(1) Track of antelope. (2) Domestic sheep (flat), note spread.
(3) Trail of antelope. (4) Gallop (no dew-claws; the antelope has
none).]
[Illustration: THE SIGN OF THE ANTELOPE (BUCK)]
The rutting season begins about the middle of August. The old
bucks are first in selecting their does, but they have to leave
their respective adherents on account of the stronger young bucks,
which fight off their old and emaciated rivals. During the rutting
season all bucks have such an emphatically disagreeable odor that
it is absolutely impossible to eat the meat; afterward they are
but skin and bones, and before they can pick up again and are fit
for food, they shed their horns. The sportsman, in consequence of
the law, which opens the shooting season for antelope September
1st, is put to two disagreeable alternatives: either to shoot a
buck and let the meat rot, saving horns and skin as a trophy of the
sport (?), or to kill a doe or fawn, to feast on excellent venison,
and incidentally hasten the extermination of the most beautiful
creature of the plains.
Sport with antelope bucks in the full sense of the word, can be had
only during the summer months; then they tax the hunter's skill,
and their meat is fit for the table of an epicure.
When their natural range is absorbed by private preserves, or
when human progress is advanced so far that it demands even of
politicians the exercise of some common sense, then, no doubt, laws
will be passed befitting the game. Until then, the sportsman, to
keep his shield of honor bright, must abstain from the killing of
antelope; else, ridiculous and inconsistent as it may seem, if he
decides he must have a trophy of this kind, in any event, he must
disregard the statutory laws.
Flagging old bucks seems to me an inexcusable waste of time; those
which I have tried to flag have invariably heeded the signal, and
left immediately for distant ranges, apparently having profited
from previous experiences.
The distress cry of a jack-rabbit, however, invariably causes
antelope to investigate. Often when I have been calling for wolves
and coyotes, antelopes have appeared seemingly from nowhere and
approached so close that they could easily have been killed with a
shotgun. If there is a herd of cattle in the known range of an old
buck it is almost a sure thing that he will associate with them
during the late afternoon. In timbered country bucks will be found
frequenting comparatively small parks where it is easy to stalk
them.
The antelope has the widest range of vision of all our game, but
like the others it is unable to distinguish objects when looking
toward he sun, a fact which at times has its advantages when
hunting the antelope or bighorn sheep.
The wound-signs are the same as in deer; but as antelope are
usually shot at in open country, they can generally be seen until
they drop dead or lie down. In the latter case it is more merciful
to let them die without disturbing them, unless it is possible from
the lay of the country to stalk them so that their misery may be
ended by a second well-aimed shot.
By reason of the hoof-form, the very prominent hillock in the
antelope track is of no value in ascertaining the sex, and neither
is the irregular stepping in the trail.
COMPARISONS OF THE MALE SIGNS AS FOUND IN THE VARIOUS HOOFED GAME
ANIMALS
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
| | Distance| Pointing | Hillock | | Lagging |
Animal | Size of| from | Outward | in | Drag | Back of |
| Track | Center | of Hoofs | Track | |Hind Legs|
| | Line | | | | |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Virginia| - | + | + | - | + | + |
Deer | | | | | | |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Fan- | | | | | | |
Tailed |_Dust heap in front of track_| + | - | - |
Deer | | | | | | |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Mule | - | + | + | - | + | - |
Deer | | | | | | |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Elk | + | + | + | + | - | + |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Moose | - | + | _Length of steps_ | - |
| | _Breaking of twigs with horns_| |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Bighorn | + | - | - | - | - | - |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
Antelope| + | - | - | - | _Droppings_ |
--------+--------+---------+----------+---------+--------+---------+
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
| |Roundness| Size and | |
Animal |Clearness| of | Form of |Blazing of|Pawing of
|of Track | Toes | Dew | Trees | Ground
| | | Claws | |
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Virginia| _Watching from |cover_ | + | +
Deer | | | | |
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Fan- | | | | |
Tailed | _Watching from |cover_ | + | +
Deer | | | | |
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Mule | - | - | - | + | -
Deer | | | | |
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Elk | + | + | + | + | +
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Moose | - | + | + | + | +
| | | | |
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Bighorn | - | - | - | - | -
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
Antelope| - | - | - | - | +
--------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+---------
PREDACEOUS ANIMALS
THE BEAR
HUNTING bears with the assistance of guides supplied with a
well-trained pack of hounds may be satisfactory, if merely the
killing of them is desired, but it certainly is not sport, and
does not even deserve to be ranked with trapping bears, as in the
latter case the hunter must possess at least some knowledge of the
quarry's habitat and habits. Unlike a fox, a bear when once found
by the hounds stands no chance of escaping, and there would be just
as much sport in shooting the animal in a park or pen as in killing
a run-to-bay bear. This applies also with truth to mountain lions,
although perhaps there is in the case of the cougar the excuse of
the animal's destructiveness.
The employment of dogs in the chase would never exterminate or
even appreciably lessen the number of deer in any hunting country
where lakes are not abundant, but everywhere it surely means the
downfall and extinction of that relic of gray ages, the bear.
Where not plentiful--and the places where they are found in number
are to-day quite few and remote from civilization--bears are, on
the whole, harmless, and decidedly more useful than injurious. The
damage they do is almost _nil_, while they serve man in many ways.
The meat of young bears is equal to the best venison; their fat is
decidedly superior to the "fancy" lard we buy, of the source and
handling of which we are ignorant; and the hides give excellent
service as robes, rugs and clothing. In my opinion bears should be
protected to a certain extent rather than shot down merely to make
a record.
Sport should be conducted in a spirit of fairness to the game, and
while a couple of dogs is perhaps permissible in bear hunting,
still-hunting is the better sport, because it requires the utmost
skill and knowledge of woodcraft on account of the quarry's
sagacity and cunning, which is superior to that of any other of our
wild animals. Even if one is able to read the habits of the bear
clearly from its trail, it is necessary to possess an abundant
supply of patience, for, barring lucky accidents, no one can
reasonably hope to outwit Bruin at the first attempt.
[Illustration: BEAR FEET--RIGHT SIDE (ONE-QUARTER NATURAL SIZE)]
The end of their hibernation depends largely on the weather, but
about March or April bears frequent snowless slopes and gulches in
search of roots, bulbs, and similar food, and it is there one must
look for signs at that time. If a cold spell interrupts the spring
weather, as is often the case, a trail, sometimes a week old, will
often lead the hunter to a nearby thicket where Bruin has made
himself a bed on the ground, with the intention of sleeping until
another thaw. He usually changes his bed every two or three days,
but ordinarily will not leave the thicket unless he is disturbed.
If a bear is found to be in such a thicket, the hunter should curb
his impatience and suspend following up the trail until the snow
gets soft, when he can work carefully against the wind toward his
quarry. However, as it is usually impossible to see farther than
ten or twenty feet ahead, Bruin has, in this kind of hunting, much
the best of the hunter, and the latter finds in most cases an empty
bed.
[Illustration: BEAR TRAIL. (STEPS ABOUT TWO FEET APART)]
If the thicket is not too large the wind-hunting method before
described will, no doubt, often give satisfaction; but as a rule
the thickets which the bears make their spring habitat are of
too great an extent. The surest and easiest way to get him is to
persuade some other fellow to follow the trail while you intercept
and shoot the bear when he leaves the thicket. Knowledge of Bruin's
cunning then furnishes the means to decide where he will pass,
since, as a rule, he will sneak off under the densest cover and
try to reach another thicket under shelter of bushes, rocks and
the like. Anyone, not altogether a tyro in the woods, can easily
decide from the lay of the country where to wait for His Bearship.
When the place is selected, one should be sure that there is an
absolutely clear opening at least a couple of feet wide. A bear is
bulky and clumsy-looking enough, but he is able to pass without
offering a chance for a shot at places where another animal could
hardly escape an average hunter's lead. I am by no means slow
with my trigger finger, but before I learned to appreciate this
fact I was chagrined on several occasions by having bears pass
me unharmed at a less distance than fifty yards, and that too at
places where I thought I could kill a running rabbit if I wished to
do so.
[Illustration: TRACKS OF BEAR, RUNNING]
If a bear succeeds in leaving a thicket without giving opportunity
for a shot, there is no need for disappointment--he will pass
the same spot when he happens to be in the same thicket again,
and this is a certainty if he does not abandon that part of the
country. This statement has met with some disbelief among a few of
my personal acquaintances, and to prove my claims I had to shoot a
bear within a month from a given point. I killed Bruin, or rather
Old Eph, as it was a grizzly, less than ten feet from where I said
I would, and that settled the matter.
A mile and a half from my home there is such a thicket not over
one acre in extent, and if fresh bear signs are seen anywhere in
the surrounding woods, which cover several thousand acres and
contain many larger and just as dense thickets, I wait there,
reasonably sure that I will see Bruin soon after sunrise or at
sunset. Experience has proved to me that it is a waste of time to
watch for bears where signs are most numerous. They invariably
leave their home thicket very quietly before dark, and start their
noisy feeding, chewing up logs, and breaking down berry bushes, not
less than half a mile from their abiding place, near which no signs
except a few tracks are visible.
[Illustration: BEAR TRACK. (HIND FOOT; TWO-THIRDS NATURAL SIZE)]
For the entertainment of a visiting friend the thicket was driven
a few times by the wind method, which worked splendidly. An "old
mule," which was shot through the lungs with a .30-40 rifle on the
previous evening, was the only one that left the shelter slowly.
All the others, presumably the same on every occasion, appeared to
be very much frightened, and ran for about three-quarters of a mile
after they had passed the danger point.
[Illustration: BEAR STUMP. (ANTS WERE CHEWED OUT SEVEN FEET ABOVE
GROUND)]
To locate the abode of bears in such thickets during the summer and
early autumn, it is best and simplest to trail them by the signs
they make during their nocturnal rambles, such as overturned logs,
etc.; and if only a few of such signs are found near dense cover,
facing north or northwest, the ground should be carefully examined
for tracks. These are usually difficult to see, and if no moist
places are near such cover, the apparently used paths that lead
into it, but on which there are no signs except an occasional claw
mark, must serve as base for a conclusion, which must be verified
by watching at a good point near the thicket during the morning or
evening. The snapping of a twig or the breaking of a log on which
Bruin carelessly steps often confirms the conclusions, though the
bear may sometimes remain invisible to the hunter for several
consecutive visits.
[Illustration: BEAR TRACK. (FRONT FOOT; ABOUT TWO-FIFTHS NATURAL
SIZE)]
When the thicket they prefer is once located, the rest is easy. If
quick results are desired, driving or, perhaps, calling will yield
results. I once shot a bear which made its appearance immediately
when, by way of experiment, I imitated the distress cry of a
jack-rabbit. If the hunter has plenty of time to spend in the woods
it is a good plan to watch for the quarry. During autumn proper,
bears retreat to the more remote districts and the fastnesses of
the mountains; here they are usually found during the daytime where
they are accustomed to feed. In places where berries are plentiful,
on ridges and in gulches where blue jays and squirrels are storing
their winter supply of mast, here will be found the bears' favorite
autumn haunts. In the mountains of the West there is a berry
bush called kinni-kinic barberry or bearberry--I am not sure which
is the correct term--that is thickly covered with fruit about the
size of buffalo berries, and which is a favorite food for bears
before they can obtain mast; or, if the latter fails, Bruin seems
to regard the seeds of the piñon as a delicacy; but as it would
apparently take up too much of his time to fill himself from those
that fall to the ground, he resorts to easier methods to obtain
them--he becomes a thief and incurs the enmity of squirrels and
jays.
On ridges he robs the caches of the jays, and in cañons he depletes
the stores of the squirrels, and, by no means approving of such
actions, they heartily hate him and "cuss" at him whenever he
approaches, and in this way often betray his presence to the hunter
who has learned to interpret the language of the wood-folk. It is
always well to approach with the utmost care places where there is
a continual chatter of squirrels and cries of blue jays are heard;
and if the "cussed" one proves to be some other marauder--well, it
may be a bear next time. When still-hunting during the autumn the
attention paid to these small denizens of the woods is by no means
wasted, and yields better results than covering a great territory,
or watching for hours on trails or near baits, which latter are
seldom visited by bears during rifle light.
[Illustration: BEAR LOG]
Until I undertook the systematic study of the bear's habits I was
under the impression, from what I had read, that a bear track was
easily recognized, and actually passed many, regarding them as
cougar tracks. I have since noticed that many hunters, born and
reared in a bear country, make the same mistake. Of course in mud
or snow a bear track is easily identified, but in the vastness
of mountains and forests snow and mud are not always present; in
fact, they are of little service. There, the heel of the foot is
practically never seen in the track during snowless times, and
as the shape of the fore part of the foot conforms with that of
the mountain lion, a mistake is easily possible if the imprints
of the five toes of the bear are not all visible. The trailer in
these districts and under these circumstances is generally lucky
if he can discern here and there the part of a track of a bear's
foot. A couple of years ago a party of old deer hunters told me of
the great number of lion tracks they had seen as they came into
camp, and at my query if they saw any bear tracks, they answered,
"No"; yet I had camped there over two months, knew absolutely that
no lion was in those parts, that bears were abundant, and that
the hunters could have seen only their tracks. So much for the
information of those who have an idea that an animal, weighing from
three hundred to over a thousand pounds, must necessarily make a
big trail which can be readily followed.
[Illustration: BEAR LOG]
The tracker, if he will but stop and investigate closely, need not
make a mistake, even if only the imprint of a single toe is plainly
visible, as the long nails of the bear almost always leave some
mark in front of the track. The distance which the nails stand
away from the toe imprints is the only means of distinguishing
the grizzly's track from that of the black bear, except that size
dispels any doubt. The nails of the grizzly stand out almost
straight, while those of the black bear are more curvate, and their
imprints must consequently be found closer to the track of the foot.
The likeness of the bear track to that of the human foot has been
referred to by many writers. In reality no likeness exists, and the
inexperienced trailer in the woods has the already disadvantageous
conditions under which he is working multiplied so long as he is
not disillusioned.
If a bear who knows nothing of the hunter is shot at and suddenly
whirls around, _i. e._, jumps when the trigger is pulled, he is
hit, no matter whether there is another sign or not, and the color
of the blood will indicate to the hunter where he is struck. A shot
through the lungs with the modern high-power rifle will sometimes
not prove fatal within ten or twelve hours.
A missed bear is never in a hurry to get away, unless he has seen
or scented the hunter previous to the firing, and in most cases he
offers a chance for a second or third shot.
Not a few city hunters "pull out" if they encounter bear signs
where they intend to spend their outing, saying they are not
looking for bears; yet the chances are many against their seeing
one even if they were anxious for an encounter. The trouble is not
to avoid a bear, but to find him, as his greatest desire seems to
be to keep out of man's reach, and he employs all his cunning to
that end.
THE COUGAR
OF all the predatory animals there is none which in destructiveness
equals or even approaches the mountain lion; he, and he only, is
often the cause of unsatisfactory hunting trips into districts
where other big game by every reason ought to be abundant. A family
of these great beasts will, while the young ones are growing up,
deplete a region of almost every other game animal.
If a cougar kills a deer during the morning hours, he seems to
spend the day near it, as I have again and again found freshly
vacated beds under nearby bushes or rocks. On these occasions I
was following the drag the "varmint" had made with the carcass,
and although I kept a close watch on the surroundings, the lion
remained invisible; yet I know that he was watching me, for in
every instance I found that he visited and examined the covered
carcass during the following night.
The methods usually followed to rid the hunting-ground of its worst
poacher are to shoot or trap him. If the former is decided upon,
the fact that the lion has an excellent nose and keen vision should
not be forgotten when the place to watch for him is selected.
[Illustration: COUGAR. (ONE-HALF NATURAL SIZE)
(1) Ordinary gait.
(2) Sneaking.
(3) Trot.
]
Still-hunting the cougar is about the most thankless undertaking
one could enter upon, yet there are occasions when a close
observer may be able to kill one without extra trouble when
out primarily for other game. The main requisite is time and a
thorough acquaintance with the country. The cougar, after the
young are grown up, does not remain in a comparatively small
district for any length of time, but usually covers a much wider
territory than the gray wolf, although the latter is universally
known as a great wanderer. At irregular intervals, say from once
in a fortnight to once in two months, depending on the region,
it returns to the same district. Unlike the wolf, the cougar, in
returning to and hunting over a district, does not usually go
over the same trail and buttes he has used on the previous trip,
but prefers to explore new ground on each occasion unless there
is something unusual to attract him. If his tracks, therefore,
are seen quite often on a certain lookout point, the hunter
should be alert for the cause of attraction, generally a fallen
tree, or an overhanging rock protecting a snug dry bed beneath
from rain or snow, which are always situated on a wind-sheltered
hillside facing south. When such a place is known, the hunter
should scrupulously refrain from going near it, to avoid leaving
any scent there; but he should observe the "nest" as often as he
comes into its vicinity, and from a convenient distant point.
If the "nest" has an occupant, it is better to let a bullet
investigate before the hunter does so himself, for a cat is a
cat, and if its suspicions are aroused, the devil cannot beat
it in trickiness--it will vanish unobserved without the hunter
knowing how it could have done so. I once shot one out of a bunch
of three, and felt sure the remaining two were "my meat," yet
not a spot of yellow of them did I see afterward, although every
nook within three hundred yards of the surrounding country was
seemingly open to my scouting.
This is tedious hunting, of course, and the number of cougars
would not be appreciably lessened by the method; but one lion
outwitted thus is worth perhaps, as a trophy of skill, a score
killed by other means; and besides, it at least gives the
still-hunter a chance.
Cougars do not respond readily to being called (by imitating the
cries of a jack-rabbit); at least I have lured but one in eight
or ten years, and missed it at that. Trapping them is as sure as
gambling, _i. e._, there is never any certainty that one will
get the lion, and as their existence is unquestionably obnoxious
to sportsmen and stockgrowers alike, hunting them with dogs is a
commendable method, since it insures their decrease, and to the
tyro means a trophy.
Barnyard study is, undoubtedly, responsible for the conclusions
advanced by some writers that the members of the cat family are
the most perfect track makers, _i. e._, walkers. As a matter
of fact, the trail of a wild cat cannot be compared, so far as
perfection goes, with the trail of the wild dog. The cougar's
tracks seldom register. He either oversteps with the hind foot
the track made by the forefoot when in a hurry, or he does not
step quite far enough to cover the forefoot track when leisurely
walking, and the individual tracks do not stand so close to the
center line of the trail as do those of the wolf. The roundness
of the track, together with the inconspicuousness of the nail
marks, even under the most favorable tracking conditions, makes
the cougar track unmistakably different from that of a wolf.
However, on hard ground the track of a bear and a lion may be
easily taken for one another, though the latter contains but four
toe-marks. But then every toe-mark is not often visible on hard
ground.
With all predatory animals the rule holds good that the female
track appears smaller than that of the male, even though the
size of the animals be the reverse. For example, a male cougar
measuring seven feet from tip to tip, will make a bigger track
than a nine-foot-long female. Although with dividers and tapeline
one might have difficulty to ascertain the difference, which at
best would be very small to the eye, it is unmistakable, and
one well acquainted with tracks can hardly make the error of
mistaking a female track for that of a male. The latter always
looks more substantial.