Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-23

l ana plenty OF ammunition. U&1affV
these hunters worked with Indian
helpers, who skinned the animals for
the meat, or such portions Of it as
they wanted, and the hunters got the
robe for the killing.
Then there were those monomaniacs
Of slaughter, who went on the buffalo
hunt for the sheer love Of killing.
They hired Indians TO drive herds
over an embanlment. There Is a place
near Havre, where In excavating fo1
building buffalo bones several feet
! IN thickness. were found. 1t Is just
under q high embankment, and I'M
! doubtedly, was q place of wholesale
slaughter In the early days Hudsons
Bay trappers made use OF this method
Slaughter on Yellowstone
Col. Sam Gordon, veteran editor Of
the Miles City journal for many
years, was in Montana before the big
determination commenced. He said
that in eastern Montana, the Yellow
stone valley IN particular, was q place
OF wholesale slaughter, after the COM
ing of the railroad.
A number Of concerns, operating In
the interests Of st. Louis fur concerns,
made Miles City their headquarters.
They would equip hunters with an
outfit. These hunters would build
blinds on the prairies and In the
valleys where the buffalo fed. From
this point of vantage they would shoot
all day. They were, of course, good
shots, and 1t was not unusual for an
experienced hunter to bag 100 buffalo
In days shooting.
The hunter would not even skin the
animals. Indians following him per-
forming this office. These green hides
would be wrapped In bundles and in
a few days wagons would come along
and pick up the bundles Of hides and
haul them to Miles City. Colonel
Gordons estimate Is that in one sea-
SON 250000 robes were shipped from
Miles City.
Bulls Fought for Leadership
The buffalo bulls were always fight
ing each other for supremacy and
leadership. Great herds were split up
which were some bulls of greater
fighting prowess. Bulls of different
bands did not fight each other but
younger bulls of the same band, grow
ing lusty and strong with the years,
would try conclusions with each other,
and finally with the older leader, until
one was victorious.
They fought like men fencing, al
ways endeavoring to strike their adj
versaries In the tender flank, where
q well directed stroke of the sharp
horn was sufficient to rip bull wide
open, which was usually the coup de
grace. The leader had to accept all
challenges, and once whipped, his
was over. But while the
bulls were always ready to fight each
other, they would forget their antag-
onism, and present q solid and united
front In the face of common danger.
Wolf Danger
In the spring of the year, when the
buffalo calves came, their lives were
constantly menaced by the hungry
gray wolves and coyotes. The bulls
would form solid living corral around
the cows and calves, and woe unto
the luckless wolf which hunger drove
too near the forest of protecting horns.
For more than q month in the spring.
time the bulls would stand guard,
never relaxing their vigilance for q
So faithful to this duty were
they that in some seasons, when the
spring was delayed In coming, the
bulls would go without food for so
long that they would be but shadows
Of their former selves. Weak but
steadfast, they would stand in this
sncircling ring almost until they
dropped In their tracks from exhaus-
ion. The enemy vanquished they
would at once resume their antag-
onisms and be ready to battle with
Zach other.
jim 6IlQgeI, bIle famous plaulSIIlau,
old of being in camp not far from
where a great band Of buffalo stood
guard over their females and young
'or more than three weeks Circling
about this living wall of giants Of the
1rairies were thousands of hungry
wolves. Bridger was in a cabin and
lad plenty Of food and fuel, but could
lot venture out because of the wolves.
80 he was compelled to remain under
.over, as long as the wolves remained
n the vicinity.
On one occasion, driven frantic with
hunger, the wolves attacked the buf-
alo. AS fast as they would come up
o the guards they would be impaled
N the sharp horns and tossed high In
he air, sometimes inside of the guard
ng circle, where they were quickly
rampled to death. After several hun
lred Of them had been killed the
Tolves drew off, and short time later,
withdrew. The buffalo resumed their
rex, and Bridger was enabled to come
ut Of his cabin. He went over the
lite Of the unique battle and counted
ad fallen In their tracks from star
nkfOn and RlIcclfn1bed