The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1941-01-02

were obliged to use the last OF their
scanty supplies of provisions and
to kill three colts for food.
On their return journey in June
Of the next year over the crusted
snow of the high divide, game was
again scarce, though they record.
I'VE saw several black tailed or
mule deer, but could not get a shot
at them, and were informed that
there is an abundance of elk in the
valley near the fishery on the koo-
skooskee."
They got one deer at the cross
ing of Crooked Fork, two at Lolo
Springs, and coming down Lolo
Creek again entered into a plenti-
full game country. I'VE killed six
deer, of which there are great num-
bers, as we'll as bighorn and elk
in the neighborhood"
Compared with the marvellous
game herds of the plains country
and the open valleys of the interi-
or, the heavily timbered country
of Idaho and extreme western Mon
tana has apparently always been
relatively poor in game.
Game Scarce In Mountains
Ross Cox, of the Northwest Fur
Company, records trip in Novem-
Der 1912 from Spokane House up the
Clark Fork River to the trading
post somewhere near the present
town of Thompson Falls. His party
Jared miserably on this trip, living
chiefly on horse flesh and boiled
rice, and it was not until they got
up the river to more open country
in the vicinity of Thompson that
the hunters secured mountain sheep.
The Flathead Indians were depend
ing for subsistence largely on dried
buffalo meat secured on their an
nual hunt east of the mountains.
Between 1903 and 1911 David
Thompson of the Northwest Fur
Company explored the Kootenai and
Clark Fork valleys in Montana, es-
tabiishing trading post, Saleesh
House, at the present site of Thomp-
son Falls, and one on Pend Orielle
Lake in Idaho Travel throughout
this country was on somewhat
precarious basis, with frequent Pc
RODS when game was scarce or
lacking, In May 1903, along the
Kootenai River near the present
site of Boomers Ferry, Thompson's
journal records: May IA. To this
date we had the meat of a few small
antelopes, but by no means enough
to prevent us eating Moss Bread
and dried carp, both poor harsh
food The Moss Bread" was made
by the Indians from the tree moss
or lichen (Alectoria)- "On the 10th
we met two canoes, from whom we
traded II singed musk rats and two
shoulders of an antelope, thankful
for a change from the Moss Bread,
which gave us all the belly ache
Deer Very Plentiful
Thompson refers continually to
antelope" by which he probably
means the common Whitehall deer,
though he may refer to mountain
sheep, which should also have been
plentifully encountered Whichever
they were, they made the principal
subsistence in that country. In
January 1910 at Saleesh House, he
says: I'VE made a glacier of shore
ice and placed 1890 pounds of ante
lope in it. Again, in October 1911.
All the dried provisions are of
Bison meat, and must be carefully
kept for the voyage of next sum-
mer, SO that for the winter we de-
pend for subsistence on the ante
lopes. They are in sufficient num-
bers, but the hunting is precari-
Gus. !" Elk were apparently lack
ing or scarce in northwestern Mon
tana at that time as they are rare
! " mentioned, though they did kill
one elk cred deer) on the Moyie
River in Idaho.
The fur-trapping expedition of
Alexander Ross in 1928 and 1924
through western Montana and Idaho
presents a, graphic picture Of game
conditions at that early date. Leav-
ing the Northwest Fur Company
i post at Spokane House in Novem-
Der 1923 he Travelled up the Clark
Fork There were 40 men in the
party from Spokane House, and he
picked up Is more in the Flathead
country, II Canadians, 5 half
breeds, II Iroquois, and the balance
from 8 other Indian tribes. Be
sides the men there were rs women,
"a children, and cavalcade of 1892
ponies.
With this multitude to feed in
the dead of winter, no supplies
were carried, and they depended on
the days kill of game for their
rations. The first few days every
body banged away at the game
along the route, but the expendi-
ture of ammunition was so great
that Ross prohibited general par
ticipation in the hunt, and kept
four hunters ahead of the main
party.
ITO be continued)