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
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SALEM, OREGON
W. I. STALEY, Principal
Oregon,,
Bwilders
Are you doing what you can to pop
ulate your State?
OKWiON NEF.IW rKOPI.K Settlers, honest farmeti.re, cchanux,
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heart capital or no capital.
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(LINES IN OREGON)
is sending tons of Oregon literature to the Fast for distribution
thmngh everv available agency. "NV ill you not help the good work
of building Oregon by sending us the names and addresses of vour
friends who are likely to be InU'rvsteU in this vtute? We will be
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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
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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.
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