San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-21
Champion Caught in Mid
die Of Big Herd on,
Antelope Island.
THIS IS RARE SPORT
Edgren Describes a Kind Of
Hunt Few Privileged
to Enjoy.
BY ROBERT EDGREN.

Bang-bang- bang!
AS Jack Dempsey's trusty rifle
spoke the huge shaggy buffalo bull
bit the dust.
Bang-bang- bang.
Another buffalo went crashing
: down.
Sounds like the beginning of a
dime novel, doesn't it?
No novel about it I've just been
on q. buffalo hunt with the champ,
and we both got our buffalo.
A few days before the Firpo fight
Jack was opening his mail in Sara
togo. :,
Here's one from a fellow ! used
to go to school with out in Utah,
said Jack. "Dave Madsen. game war
den now. He says he's been talking
it over with John Thornley,. who owns
Antelope Island. and he can fix up a
buffalo hunt for me. Want to gO?"
"Sure I'll CO." said /. but I'll take
camera. Might as well-shoot COW
in a BARNARD as any buffalo there are
left now"
"These are Wild" said Dempsey.
"Somebody put wild buffalo on big
island out in Salt Lake forty years
ago. and they've been running wild
there ever since. Nobody lives on the.
island but couple of people at an
old ranch house and nobody's allowed
TO hunt there. Madsen says there's
big herd of six or eight hundred
Z they don't know how many. They
want to Craze cattle on the island and
!, Thornley, is going to let hunters knock
over some of the buffalo at 5000
head. Wen get the first crack Mt
them. We can go after l finish up
with FirDo."
At Brigham YOung's House.
= We spent a couple of days in Salt
Lake City playing golf on one of the
finest country club courses in Amer
lea. Then at five O'Clock one morn
ing, we started for Salt Lake with
Dave Madsen, George Johnston, John
Thornly. Jack Tingey and another
friend of Dempsey's, Frank Jones of
Oakland, Cal.
Daylight came as we reached the
lake in Jacks big car. A cruising
. launch was waiting. We piled aboard
with saddles, guns and grub. A cold
wind blew and the lake was choppy.
Antelope Island, sixteen miles long
and covered with high rocky peaks.
stood rugged above the horizon. Two
hours of wallowing over the big sale
sea and lodging sand landed US on
the southern end of the island.
There, at an old adobe house built
seventy years ago by Brigham Young,
we had lunch and in half an hour
were starting. with saddle horses and
four-horse wagon, for the hunting
grounds twelve miles away.
THE buffalo," said Thornly, "stay
up in the high mountains and around
on the north side. You go to the north
end. and if one of you fellows will ride
with me I'll cross the range here and
see il | can start 'em running"
Frank Jones volunteered to go with
Thornly. and the two quickly disap-
peared up n ravine back of the ranch
house.
That was some ride, along the
shores of the lake. over steep hills.
across washed-out gullies. but at last
we arrived at the northern end,
where the high mountains broke down
into rolling hills and jutting lodges
of ancient lake bed turned to rock and
hcaved un by volcanic action. A wild
country. with no sign of life. There
isn't even a coyote or jack rabbit
on Antelope Island.
Bison Never Saw n Man.
Our first sight of buffalo was on
ton Of the rolling hills. Small black
spots. which under the binoclars be-
came a herd of nine buffalo. grazing:
with one big bull standing on the hill
! rest as sentinel.
Apparently he saw MS. for the buff
falo slowly drew bnck over the hil'
and out OF sight. Somehow. in that
IT, no c
tame as I'd expected. Mentioned that
TO Dave Mndsen. He chucklel. .,
Tame, he said" Say. most of
these buffalo never saw a man before.
They're as wild MS any buffalo ever
yvc-c You'll see how wild they are u
ws Get near any of them. You can't
tel, what n buffalo will do. II you
b;t one and don't knock chin down
he'll charge, and if one OF them
charges the whole herd is likely TO
chorSe A buffalo at close quarters rs
about thc quickest and meanest fight
or in The world. IL they 90 for us
Veil have TO knock 'em over as fast
ms We can. Keep that rifle handy
Horses and wagon wore hidden IN.
the sand dunes near the lake ana
Madsan and Tingey picked out spot
ON low ridge where big Jutting rock
ledges gave fair cover. a.
There We, waited ior COUPE or y.
hours. watching a saddle IN noun
tain ridge along the shore TWO miles
DEMPSEY perched nm on ton OF a
rock With the binoculars. patient as
an Indian. ....,o-
He had picked up an eagle feather
md stuck it in his cap: .u
The sun was Rot and the air still
we were nil half doing when sud
Snly Dempsey called. "There they
seme!"
Can Run Horse to Death.
Over the distant ridge came scat
+erine rout of small black spacks.
moving with amazing swiftness down
the mountain side, leaving cloud Oh