Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-01-27

deer have disappeared from their former haunts,
and in much-hunted localities only to be
found the highest points where timber grows.
Late in the season, when heavy snow falls, bands
of wapiti and mule deer driven from their
refuge in the Yellowstone park and move down
to lower grounds in such places 'acksons
Hole or the valley of the Soshone river Woe be-
tide these luckless wanderers if the open season
is still in force for at the head Of every lead
ing out Of the game reserve are armed bodies OF
meat-hunters. who shoot sight old or young
male or female. regardless OF age, or sex, every
deer that is seen. More shame is il to the au-
thorties who still permit the sale of deer meat in
the surrounding towns
Vast herds of deer congregate in the low
grounds during winters, and many hun
tireds of them perish for of food. 1t is
uncommon event for kin6hearted farmers to feed
numbers of wapti from their stores of hay. But
the expense of this is more than these hard-work-
ing individuals stand and something surely
should be done by the United States authorities TO
provide for the needs Of these fine animals, which
have been driven from their winter feeding
grounds by the settlers and their cattle.
The modus operandi Of making q trip after
wapiti is too well known to need description If
undertaken early in the season by a sportsman
who is well equipped with and pack-horses
the expedition IS rather in the nature OF a pleas
ant picnic The climatic conditions in September
and early October are generally perfect, while the
absence Of mosquitoes and other biting flies make
these regions appear n Paradise to one who has
done much biggame hunting further northwest in
the real wilds of North America which are only
now to be found in northern British Columbia
and Alaska. But il sportsman delays his trip
until late in the fall and then camps, as the
writer has done, at an altitude of ten thou
sand feet he will find the early frosts and snow
make afa in tent, even in Wyoming, rather cold
than is necessary for personal comfort.
The way in which American pack-horse can
thread its way through dense timber, or follow
narrow, snake-like trail dangerous rock
slides, is little short of marvellous II is an inter
esting sight to long line of these sure-footed
animals threading their way in single file along
the face OF dangerous preciptce. often treading
in loose, rolling rocks. in places where false
step means a sheer drop of two thousand or three
thousand feet into empty space. Yet it is seldom
that falls off the trail. If this does happen.
the owner may bid goodby to his horse and ali
that he carries since rarely anything but frag-
ments are found afterwards on searching the
valley below.
Strange to say although the Wyoming wapiti
have developed unwoated cunning in seeking
their living and feeding grounds, the still
paratively stupid animals to stalk Especially so
is this the with treFeline bulls Ten they are
running in search of coNs. Then. by means OF
whistling in a very poor initiative style of the
bulls challenge, solitary bull can often be called
UP TO within few yards of the hunter The
writer and his guide have thus been enabled to
follow bull for two miles through the forest.
answering his repeated call at Intervals, until
finally they have come face to face a few yards