The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
History
The pioneer West : $b Narratives of the westward march of empire
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.)
Several attempts have been made to secure the young of these animals
and transport them to the States; and, for this purpose, an old
mountaineer, one Billy Williams, took with him a troop of milch-goats,
by which to bring up the young sheep; but although he managed to take
several fine lambs, I believe that he did not succeed in reaching the
frontier with one living specimen out of some half-score. The hunters
frequently rear them in the mountains; and they become greatly attached
to their masters, enlivening the camp with their merry gambols.
The elk, in point of size, ranks next to the buffalo. It is found in
all parts of the mountains, and descends not unfrequently far down into
the plains in the vicinity of the larger streams. A full-grown elk is
as large as a mule, with rather a heavy neck and body, and stout limbs,
its feet leaving a track as large as that of a two-year-old steer.
They are dull, sluggish animals, at least in comparison with others
of the deer tribe, and are easily approached and killed. In winter
they congregate in large herds, often numbering several hundreds; and
at that season are fond of travelling, their track through the snow
having the appearance of a broad beaten road. The elk requires less
killing than any other of the deer tribe (whose tenacity of life is
remarkable); a shot anywhere in the fore part of the animal brings
it to the ground. On one occasion I killed two with one ball, which
passed through the neck of the first, and struck the second, which was
standing a few paces distant, through the heart: both fell dead. A
deer, on the contrary, often runs a considerable distance, strike it
where you will. The meat of the elk is strong flavoured, and more like
“poor bull” than venison: it is only eatable when the animal is fat and
in good condition; at other times it is strong tasted and stringy.
The antelope, the smallest of the deer tribe, affords the hunter a
sweet and nutritious meat, when that of nearly every other description
of game, from the poorness and scarcity of the grass during the winter,
is barely eatable. They are seldom seen now in very large bands on
the grand prairies, having been driven from their old pastures by
the Indians and white hunters. The former, by means of “surrounds,”
an enclosed space formed in one of the passes used by these animals,
very often drive into the toils an entire band of antelope of several
hundreds, when not one escapes slaughter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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