The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-01-08
HARLEY TRASK, one of south
eastern Montana's early-day
buffalo hunters, during all of

hunting along the Yellowstone in the
region where Forsyth, the county seat
of Rosebud county, is now located. But
falo hides at that time were bringing
from 81 to S. each and the tongues,
the only part of the carcass generally
saved by the hunters, from Is to so
cents more when smoked and cured.
The Yellowstone country was the
hunting ground of several Warlike tribes
of Indians and was anything but a
safe territory for the white buffalo
hunters that also frequented it. They
never knew when they would be at
tackled by hostile Sioux or Crows. The
professional hide hunters were willing
to take the chance, however, for each
winter, with only fair or average luck
they stood to clean up several thousand
dollars.
Indians Hunted the Hunters
Many of them disappeared each win
ter, never to be heard of again, slain
in some remote region by the Indians:
On Christmas day of 1873, Trask and
his crew, consisting of three SINNERS
and a cook, were camped on the yell
lowstone just about opposite where
Forsyth now stands, and in a thick
clump of cottonwood trees.
Trask, an experienced hunter. sell
dom failed to get at least 1000 hides
during the season, n the winter OF
1878 looked especially propitious for a
good haul. He made an exceptional
Start with his first week out and on
one day alone had killed eighty head:
the best buffalo pony in the whole
country, and that once in a herd, he
could trust the pony, without direct
ing it, to keep him always in a position
where he had a target for his gun, the
heavy Sharp's rifle which the buffalo
hunters used.
It wa the practice of buffalo hunt
ers to approach a Grazing nero hS cl1 fhe
animals. When within a short distance
of them, they would dash into the
herd and begin shooting, and much
of their success depended upon having
a we'll trained horse. under them.
Buffalo was Easily Killed
They did not have to be particular
about their shooting, for a bullet from
the heavy rifle almost any place IN
sooner or later he would be a. dead
animal. Sometimes the big beasts ira
veIed for several miles before weakness
from loss of blood compelled them
to stop and lie down. Once down, they
seldom got up. Many times, OF course,
the first shot downed the buffalo IN
Many professional buffalo hunters
have been known to kill as many as
200 animals in a single day just, by
shooting. When opportunity offered to
stampede a herd over a cliff, n num-
Der of beasts killed was often many
times that number. The Indians dld
that frequently and when they ala SC,
usually moved their camp to the Sue
or the kill and remained there as long
as their was any meat left.
The day before Christmas, IrasK
had killed five or six buffalo and on
Christmas he sent his skinner OUT
for the hides, telling them to bring in
the biggest part of the carcass OF n
yearling with the intention OF roasting
it for a Christmas feast.
decided to go hunting himself and re-
turn to camp about 4 o'clock IN the
afternoon in time for dinner. A short
distance below his camp, the river
swept close against a high perpendlc-
ular cliff on the opposite side. Leadlag
back from the top of it was a long
grassy ridge and near the river d
line Of scrubby pines followed the eage
of the bluff, forming a crescent shaped
fringe on each side of the ridge. =
In telling the story afterwards, Trask
said that he had frequently noticed
the place and remarked to himself
that it was an ideal spot in which t2
stampede a herd over the cliff, II
the opportunity should ever offer. n
make 2 phenomenal Tsma G killing; Dav
Near the head of the ridge on this
day he came upon a herd OF o
400 buffalo and was o o among them
shooting and dropping them on all
sides. He used his best efforts to keep
the herd headed in the direction OF
the cliff and for fear of sWervlng
them from that course he slackened
his shooting, firing just often enough
to keep the great numbering beasts
running blindly in the direction IN
which they were headed:
Buffaloes run with their heads down.
The leaders of the herd on this oc-
casion we're fairly in the trap before
they saw it. They tried to swerve n
check the rush, but the tremendous
weight of beef behind them was too
ereat and over the cliff they went.
When Trask saw that the herd was
going where he wanted it, he swung
his horse aside and dashed to the
TOP of q nearby high butte, IN ORDER
to avoid being caught in the rush
should any of the herd turn from n
cliff and head to n side or turn
back.
He was barely out of the way when
100 head or more of. the herd came
rushing over the backtrail, blind with
terror. From his station on the butte
Trask could see the others of the
animals go plunging over the cliff
and fall 100 feet or more to the frozen
surface of the Yellowstone river.
Many of them were killed by the fall,
others suffered broken legs and backs
and were unable to rise. Others es-
capped serious injury by falling on top
of the scores that had preceded them,
a cushion which broke their fall.
Trask could see the latter struggling
to their feet after a few minutes and
continuing on to safety across the ice.
He remained on top of the butte
until he had counted SO that went
then started down to kill the wound
ed animals on the ice.
He left his pony grazing on the
river bank behind the cliff over which