the country affords in hills, coulees, bushes, long grass, etc.,
endeavoring to get around them. As soon, however, as they are close and
see a movement among the buffalo intimating flight, they push their
horses at full speed, and riding entirely round commence shooting the
buffalo, which run in the direction of the footmen, these in their
turn shoot, and the animals are driven back toward the horses. In this
way they are kept running nearly in a circle until very tired, and the
greater part are killed. Those on horseback shoot arrows into all they
can at the distance of from 2 to 6 paces, and the footmen load and fire
as often as the animals come near them.
A “surround” party of 80 to 100 persons will in this way kill from 100
to 500 buffalo in the course of an hour. As soon as possible the women
get to work skinning and cutting up the animals. The tongue, hide, and
four best pieces are the property of the one who killed it, and the
rest belongs to those who skin it. When the men have stopped killing
and turned their horses loose to graze they commence with their women,
and the work being divided among so many is soon gotten through with.
If any disputes occur as to the right to the hides or meat, they are
settled on the spot by the soldiers; but these disputes do not often
occur, as they generally all have as many hides and as much meat as
they can pack home. The meat is cut in long, thick slices, merely
detaching it from the bones, and leaving the carcass on the plains.
It is packed home on their horses and dogs. Before leaving, however,
they all make a hearty meal of raw liver, raw kidneys, raw stomach, and
cow’s nose, with other parts in the same state, and the blood being
thus smeared over all their faces presents a savage appearance.
On arrival in camp if the soldiers wish the tongues, each one throws
his down at the soldiers’ lodge in passing, or sends it to them. Each
also furnishes a piece of meat for that lodge, and all the old and
feeble are supplied by their relatives who have been to the hunt. The
chief has no interference in all these matters. He sometimes hunts and
works the same as the others, but generally sends some of his sons or
other relations with his horses for meat. They never use the gun on
horseback or the bow on foot after game. The former they can not load
while running and the latter is not calculated to shoot with certainty
any distance over 10 paces.
THROWING BUFFALO IN A PARK.—This is the most ancient mode of hunting,
and probably the only successful one prior to the introduction of
firearms and horses, as their bows and arrows are insufficient for
killing buffalo on foot. We know of no nation now except the Assiniboin
and Cree who practice it, because all the rest are well supplied with
horses that can catch the buffalo, therefore they are not compelled to
resort to these means to entrap them.
Every year thousands of them are caught in this section by the
Assiniboin, and at the time we are writing there are three parks in
operation a short distance from this, all doing a good business. When
a camp of 30 to 60 lodges find themselves deficient in guns and horses
they move to a suitable place to build a park (pl. 69), and there wait
the approach of buffalo toward it. Most streams have high bluffs on
each side and a valley between. They therefore pitch their camp in the
valley opposite and near a gap of perpendicular descent through the
hills; a high level plain being beyond the bluffs. They cut timber and
plant strong posts in the ground nearly in a circular form and fill up
the openings between with large logs, rocks, bushes, and everything
that will in any way add to its strength, inclosing an area of nearly
an acre of ground. This enclosure is run up the sides of the hill to
the gap or entrance _C_, though neither it nor the camp is visible from
the place beyond. The whole is planned and managed by the master of the
park, some divining man of known repute, who is believed to have the
power of making the buffalo come into it by his enchantments.
On the plains beyond, and commencing where the wood mark leaves off,
are thrown up piles of earth, about 3 feet high and large enough
to conceal a man lying behind them, which are about 18 paces apart
and extend in angles to the distance of a quarter to half a mile in
proportion as there are people to man them. When these arrangements
are completed, four fast running young men are selected by the manager
whose duty it is to scour the country every day or two, making a
circuit of about 20 miles in discovery of buffalo, and report to
headquarters. The master in the meantime commences his magic arts as
follows: A flagstaff or pole is planted in the center of the park,
to the top of which is attached a yard or two of scarlet cloth, some
tobacco, and a cow’s horn. This is a sacrifice to the Wind. At
the foot of the same are placed two or three buffalo Heads which are
painted red, decked out in feathers, and new kettles with scarlet cloth
and other things placed before them. These are given to the Buffalo
Spirits.
[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
PLATE 69
A BUFFALO PARK OR “SURROUND”]
[Illustration: BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY FORTY-SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT
PLATE 70
_An Assiniboine running a Buffalo._
_Drawn by an Assiniboine warrior and hunter, Fort Union, Jan. 16,
1854._]
Another Head painted and decked very gaudily is placed in the lodge of
the master, who smokes and invokes it, at times singing the Bull Song,
which he accompanies with a rattle nearly all night, and prophesies
as to their appearance of success in the morning. A man is now chosen
who is to lead the buffalo within the lines, and there are but few
among them who can do it. When the discoverers have reported buffalo
to be within 8 or 10 miles of the camp, and the wind is favorable, the
master, after great ceremonies to the Heads, and making them other
sacrifices, gives notice that a throw must be made, sending all the
camp to take their stations behind the piles of earth, lying down; he
remains in camp, keeping up a singing, rattling, and smoking—with
invocations all the time. The person who brings the buffalo mounts a
horse and meets them a great distance from camp. When within about 150
yards of the herd he covers his body with his robe, lies along the
horse’s back, and imitates the bleating of a buffalo calf.
The whole mass immediately moves toward him. He retreats toward the
pen, always keeping to the windward of them, and about the same
distance ahead, renewing the noise of the calf whenever they appear to
stop. They generally follow him as fast as his horse can gallop, and
in this way alone he conducts them within the lines of the angle. Of
course as soon as they are a short distance in, the scent of one of
the angles reaches them but it is now too late, they have closed in
behind. The animals now take fright and rush from one line to another,
but seeing people on both sides (who rise as the buffalo attempt to
get through) they keep straight forward. The leader on horseback now
makes his escape to one side, and the whole herd plunges madly down the
precipice, one on top of the other, breaking their legs and necks in
the fall. Into the pen they tumble, those in front having no power to
stop. They are forced on by the pressure from behind and frightened by
the yelling and firing of the savages. When all have passed into the
pen the work of slaughter commences, with guns and bows firing as long
as any appearance of life remains. From 300 to 600 are thus thrown in
at one time by a small camp, and two or three days are required to skin
and cut them up.
Men, women, and children now commence skinning. Each secures as many
hides as he can skin. The master of the park claims a portion for his
share, indeed all are said to belong to him, but he does not take more
than the rest. All the tongues, however, are his, and he also receives
other payment for his services in presents, besides the standing of a
divining man. Plate 70 will perhaps exhibit the hunt more clearly if we
have not been sufficiently plain in the description.
When there is a deficiency of people to man the angles they are made by
placing the lodges of the camp in that form, but this can only be done
when they have a dozen or two of fast horses to extend the angle of the
lodges and force the buffalo within the lines. This is also done, but
it does not succeed as well as the way described. Great is the joy and
feasting in camp after a large throw.
APPROACHING BUFFALO.—This is done on foot with the gun by a single
man. It is indispensable he should have on a skin dress in summer and a
white blanket coat over it in winter, or a buffalo robe coat with all
the hair turned inside.
Any dark-colored dress is easily seen by them at a considerable
distance, but white or light-colored clothing does not attract their
notice. The hunter has his gun covered with skin to prevent the dirt
or snow from entering the barrel while in the act of crawling. His
accoutrements are also firmly attached to his person by a belt. He
proceeds toward the buffalo, keeping the wind as nearly in his face as
possible, sometimes being obliged to make a circuit of miles to get the
wind in the right direction. When near the animals he observes from the
top of some hill how they are stationed, which way they travel, and the
nature of the ground as regards coulees, gullies, bushes, grass, and
any objects that may hide his person from their view and shapes his
course according to the means of concealment presented. If he finds the
country too level to get them within range of the gun he then commences
crawling on his belly toward them, pushing his gun ahead as he goes.
This is a very laborious and slow mode of progressing and often takes
one or two hours to come within shooting distance, as the hunter only
moves while the animals are eating, stopping the moment their attention
is directed toward him. In the snow it is a very cold business,
and in the summer difficult on account of the cactus, but they are
obliged to do it frequently in both seasons on these level plains.
Great precaution is needed to approach buffalo or antelope on a level
plain. The hunter covers his head with sage bushes, and sticks the
same or grass in his belt; at other times a wolf skin covers his head
and back—he lying flat, no form of the man can be perceived—and the
animals being accustomed to these objects do not affright so easily.
When by any of these means he has arrived within shooting distance he
fires without rising, elevating his piece by support of the elbows.
After firing he remains motionless a few minutes during which the
buffalo, after recoiling a few paces, and seeing nothing on the move,
commence grazing. He now turns over on his back and reloads his gun
(lying in this position) by putting the butt against his foot—and when
ready will turn over on his belly and fire again, and so on, sometimes
killing six or eight without changing his place, or with very little
movement.
As soon as he rises the herd runs off and he commences skinning. Some
hunters mimic the bleating of a calf and thus decoy the buffalo to
them, but this is a rare talent, and only practiced by a few good
performers; in hilly places or where there are gullies and bushes to
hide the hunter, neither buffalo nor antelope are difficult to kill,
but on the barren and level plain it requires great exertion, time and
patience.
Another method by which great numbers of both buffalo and antelope
are slain is, when the snow has drifted in the gullies, forming banks
10 to 15 feet deep. The animals are pursued on foot, with raquettes
and snowshoes. The hunter goes over the snow, but the animals become
embedded and are killed with ease. In the summer if several animals
are killed, the meat is placed in a pile covered with the hides, and
a portion of the hunter’s clothing left on it, the scent of which
prevents the wolves from coming to it. Occasionally the bladder of the
animal is inflated, small pebbles put in, which being tied to a stick
and stirred by the wind, will keep off the wolves and foxes.
But in the winter the usual way is to bury the meat in the snow,
which effectually prevents the wolves from eating it, as they have no
power of smell through a foot of snow. Meat can be left in this way
in perfect security for a month or more, but they usually return with
their dogs and take it away the next day. If the hunter goes out on
horseback he leaves his horse near the buffalo, and after having killed
in the manner stated, packs him home with the meat and hide, but in the
deep snow horses can not travel, the dogs do not sink much in the snow
and the men and women go over it on snowshoes.
Antelope are hunted in the same way as the preceding, also sometimes
decoyed by tying some portion of clothing to a pole, the man lying
down and raising and lowering the pole at intervals, or by kicking up
his heels, one after the other. They have great curiosity to see the
strange object, and after making many circles will come near enough
to get a shot, though as soon, as they make out the man they are off.
A wolf skin is decidedly the best disguise when hunting any of the
animals on foot.
It may as well be recorded here that all young hunters sacrifice the
first game they kill by cutting it up and giving it to the crows,
magpies and wolves, saying to each, “I give you this that I may always
be able to kill and feed the wolves, that I may be successful in war.”
The bull’s head is often painted and bound round with scarlet cloth,
with painted feathers or sticks stuck in, and an address made to it
announcing that it is done by the hunter to prevent the animal from
goring him. Likewise the Assiniboin, when they undertake to swim the
Missouri, will tie to a stick some dried buffalo guts, grease, and
bladder, and stick the same in the water, say to it, “This is to enable
me to cross without accident, let no wind blow, nor pain take me in
crossing.” They are not expert swimmers like the Crow Indians, and
the fear of the undertaking causes the sacrifice. In all these things
they are very particular and superstitious, asserting that if these
ceremonies are neglected some accident will certainly happen to the
person who despises these powers.
DEER HUNTING.—A good deer hunter must use the rifle. Shotguns do not
shoot with certainty. This is the reason why all these Indians are poor
deer hunters. They use the northwest shotgun altogether except a few
of the Sioux, who hunt antelope and bighorn with the rifle. The art of
deer hunting may be thus divided: Finding the deer, approaching it,
shooting it, cutting it up, and carrying it home. They are hunted in
the timber by a man alone and on foot. He must be well acquainted with
the habits of the animal, where it is to be found at different hours
in the day, what it feeds upon at different seasons, to know by the
tracks if it is traveling, grazing, running, retiring to rest, or going
to water; he must be quick sighted, a good walker, and go cautiously
through the bush when near the game. The morning and evening are the
best times to hunt them, as they are then on the edge or borders of the
woods where grass is found, or in open places in the bottoms; returning
into the thick bushes for a few hours in the middle of the day. The
hunter travels fast until he comes near the place where he judges a
deer is to be found, then proceeds very slowly and silently, looking
in every direction, always keeping the wind in his favor until the
animal is seen. He then approaches it stepping from tree to tree, bush
to bush, crawling and creeping, hiding himself entirely from its view,
by every means, and making no noise. When he thinks he is within range
he rises and fires quickly and the deer falls. It is then skinned and
cut up, the meat packed in the hide, and it tied in a bundle by the
skin of the legs, in such a way as to form a collar, which is drawn
over his forehead, by lying or sitting down, and slipping it over, then
rising up with the weight between his shoulders he starts homeward. If
more than one is wanted he hangs the first on a tree thus cut up, and
proceeds in quest of others, sometimes killing three or four in a day,
which he returns for with his horse or dogs the next day.
Whistles made of wood like the mouthpiece of a clarinet are used to
call both deer and elk in hunting seasons, and are then a useful decoy.
They do not catch them in traps or pits.
ELK HUNTING.—This is done on foot, with the gun, but by parties of
men. Elk go in droves of from 100 to 300 each and are found in the
large timbered bottoms of the Missouri and Yellowstone. There is some
ceremony required in hunting this animal. In the first place some
divining woman who is said to be an “elk dreamer” states she has had
a favorable dream for hunting them. The woman is then stripped to the
waist and also barelegged, the body and face painted a bright yellow,
and a wreath of bushes with leaves on projecting two or three feet
on each side is placed on her head in imitation of the horns of the
elk. Thus decorated she starts at the head of a party of 15 to 25 men.
When in the vicinity of the place, where, according to her dream, the
elk are to be found, she stops and commences her incantation song,
while the others continue in quest of the game. As soon as the herd is
discovered the party separate, and outflanking them on either side,
commence firing and running toward them, loading and firing while
running, in quick succession, when the elk become confused, scatter and
turn in different directions, presenting at times a mark for each of
the hunters.
Every shot bewilders them the more, and instead of running in any one
direction they keep turning every way until a great many are killed.
They are then skinned, cut up, and the meat and hides packed home on
horses brought for the purpose, which having been left behind in charge
of some women and boys, are brought up during the fixing. The skins are
used for clothing and the meat, though eaten, is not relished much by
most of the Indians.
Elk are also approached singly and at those times the same precautions
are used as stated under the head of deer hunting, though they are not
so shy and timid an animal as deer.
GRIZZLY BEARS.—This animal is not hunted but often found when not
desired, and mostly passed by unmolested by a single Indian when
on foot, though on occasions they do kill them in this way, which
exploit ranks in bravery next to killing an enemy, but the thickets
and mauvaise terre which they inhabit makes the pursuit too dangerous
for ordinary hunters. They are more frequently killed in their dens in
winter.
The grizzly bear in the beginning of cold weather and snow seeks
some hole in the side of a hill in some solitary place, and carries
in a quantity of grass and brush to make his nest, lies all winter
apparently asleep and eats nothing, though they are said to derive
some nourishment by sucking their paws. The nest or wash is always
within a few feet of the entrance and they can easily be seen from
the outside. Generally a den contains two to four bears, or one large
male and two yearling cubs, or one large female and two yearlings.
Sometimes, however, they are found singly. When a den is discovered six
or eight Indians go to attack it, approaching the hole so close as to
see the foremost bear, when three of them fire, the others reserving
their shots. They all run off some distance and if the animal, or any
others pursue them, the rest fire. If the first one has been killed
and there are others the smoke of the guns drives them out, when they
receive a volley from the hunters. If they see nothing after waiting
a sufficient time for the smoke to escape from the hole they again
approach as before and see if the animal be dead. If so, they make a
smoke within the entrance with the view of driving out any other that
may be within. Should nothing appear they conclude there is but one,
enter, and drag him out.
Frequently two or three bears are killed in the same hole at the same
time, and at others some of the hunters get dreadfully mangled. Bears
are also run on horseback, when found on the plains, and shot with
arrows. This is the least dangerous manner of killing them. No pits or
traps are used, though we have known forked sticks to be placed before
the hole so that when they came out they were caught by the hind part
and detained a short time. When a bear is killed he is skinned, all
except the head, which is covered with scarlet cloth, the hair smeared
over with vermilion, handsome feathers stuck around it, and new kettles
and tobacco laid before it. It is presented with the pipe to smoke and
a long ceremony of invocation takes place, purporting that they give
him this property and pay this attention to have pity upon their wives
and children and not tear them when they are hunting after fruit and
berries. They say if this is not done the bear will certainly sooner or
later devour some of them or their children.
BEAVER.—None of these Indians trap the beaver to any extent except the
Crow and Cree Indians. The steel trap is used by them, set under the
water, and a stick dipped in the musk or oilstone of the beaver, placed
behind the trap, though above the surface. The animal, smelling the
bait, will come to see what it is, and in swimming around is caught by
the foot. Oils of cinnamon, cloves, and rhodium are also used for bait
by white trappers.
WOLVES AND FOXES.—Wolves and foxes are caught in deadfall traps made
by planting sticks in the ground with a crosspiece supporting a heavy
roof of stone laid on sticks. The whole is propped up with a stick,
and the wolf going in to eat the meat displaces the prop and the whole
weight falls upon him and breaks his back. The Cree catch them in a
pit or hole dug for the purpose—covering it with a revolving trap
door with a bait of meat on each end above and beneath. The animal in
endeavoring to reach the bait is turned in by the revolving of the
door under its weight, which brings the other bait on top. A second
revolution turns up the first bait and turns down the second wolf.
In this way they will catch as many as the pit will hold, especially as
when a few are turned in they commence fighting; and the noise attracts
others. Wolves are also sacrificed to and small presents given them,
with the view of avoiding their being bitten by them when mad, or as
the Gods of War.
The chase does not vary much at any season, except that in the summer,
no skins being seasonable but deer in the red, only enough animals are
killed to suffice for food, clothing, lodges, etc. From the middle of
September to the middle of March the hair and fur of all animals become
merchantable. They are then hunted for the hide, though all prime furs
are taken off in the middle of the winter. Pelts are judged by the
thickness of their skin and fur. In the warm months all animals shed
their hair. A little observation enables a person to determine to a
certainty in what month the animal has been killed.
Hunting parties not decided on by council in the soldiers’ lodge are
formed by any respectable hunter sending invitations to those he wishes
should accompany him.
The spoils of smaller game belong to him who killed it but they share
the meat with all who are there, and but little difficulty occurs on
this point. When but few animals are killed it is always known who
killed them, and when many are slaughtered all have enough. Disputes
arise occasionally, however, but it is not a matter of sufficient
importance to proceed to extreme measures, and one of the party usually
relinquishes his claim.
The morning and evening are the best hours for approaching small game,
as at those times they are found feeding, but buffalo can be easier
approached in the middle of the day when they lie down for an hour or
two, and if not asleep their range of vision is much diminished by
that position and intervening grass. Light and shade are not of much
consequence in approaching game. The object of the hunter is to keep
out of sight entirely until the moment of firing, and when that is not
possible to make use of some skin, branches, grass, etc., to deceive
the animal, move very slowly, and keep the wind in his favor.