINT a nartv nf hnntaru N faw daya
before, killed bucks one morning,
driving along the same lane.
We expected to run across the
deadly Texas rattlesnake and car
ried some medicine along with us,
but did not have any need Of II, as
we did not see snake on the whole
trip, and were told by the people
living there chat the only time the
RATHER was dangerous was In dog
days, when they were shedding and
almost blind; they then strike at
any noise. saw several persons,
however, without fingers, and they
said they had them cut of on ac-
couu; of being bitten by rattle
snake; In fact, DR.. Simmons son,
who formerly owned the Simmons
ranch, lost his life by being bitten
by n rattlesnake.
The country Is rolling, fiat hills
covered with thick underbrush, with
only one watercourse running
through 1t, which is the Nueces
river. Along the river the valleys
are very fertile, and are rapidly be-
ing cleared. The upland is also
good for cotton, oranges, oats and
corn.
The forestry consists of rattle
snake weed, soapbcrry tree, prickly-
pear, Spanish dagger, granjeno,
sage brush, crandleberry, wild cur
rant and Texas catclaw, Texas
ebony, huisache, lignum vitae, re-
tana, green bark acacia, wild per-
simmon, white brush, chaparral,
live oak and mesquite.
The animals consist OF deer, bad
ger, wild hog, javeline, peccary or
musk hog, rabbits and squirrels, ar
bob cats and leopard cats.
The birds are turkeys, quails
California, Mexican and common)
doves, chaparral snlpes and plo-
vers, and buzzards. We OCCASION
ally ran on to an apiary, as II is a
great bee country.
Yours truly,
Il. j. KENNER.
Was He DeiIrious7