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About Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 2, 1908)
ROOUB RIVER COURIER, GRANTS PASS, OREGON, OCTOBER 2, 1908. HUNTING THE WAPITI BY THEODORE ROOSEVELT f 1; ICopyrlKht, PWI, by O. P. 1'utnnme Sons. Fuhllahi-d umlcr arrnnifement with O. i urk and ionaon.j Futnam'i o Bona, Nei iXCE. while on a hunt with Jolin Willis, I spent a week In a vain effort to kill moose ii iiioijk the outlying inoiinttiiiiH nt tlie soutb rn cud of the Bitter Ituot ritriuo. Then, as we LaJ no meat, we determined to try fur elk. We were vamped with a wngon, an hljfh anioiiK the foot-hills as wheels could ko, but several hours' walk from the ranue of the gnmc; for It was still early In the season, and they bad not yet"com down from the up per slopes. Accordingly we made a practice of leaving the wagon for two or three days at a time to bunt; re turning to get a night's rest In the tent, preparatory to a fresh start. On these trips we carried neither blankets nor packs, as the walking was diffi cult and we bad much ground to cov er. Each merely put on his Jacket with a loaf of frying-pan bread and a paper of salt stuffed Into the pockets. We were cumbered with nothing save our rifles and cartridges. On the morulng In question we left camp at sunrise. For two or three hours we walked up hill through a rather open growth of small pines and spruces, the traveling being easy. Then we came to the edge of deep valley, a couple of mllos across. Into this we scrambled, down a steen slide. where the forest had grown up among the Immense boulder masses. Finally, In the afternoon, we left the valley and began to climb a steep gorge, down which a mountain tor rent roared and foamed In a succes sion of cataracts. Three hours' bard climbing brought us to another valley, but of an entirely different character. It was several miles long, but less thnn a mile broad. Save at the mouth, It was walled In completely by chains of high rock peaks, their summits snow-capped; the forest extended a short distance up their sides. Hardly had we enter ed this valley before we caught a glimpse of a yearling elk walking rap Idly along a gnrae path some distance abend. We followed as quickly as we could without making a noise, but after the first glimpse never saw It again; for It la astonishing bow fast an elk travels, with Its ground-covering walk. Hy the time the sun set we were sure the elk were towards the bead of the valley. We utilized the short twilight In arranging our sleeping place for tho night, choosing a thick grove of spruce beside a small moun tain tarn, at the foot of a great cliff. As the first faint streak of dawn ap peared In the (lark sky my companion touched me lightly on the arm. The Ore was nearly out; we felt numbed by the chill air. At once we sprang up, stretched our arms, shook our selves, examined onr rifles, swallowed SGHOO BOOKS and supplies at CLEMENS drugs TREES ! TREES ! TREES BUY YOUR TREES FROM "Old Reliable Albany Nurseries" and you are ure of Retting just what you order. 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We will be glad to bciir the expenae o( Hcmling them cuuiplcte imforuiutiun about OKKliON and its opiKirtunitios Colonist Tickets will be on rale during SKITKMRKR and tXTOWvK from the l'tt to all point in Oregon. The fures from few principal cities are From Louisville $41.70 Cincinnati 42.20 " Cleveland " New York 44.75 55.00 From Denver... $80.00 " Omaha.... 30.00 " KansueCitySO.OO " St. Louia.. 35.50 " Chicago ... oS.OO Tickets can Be Prepaid. If you want to bring a friend or relative to Oregon, dejKwit the" proper amount with any of our agent. Thei .cket will then be furulbhcd by telegraph." lt. K. MONKiOMKKY, Loc al Agent VM. MiMl'llllAY, General i'srfengrr A !: t, l'lirtland. Or. a mouthful or two of bread, and walked off through the gloomy forest At first we could scarcely see our wav. but It grew rapidly lighter. Then, as we trod noiselessly over tbe dense moss, and on the pine needles under the scattered trees, we beard a sharp clang and clatter up the valley ahead of us. In a little glade, a hun dred iind twenty-live yards from us. two boll elk were engaged In deadly combat, while two others were looking on. It was a splendid sight The great beasts faced each other with lowered horns, the manes that covered their thick necks, and the hair on their shoul ders, bristling and erect. Then they charged furiously, the crash of the meeting antlers resonndlng through the valley. Tbe shock threw them both nn their haunches: with locked horns and glaring eyes they strove against each other, getting their Ulna legs wen The crath of the meeting antlcrt mound ing through the valley. under them, straining every muscls in their huge bodies, and squealing sav igely. They were evenly matched In weight, strength, and courage; and push as tbey might, neither got the upper band, first one yielding few Inches, then the other, while they wayed to and fro in their struggles, mashing tbe bushes and ploughing up the soil. Finally tbey separated and stood some little distance apart, under the great pines; their sldea beavlng, and columns of steams rising from their nostrils through the frosty air of the brightening morning. Again tbey rushed together with a crash, and each trove mightily to overthrow tbe other, or get past bla guard; but the branch ing antlers caught every vicious lunge and thrust This set-to was stopped rather curiously. One of tbe onlooklng elk was a yearling; the other, though scarcely as heavy-bodied as either of the fighters, bad a finer head. He was evidently much excited by tbe battle, and he now began to walk towards the two combatants, nodding his head and uttering a queer, whistling noise. Tbey dared not leave their flanks uncovered to his assault; and as be approached they promptly separated, and walked off side by side a few yards apart In a moment, however, one spun round and jumped at hi old adversary, seeking to stab blui In his unprotected Hank; but the latter was just as quick, and as before caught the rush on his horns. They closed as furiously as ever; but the utmost either could do was to In flict one or two punches on the neck and shoulders of bis foe, where the thick hide served as a shield. Agalu the peace-nuiker approached, nodding his head, whistling, and threatening; and agalu they separated. This was repeated once or twice; and I began to be afraid lest the breeze which was very light and puffy should shift and give them my wind. So, resting my rifle on my knee 1 fired twice, putting one bullet behind the boulder of the peace-maker, and tbe other behind tho shoulder of one of the combatants. Doth were deadly shots, but, as so often with wapiti, neither of the wounded animals at the moment showed any sign of being hit Tbe yearling ran off unscathed. The other three crowded together and trotted be hlud soino spruce on the left while we ran forward for another shot In a moment one fell; whereupon the re maining two turned and came back across the glade, trotting to the right. As we opened fire they broke Into a lumbering gallop, but were both dow ned before they got out of sight in the timber. The wapiti Is, next to the moose, the most quarrelsome and pugnacious of American deer. It cannot be said that It la ordinarily a dangerous beast to hunt; yet there are Instances In which wounded wapiti, incautiously approach ed to within strlklug distance, have se verely misused their assailants, both with their antlers and their forefeet However, the fiercest wapiti bull, when In a wild state, flees the neigh borhood of man with the same panic terror showu by the cows; and be makes no stand against a grisly, though w hen his horns are grown he has little fear of either wolf or cougar If on bia guard and nttneked fairly. The chief battles of the bulls are of course waged with one another. Rofore the begin ning of the nit they keep hy thera-olvea- singly, while the sprouting horns are still very voune:. at whi.-h lime they lie lu secluded s;iou and 1 move about as little as possible: In large bands, later In the season. At the beginning of the fall these bands Join with one another and with the bands of cows and calves, which have likewise been keeping to themselves during the late winter, the spring, and the summer. Vast herds are thus sometimes formed, containing, In tbe old days when wapiti were plenty, thousands of head. The bulls now be gin to fight furiously with one another, and the great herd becomes split into smaller ones. Each of these has one master bull, who bus won his position by savage battle, and keeps it by over coming every rival, whether a solitary , bull, or the lord of another barem, wno challenges him. When not fighting or I love-making be Is kept on the run. chasing away the young bulls wbo ven ture to pay court to the cows. He has hardly time to eat or sleep, and soon becomes gaunt and worn to a de gree. Tho battles between the bulls rarely result fatally. After a longer or shorter period of charging, pushing, and struggling the heavier or more sudurlng of the two begins to shove bis weaker antagonist back and round; and the latter then watches his chance and bolts, botly, but as a role harm lessly, pursued for a few hundred yards. Tbe massive branching antlers serve as effective guards against the moRt wicked thrusts. While the an tagonists are bead on, tbe worst that can happen Is a punch on tbe sbouldei which will not break the thick hide though It may bruise the flesh under neatb. WaiJtl kep their antlers until the spring, whereas deer and moose lost theirs by mld-wlnter. The bull's be havlor In relation to the cew Is mere ly that of a vicious mid brutal cow ard. He bullies her continually, aad In times of danger his one thought Is for sneaking off to secure his own surety. For all his noble looks be Is a very unnmliible beast, who behaves with brutal ferocity to the weak, and shows abject terror of the strong. According to his powers, be Is guilty of rape, robbery, and even murder. I never felt the least compunction at shooting a bull, but I hate to shoot a cow, even when forced by necessity. During the rut the bulla are very noisy: and their notes of amorous challenge are called "whistling" by the frontiersmen, very Inappropriate ly. They begin to whistle about ten day before they begin to run; and they have In addition an odd kind of bark, which la only beard occasion ally. Heard at a little distance, and In Its proper place, tbe call of the wapiti Is one of tbe grandest and most beauti ful sounds la nature. Especially Is this the case when several rivals are answering one another, on some frosty moonlight night In tbe mountains. Once, while in the mountains, I listen ed to a peculiarly grand chorus of this kind. We were traveling with pack ponies at the time, and our tent was pitched In a prove of yellow pine, by a brook In the bottom of a valley. On either band rose tbe mountains, covered with spruce forest It was In September, and the first snow bad just fallen. Tbe day before we bad walked long and bard; and during the night I slept the heavy sleep of the weary. Early In tbe morning. Just as tbe east began to grow gray, I waked: and as I did so, the sounds that smote on my ear, caused me to sit up and throw off tbe warm blankets. Bull elk were chal lenging among the mountains on both sides of the valley, a little way from us, their notes echoing like the calling I of silver bugles. Groping about In the I dark. I drew on my trousers, an extra pair of thick socks, and my mocca sins, donned a warm Jacket, found my fur cap and gloves, and stole out of the tent with my rifle. Two herds were approaching one another from opposite sides of the valley, a short distance above our camp: and the mas ter bulls were roaring defiance as they mustered their harems. I walked stealthily up the valley, until I felt that I was nearly between the two herds: and then stood motion less under a tall pine. I made up my mind, from the sound of the challeng ing, now very near me, that one bull on my right was advancing towards a rival on my left who was answering I every call. Soon the former arm-. ed so near that I could hear him 1 the hrunrhm nnA i .. .. "aVi . wul me hn,vt with his horns: and I siipp,, from tree to treo mr. . , u w JJxgM , when he came out Into the more woodland. Day broke, and crlS 1 gleams played across the noiJ mountains beyond. "fc At last. Just as the sun flamed S above the hill-tops, I heard the j the wapiti's challenge not fifty Jt away; and I cocked and half n my rifle, and stood motionless. iT J moment more, the belt of spracajf front of me swayed and opened. Jf the lordly bull stepped out H W 1 bis massive antlers aloft; the sno! 1 thick on his mane; he snuffed the J and stamped on the ground at J walked. As I drew a bead, the J t tlon caught his eye; and instant), ii t bearing of haughty and warlike td I confidence changed to one of nL My bullet smote through his should . blades, and he plunged wildly f, ward, and fell full length on the bio?' stained snow. i Nothing can be finer than wjJ bull's carriage when excited or aUn-L ed; he then seems the embodiment strength and stately grace. But d ordinary times his looks are leu i tractive, as he walks with his ttj level with his body and his head eg f stretched, his horns lying almost ( bis shoulders. The favorite gait I the wapiti Is the trot, which It ' fast, and which they can keep np (if f countless miles; when suddenly i$ ' greatly alarmed, they break Into i awkward gallop, which Is faster, Q which speedily tires tbem. He plunged wildly forward. De Witt's Little Early Bwjf pleasant little pills that areeur ' take. Sold by Model Drag Store. 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