Outdoor pastimes of an American hunterRoosevelt, Theodore
General
Outdoor pastimes of an American hunter
Roosevelt, Theodore
Hunting -- United States; Hunting -- West (U.S.)
The antelope we saw were usually in bands of from twenty to one hundred
and fifty, and they travelled strung out almost in single file, though
those in the rear would sometimes bunch up. I did not try to stalk them,
but got as near them as I could on horseback. The closest approach I was
able to make was to within about eighty yards of two which were by
themselves—I think a doe and a last year’s fawn. As I was riding up to
them, although they looked suspiciously at me, one actually lay down.
When I was passing them at about eighty yards’ distance the big one
became nervous, gave a sudden jump, and away the two went at full speed.
Why the prongbucks were so comparatively shy I do not know, for right on
the ground with them we came upon deer, and, in the immediate
neighborhood, mountain sheep, which were absurdly tame. The mountain
sheep were nineteen in number, for the most part does and yearlings with
a couple of three-year-old rams, but not a single big fellow—for the big
fellows at this season are off by themselves, singly or in little
bunches, high up in the mountains. The band I saw was tame to a degree
matched by but few domestic animals.
They were feeding on the brink of a steep washout at the upper edge of
one of the benches on the mountain-side just below where the abrupt
slope began. They were alongside a little gully with sheer walls. I rode
my horse to within forty yards of them, one of them occasionally looking
up and at once continuing to feed. Then they moved slowly off and
leisurely crossed the gully to the other side. I dismounted, walked
around the head of the gully, and moving cautiously, but in plain sight,
came closer and closer until I was within twenty yards, when I sat down
on a stone and spent certainly twenty minutes looking at them. They paid
hardly any attention to my presence—certainly no more than well-treated
domestic creatures would pay. One of the rams rose on his hind legs,
leaning his fore-hoofs against a little pine tree, and browsed the ends
of the budding branches. The others grazed on the short grass and
herbage or lay down and rested—two of the yearlings several times
playfully butting at one another. Now and then one would glance in my
direction without the slightest sign of fear—barely even of curiosity. I
have no question whatever but that with a little patience this
particular band could be made to feed out of a man’s hand. Major Pitcher
intends during the coming winter to feed them alfalfa—for game animals
of several kinds have become so plentiful in the neighborhood of the Hot
Springs, and the Major has grown so interested in them, that he wishes
to do something toward feeding them during the severe weather. After I
had looked at the sheep to my heart’s content, I walked back to my
horse, my departure arousing as little interest as my advent.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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