The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-03-08

l.
A~ corded true and eXhaus.
tive account of outdoor
- happenings OF the past
-twenty-four hours
Across the snow.covered field at the
edge OF the woods YOU trail the IA
miliar tracks OF the little cottontail
rabbit by their side. and occasional
~ joining and celebrating them, are
the accusing footprints OF that mis-
chieyous pointer pup who should
have been tied up H. the barn About
a small clump OF swayinC weed-stalks
are the four.ba-red prints OF such
hardy birds as tUuCCs redpolls. and
the larger blue Jays and crows A pow
derry mass of loosenod snow comes
sitting down from the topmost bough
OF an evergreen AT the forest edge as
q large snowy owl flies noiselessly
back into the silent woods Driven
from his summer hunting grounds az
the far north by the icy hand OF win
ter, he will levy toll from squirrels.
grouse and rabbits before taking his
departure for more Congenial cimes
at the coming OF spring His hunting
is methodical and constant With set
silent, wings he swoops suddenly down
upon his victim, like some great
white speCter OF the forest Little
round pellets Of hair, feathers and
bones found on the snow beneath his
favorite perch indicate the fate OF his
unfortunate prey Fierce rapaCious
and Unsuitable he flies over the fields
and through the forest. ever ready 10
fall like q meteor on some unsuspect-
ing bird or mammal Unlike most OF
his kind, this bold assassin from the
arctic does not oonfine his hunting ex-
cursions 10 the night time alone but
flies abroad during certain hours OF
the day as we'll; thereby proving even
more destructive and dangerous than
HIS ally in crime. the northern Cos
hawk.
over the vhitenod aisles OF the for
est wind the beautiful. delicately
traced trails of the little woo1-mice
Nibbling daiutily at dried grass and
larger weed stalks, they wander
about during the coolest weather
When the thermometer stands far be-
low zero and starvation often threat
ems them, these little mice, when IN
the vicinity Of farms, make their way
10 the granaries and barns, In search
of food When wandering about the
woods they often come upon the
shed antler OF a deer or moose; they
at once start 10 nibble and gnaw at
the hard substance, until they finally
entirely destroy It, In many instances
their winding trails disappear beneath
the snow, 10 reappear some little dis
tance further on. emerging from tiny
tunnel which they have dug in search
of hidden seeds
At the base OF some forest tree Is
recorded the jump OF the gray SOUR
rel In long. undulatlng bounds he
makes hts way over the snow. Often.
times he pokes his nose beneath the
surface and pushes and roots IN search
OF acorns or nuts. which he knows are
somewhere beneath that cold white
covering Some blue-iays scream, and,
unwilling 10 betray his storehouse. he
runs quickly 10 a nearby trunk and as
cends 70 the first limbs where he sits
voclferously scolding the noisy intru
ders.
Beneath the snow laden branches Of
the balsams. the round cat-like i'm
prints OF the lynx show forth. Bold
and prominent, they form an easily.
followed trail through the woods. The
halfburied top of a fallen tree, a
cavity left by the roots Of an upturned
stump. thick-grown mass Of rhode,
demons, have all been carefully ex.
amined by this soft-footed prowler IN
his relentless search for food. Slight
~ further on, his trail joins that OF the
varying hare. or white rabbit" and
his tread becomes measured and care
tul, 10 he crocps forward on the hot
scent OF his intended victim. About
the edge Of q dismal swamp the dis
turbed snow shows where. coming on
the unwary hare, he has made his leap
and secured his prize The line by
the side OF his trail marks the drag
of his prey on the snow as he has car
ried It to the top of an open knoll
Here are displayed all the evidences
OF his savage feast Having satisfied
his hunger he has circled about and
several times walked 20 the point Of
his commanding elevation One can
almost hear his weird piercing
scream, uttered In bold defiance from
his prominence. Evidently satisfied
that nothing is to be gained by tarry
ing longer In the vicinity, his restles.
feet have been again turned towarC
the denser forest in which direction
his trail disappears.
BY the side OF a gently.murmuring
ice-incrusted brook, appears the sinu
Gus hunting trail OF the blood-thirst!
mink. The little footprints in sets o
two and two. register In the snow