The Idaho Republican., 1913-02-28

perience as a teacher in the isolated
school districts of Idaho, which l in
variably sought in quest of new
scenery and new studies of wild life
in Idaho.
In the Natural Parks.
In later years, in journeying with
opportunities. | have seen them in
the beautiful natural parks on top of
high mountains ranges in the upper
part of Washington county bounding
across the open glades and vanishing
into the heavy pine forest. have
seen them on the south fork of the
Boise; in the Blk creek country; on
the Loon creek trail, leading to the
Lost Packer mines, and in our own
meadows on the south fork of the
Payette, four miles above Lowman,
and three and half miles below
Banner. Campers at the Kirkman
hot springs, a quarter of mile from
this meadow down the road have Of
ten seen them at the springs on moon
light nights, or very early in the
morning. The black bear and spe-
cies of the big brown bear is found
an old Banner mountain also, and it
seems to be the natural home for a
species of white-faced black bear
considered the most dangerous of all
bears in the Sawtooth region, rang
ing in this section, which is about
80 miles north of Idaho City
Animal Life Interesting.
The animal life about the springs
is intensely interesting. The deer are
so tame they come in the early dawn
to taste the salt licks" as their race
has been coming for generations.
Little copper -colored birds with cross
ed bills and short legs alight at your
feet and fearlessly gather the crumbs
spilled from your lunch paper. salt
BIRDS the little children call them.
Pine squirrels and chipmonks are
very plentiful, and one may look
across the river from the "flat" at
the hot springs and see the ground
hogs on the rocky sides of the noun
tain opposite. Once, walking down
the trail from our cabin to the
springs for my daily hot bath, | rest
ed on fallen pine in the shade, and
had the untold delight of seeing for
the first and only time to this date
a flying squirrel, which came like
a shaggy gray bird straight from the
top of very tall pine to the foot of
a fir tree up which it quickly ran.
For three summers | have fed, at our
cold spring, 20 feet from the cabin,
a family Of the willow pheasant, the
cock and and bevy of young birds.
Once only did we see rabit, which
came to the garden. Robins seem to
frequent the place from early spring
to late in December. The beaver is
not often seen, but the badger, the
red fox, mink, otter, wildcat, and
musk rat are found. The latter
seems to choose odd places for his
abode, one or two having lived for
years in the old ditch or canal down
on Grove street, near the water
wheel on our town property. One
immense fellow was noted for several
years, and the boys of the neighbor-
hood tried vanity to secure him.
When the ditch was walled and ce-
mented the musk rats disappeared
and | have seen none since. The
wood rat in the mountains is very
destructive, carrying away every
thing he can hold, fro ma thimble to
a pair of gloves.
A beautiful silver gray fox was
caught in a trap last winter on the
south fork of the Payette river, four
or five miles above Lowman. The
skin was exceedingly fine and sold
for 5000
Rocky Mountain Sheep.
Among the larger animals is
found the Rocky Mountain sheep, his
native habitat, the lonely gray peaks
of the Sawtooth range, where, far
above. outlined against the deep
blue of the sky, scars the great king
of the air, the eagle. Here, too, lives
the wild goat, fearlessly leaping
from crag to crag and existing on
the tough and scraggy bush of this
wild upper region. In the northern
part of the state moose are still met,
but not as in the years gone by.
Our game laws are carefully drawn
and we, who delight in spending
much of our time in the wilds, are
eager to aid in the protection of our
wild animals and birds, the latter
Of which | will say more about in
with our wild fruits and