A Book of the United States. Various
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more ready to attack with his horns than any other species of deer. When at bay, and especially if slightly wounded, he fights with great eagerness, as if resolved to be revenged. The following instance from Long’s Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, will, in some degree, illustrate this statement.
A herd of twenty or thirty elk were seen at no great distance from the party, standing in the water or lying upon the sand beach. One of the finest bucks was singled out by a hunter, who fired upon him, whereupon the whole herd plunged into the thicket and disappeared. Relying upon the skill of the hunter, and confident that his shot was fatal, several of the party dismounted and pursued the elk into the woods, where the wounded buck was soon overtaken. Finding his pursuers close upon him, the elk turned furiously upon the foremost, who only saved himself by springing into a thicket, which was impassable to the elk, whose enormous antlers becoming so entangled in the vines as to be covered to their tips, he was held fast and blindfolded, and was despatched by repeated bullets and stabs.
Black-tailed Deer.—The habits of this animal are similar to those of its kindred species, except that it has a manner of bounding along, instead of running at full speed. It is found in prairies and open grounds, west of the Rocky Mountains, and but seldom in the woodlands. It is larger than the common deer, and its flesh is considered inferior; its eye is larger, and the hair coarse. The ears are very long, being half the length of the whole antler. It was first observed by the members of Lewis and Clarke’s expedition, and was described by Say.
Common Deer.—This species, sometimes called the Virginia Deer, is found throughout the United States, with such varieties in its size and coloring, as naturally arise from variety of climate. Its form is slender and delicate, and its whole appearance indicates a degree of feebleness, which is counteracted only by the agility of its movements, and the animation of its eye. Its sense of hearing and seeing is wonderfully acute; and the hunter must approach his intended victim with the utmost caution, for he is discovered by the slightest noise. The resort of this species is in the forests and plains adjacent to rivers, where they feed chiefly on buds and twigs, and sometimes on grass. They are headed by one of the largest and strongest bucks, who appears to be the guardian of the general safety and directs his followers to combat or retreat. Though generally shy and timid, the males are much disposed to battle during the season of the sexual passion, and are almost always inclined to fight when wounded or brought to bay. At this time they fight with their fore feet, as well as their horns, and inflict severe wounds by leaping forward and striking with the edges of their hoofs. If a hunter misses his aim when attempting to despatch a wounded deer with his knife, he is placed in great peril. To serpents, of every description, the deer is particularly hostile, and it seems to have an instinctive horror of the rattlesnake. To destroy this enemy, the deer leaps into the air, and comes down on him with its four feet closed in a square, repeating its violent blows until the reptile is killed.
Virginia Deer.
The males frequently engage in combats, in which their horns sometimes become so interlocked that neither can escape, and they then remain engaged in fruitless struggles till they perish of famine, or become the prey of the wolf or the hunter. Heads of deer which have thus perished are frequently found, and there is scarcely a museum in this country which has not one or more specimens. The following instance is given by Say in Long’s Expedition to the Rocky Mountains. ‘As the party were descending a ridge, their attention was called to an unusual noise proceeding from a copse of low bushes, a few rods from the path. On arriving at the spot, they found two buck deer, their horns fast interlocked with each other, and both much spent with fatigue, one in particular being so much exhausted as to be unable to stand. Perceiving that it would be impossible that they should extricate themselves, and must either linger in their present situations or die of hunger, or be destroyed by the wolves, they despatched them with their knives, after having made an unavailing attempt to disentangle them. Beyond doubt, many of these animals must annually thus perish.’
Prong-horned Antelope.—This species was first described by the leaders of the first American expedition to the west of the Rocky Mountains. It is shy and timorous, wonderfully fleet, and with great acuteness of sight and smell. When once startled, they fly with the rapidity of the wind, and baffle all pursuit. In one instance, captain Lewis, after various fruitless attempts, by winding around the ridges, succeeded in approaching a party of seven that stood upon an eminence towards which the wind was unfortunately blowing. The only male of the party frequently encircled the summit of the hill, as if to announce any danger to the group of females which stood upon the top. Before they saw captain Lewis, they became alarmed by the scent, and fled while he was at the distance of two hundred yards. He immediately ran to the spot where they had stood; a ravine concealed them from him, but at the next moment they appeared on a second ridge, at the distance of three miles. He could not but doubt whether these were the same he had alarmed, but their number and continued speed convinced him they were so, and he justly infers that they must have run with a rapidity equal to that of the most celebrated race horse.
‘The chief game of the Shoshonees,’ say Lewis and Clarke, ‘is the antelope, which when pursued retreats to the open plains, where the horses have full room for the chase. But such is its extraordinary fleetness and wind, that a single horse has no possible chance of outrunning it, or tiring it down; and the hunters are therefore obliged to resort to stratagem. About twenty Indians, mounted on fine horses, armed with bows and arrows, left the camp; in a short time they descried a herd of ten antelopes; they immediately separated into squads of two or three, and formed a scattered circle round the herd for five or six miles, keeping at a wary distance, so as not to alarm them till they were perfectly inclosed, and usually selecting some commanding eminence as a stand. Having gained their positions, a small party rode towards the herd, and with wonderful dexterity the huntsman preserved his seat, and the horse his footing, as he ran at full speed over the hills and down the steep ravines, and along the borders of the precipices.
‘They were soon outstripped by the antelopes, which, on gaining the other extremity of the circle, were driven back and pursued by the fresh hunters. They turned and flew, rather than ran, in another direction; but there too they found new enemies. In this way they were alternately pursued backwards and forwards, till at length, notwithstanding the skill of the hunters, (who were merely armed with bows and arrows) they all escaped; and the party, after running for two hours, returned without having caught any thing, and their horses foaming with sweat. This chase, the greater part of which was seen from the camp, formed a beautiful scene, but to the hunters is exceedingly laborious, and so unproductive, even when they are able to worry the animal down and shoot him, that forty or fifty hunters will sometimes be engaged for more than half a day, without obtaining more than two or three antelopes.’
Rocky Mountain Goat.—This species is nearly the size of a common sheep, and has a shaggy appearance. Its hoofs and horns are black; the latter project but little, and are slightly curved. Great numbers of this goat are found about the head-waters of the north fork of Columbia river, where they are much hunted by the natives, and form an abundant though somewhat unsavory article of food. They are seldom seen far from the mountains, and are more numerous on their western than on their eastern slopes. The skin is thick and spongy, and is used for moccasins. The fleece is said to be as fine as that of which the celebrated cashmere shawls are manufactured.
Rocky Mountain Goat.
Argali.—The argali is found in the Rocky Mountains, from about the fiftieth degree of north latitude to California. Here troops of twenty or thirty are seen together, feeding on the most precipitous tracts, and bounding with wonderful agility from rock to rock. During the summer months, the color of this animal is a grayish fawn, with a reddish line across the back. The male has very large twisted horns, fixed near the eyes; its ears are straight, broad and pointed, and its tail quite short. This is said to be the species from which all the varieties of our domestic sheep are descended.
Bison.—This animal is found in herds in the prairies in the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains: it is continually receding before