The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-10-04
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hunters chief aim should be to sro.
this animal and avoid being seen Nv
it. He should then take a careful not.
OF the country, and by proceeding
slowly and cautiously, and by keepins
in the shadows If possible, he should
be able to approach them easily
enough and select the best head There
is another point that should be remem.
bered, and that is that the sheep when
frightened nearly always try to escana
down the mountain-side, so that thav
should be approached, whenever the
wind allows of it, from below
Owing to the scarcity of all other
food, the ruminants of this country
have to depend almost entirely on the
cacti and the young shoots and green
bark of the mesquite and paloyerde
trees for sustenance. They are also
very partial to the ocotillo (Fouquiera
splendens), and when the latter begin
to flower late in April, the sheep come
down from the mountains to the edge
of the plains and feed almost entirely
on them. This diet seems to agree
with them excellently, for they are
always in the best of condition at this
time of year. I do not know of any
animals, either in Africa or America
whose meat Is so delicious to eat, and
it Is far nicer than that of the prong.
horn antelope, which is much priced
by the Mexicans.
The dryness of the climate in the
Sonora desert Is largely responsible
for the way some of the horns are
split at the ends, which often spolls
an otherwise perfect head and reduces
its length by two to four inches. 1t
has the same effect on ones finger.
nails, with become very brittle and
split or break at the slightest provo
cation. The horns of the old rams
are especially dry, and are often much
worn and SCARED on their upper sur.
face, as can be seen in the photo
graph of the biggest ram we shot; but
this is due to the blows they receive
when fighting among themselves head
to head.
Mountain sheep are not the only
trophy that can be secured in this in
teresting country, for its fauna Is al
most as remarkable as its flora, and
many species are confined to this 10
cality and are not found elsewhere
Among game animals are the puma
(Felis concolor) and little-knoWn
species of jagnar-the "tigre" OF the
Mexicans-the bay lynx a.. ruffa),
local variety of the Texas collared
peccary Cd. angulatus sonoriensls)'
the black and the white tailed deer
and the pronghorn antelope.
One of the principal charms Oh
hunting in this country is the variety
of scenery met with. For the deer
are found in abundance in the Santa
Catalina mountains, among the pines
and silver birches of the beaulhui
Canada del Orc. In the foothills lynA'
puma and the black-tailed deer eau
generally be found, but here the scene
is quite different and the vegetalion
becomes more characteristic. Hunting
is difficult, as there is but little cover
and days pass often without cnanc'
for a shot. 60.
It would be impossible in snol'
article to describe in detail the 'air
Gus animals that live in the sonora
desert, or to mention the best nun
ing-grounds. It is undoubtedly NV
finest game country in the soutnNe',
today. as it has been untoucneo, a..
therefore unspoiled, by the orolnA -
traveller. But although big game =,
plentiful, good trophies are nos -
cured without hard work ana inu .d
patience. The heat is intense aus
water is very scarce-in parts aD, 1s
lutely non-existent, so that no j., YIN ~
should contemplate a hunting u'p ,-e
the Sonora desert unless ne IS XIV PIX
pared to face discomfort and proD''''
actual hardship.