Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:00♪
00:30♪
00:40♪
00:50♪
01:12You know, folks, most everybody's got a peculiar streak in him.
01:16I guess, oh, ever since I was a little squirt, I've liked to shoot with a bow and arrow.
01:22Sometimes my shooting's pretty good, so if there's a string to that, I practice a good deal,
01:28and always aim to stay in my own circle.
01:32We're out here on the range with the other animals, close to nature, where life is lived.
01:39We're a thriving California community.
01:42This is the federal building.
01:45It was designed by a specialist in his line.
01:51And here's the rest of the population coming to get his mail.
01:59Hmm, just enough to go around.
02:09From me? I guess I'm no different from others in being curious about a letter.
02:19From my old friend Ned Frost, famous guide and naturalist of Wyoming.
02:40Now that was just about to my liking.
02:42Yes, sir.
02:45A little letter meant a lot to me, a chance to kick loose and go.
02:50Specimens, eh? I knew I could depend on the both of those, but pictures, good ones close up, are hard to get.
02:58Well, we'll see.
03:01So we're off for the north, riding on the wings of Skybird.
03:05That's what I call him, a flame, because when it comes to flying, she is a bird.
03:13After making 1,100 miles in 10 hours, we begin to feel like picking out a nice soft spot to land.
03:19We find ourselves over the Grand Peak, 13,300 feet above the Jackson Hole country.
03:26Landing here would be about like landing on the moon.
03:29You'd have just about as much company and an appetite you'd have to put in more for.
03:34Them little lakes are what's left of the snow.
03:37It reaches a depth of 15 or 20 feet during the winter months.
03:41On a plane, they appear kind of small, but they're plenty big and cold as ice.
03:46It's a dreary, weather-beaten, desolate place.
03:49Even Robinson Crusoe, with a man for every day of the week, would get lonesome down there.
03:55The last outpost of civilization, named for Colonel W.F. Cody, Buffalo Bill.
04:03If you want company, you can sure find it in Cody, Wyoming, in July.
04:09And what I mean is fast company.
04:12Of course, it ain't always steady, but it gives the boys in the stock a chance to really get together.
04:18♪♪
04:31Bulldogging is strenuous sport, but riding a razorback steer is akin to straddling an iron rail charged with electricity.
04:39It's quite an exhilarating pastime.
04:48Most of these horses have never been ridden before, and the men, they just want a ride.
04:55Well, it won't hurt them none to try.
04:59And then again it might.
05:02It's all a gamble with the men, but the horses, they kind of figure they're being played for suckers and just naturally resent it.
05:10Trouble is, when a horse gets his back up, it won't stay in one place long enough for a fellow to find it.
05:17When the man comes down, well, it ain't always there.
05:27Even the kitties have their hobbies, but it ain't always horses.
05:31They, too, are riding the means to an end that comes sudden like the first.
05:39Meanwhile, there's work to be done loading the pack train for our trip into the mountains.
05:44It takes a lot of provisions and equipment to keep four men, 16 pack horses, and six saddle horses moving and satisfied.
05:53To complete our assignment of tracking good specimens, both for the camera and museum,
05:58we expect to be gone at least a year.
06:02The train files out of the corral and we trek west to the Shoshone River country,
06:08where the Nez Perce Indians made their last stand against the white men.
06:13Caution guides the placement of each horse as the ponies begin to climb.
06:19A sight rarely seen because it's so high in the mountains and hard to get to is Wyoming's natural arts.
06:27One of those works of nature that causes a man to stop and wonder and feel much smaller than he ever thought he was.
06:35Three hundred feet of towering rock, 85 feet across at the base.
06:40It must have taken ages for the wind and rain to shape it this way and make it look like it was something.
06:47It sure is pretty.
06:52But you know just a bit a ways from here, in a kind of draw, where wildcats are said to hold up.
07:00I stepped off a rock, walked a few paces, and instinctively hopped off the trail like a scared lamb.
07:08There was one of the ugliest creatures Mother Nature has ever palmed off on us.
07:12I missed him first time, but when I saw what he really was, I just couldn't miss again.
07:21Well, I got him. A deadly rattler.
07:25That's one less, I thought.
07:28Looked at that, and he never even gave me a warning.
07:33As I took a freer breath, a faint familiar scent was in the air.
07:36Not a hundred feet away, a vicious wildcat stretched its live and vigorous body.
07:43I suspected some reason for its alertness.
07:47And there it was, two little coyote pups with their mother. Cute little rascals, too.
07:53The wildcat's sharp teeth and claws, which it uses with lightning speed and its hellish disposition,
07:59makes him the most hated creature that I know of.
08:02I could see by the wicked gleam in its cold yellow eye that it was preparing to kill them pups.
08:08Poor little urchin. They were coyotes, sure, but too young yet to be harmful.
08:14Anyway, a coyote kills to live, but a wildcat maims and mangles just for devilry,
08:19and often eats before its kill is dead.
08:23What were they looking for? Struggling along in shaggy innocence.
08:27I was afraid they wouldn't get very far.
08:30Then I saw what they was after, just going for a drink of water.
08:35Too bad they couldn't have picked a better time to do it.
08:38You know a coyote ain't a bad saw, if you like him.
08:43I anxiously moved up the draw a bit, and then it happened.
08:47The coyote is a good mother, and how she shows it.
08:51In spite of her weakness from nursing her young, she tries to hold her own.
08:55Bravely, she charges the flying speed, snapping teeth.
08:58The cat tries to keep its back to the ground so it can use its knife-like claws.
09:08Then the animal sensed my presence.
09:11I don't care much for either, but I do like to see fair play.
09:15So for once, I string along with the coyote.
09:20She ran back looking for her pups, I reckon, or to quench her famished thirst.
09:25Then out came the wildcat's meat.
09:27They usually run in pairs, but I wasn't expecting him.
09:34I knew he'd soon be taking revenge on the coyote tribe.
09:38So I slipped up, pulled my bow on him, and removed another bad influence from the neighborhood.
09:45These creatures are a constant menace to the flocks and herds of the ranchers,
09:50as well as young deer and antelope.
09:52Their keen instinct and cunning methods make them difficult to catch,
09:57though nearly every state pays a good bounty on them.
10:01In this silent, snow-covered valley high in the Rockies,
10:05you can witness the parade of a sage chicken or grouse.
10:09Few people have ever seen this, and I don't know if it's ever been photographed before.
10:14The most interesting trait of this gorgeous bird is his method of wooing and winning his mate.
10:20Once a year, and only at dawn, he actually struts his stuff for the approval of the females,
10:26who gather around the outer edge of the showgrounds to watch his performance with a critical eye.
10:33His breast is snow-white, red, green, and yellow,
10:37blending beautifully along his neck, wings, and tail.
10:41He can hardly be blamed for taking himself so seriously.
10:46He throws out his chest in the pretty white rough around his neck,
10:49and forces air through two holes in his breast, making it down, you can hear, a mile away.
10:58He never does this except at mating times,
11:00and just naturally booms himself into the heart of some admiring chicken.
11:07Well, it gets him.
11:09Toward the end of a two-hour courtship, the hen has made a choice,
11:12and leads the way in search of a net.
11:16She's hooked him, and she'll be true.
11:19His interests may vary, but she is permanently enchanted.
11:26They build their nets in secluded nooks on the ground,
11:30and in about six weeks, from ten to twenty cocky little chicks are hatched out.
11:35Soft, downy little creatures, just big enough to fit in the palm of a man's hand.
11:43And like most young things, they're friendly.
11:52From here we trailed over into the antelope country.
11:55The antelope breed in Wyoming from September to November.
11:59Here on the open plain, they run in great herds.
12:02And when I say run, that's just what I mean.
12:08We took to the plain to prove this.
12:10They don't bounce along like a deer or a jackrabbit.
12:13They get down and run like a horse.
12:16They're the fastest things in the world on four legs.
12:20They can attain a speed of from sixty to seventy miles an hour.
12:24Sometimes it was surprising to see how they almost kept up with the plain.
12:29They're curious things and very showy.
12:32The rump is covered with a patch of snow-white hair.
12:35At the first sign of danger, this hair is thrown up,
12:38and the reflected sunlight from this white patch served as a warning to other herds.
12:44We weren't invited to the event, in fact we weren't needed,
12:47and we won't see anything like it in a long time.
12:51The arrival of a baby antelope.
12:54Its anxious mother stood watching me.
12:57A baby's just a half hour old.
13:00In three hours, it'll be strong enough to run as fast as it ever will.
13:04Until this time, its body gives off no odor,
13:07nature's way of protecting it from its enemy.
13:10Its little legs didn't look like they'd ever be strong enough to hold it up.
13:15I wasn't going to hurt the little fella.
13:18Surely those innocent eyes would protect from any human,
13:22and those scrawny legs would soon be carrying it over the plain with its kind.
13:30Making our own trail over hazardous portions of ice and snow,
13:35in a country almost inaccessible,
13:37we were persistent in our efforts to reach Grasshopper Glacier,
13:41over 12,000 feet high.
13:45Probably older than the oldest recorded memory of man
13:48are the millions of grasshoppers in the rock-like strata
13:52from which this icy glacier takes its name.
13:55Way back in the dim past, great plagues of these insects must have swept over the land,
14:00an interval separated by centuries of time.
14:04In this section hardly ever frequented, we found thousands of layers of them,
14:08solidly frozen in the glacier ice.
14:11Even today, the change in seasons never melt the ice enough
14:16to release them from the grip of that older time.
14:19And the few grasshoppers that do melt free fall away in dust as they dry.
14:25The strata lie at various angles and in different thicknesses.
14:28This may denote great lapses of time in their formation.
14:32They appear to be layers of dead leaves piled one atop the other,
14:36but close inspection reveals the remarkable state of preservation
14:40throughout the long years.
14:43In winter, the north woods are like some great hotel filled with sleep and guests.
14:48Every nook and cranny is in demand.
14:52They say that at the sign of the broken sampling,
14:54other bears know that Mrs. Bear has retired for the season
14:58and doesn't wish to be disturbed.
15:01She's hibernating.
15:03The little hole in the snow is a ventilating plant.
15:06It's kept open by the moisture of her own breath.
15:10Before retiring for the winter, all bears cleanse their entire systems
15:14with the aid of various greens and herbs,
15:18and their stomachs shrink to the size of a coconut.
15:23Looking in on her slumbers, we find her in the midst of the original twilight sleep.
15:29Her cubs are born in January and are only a couple of inches long
15:33and weigh but a few ounces at birth.
15:37They're two months old before she even seasons.
15:40After all this secret activity on the part of Mother Nature,
15:43Mrs. Bear awakens to find herself blessed with a new mission in life.
15:48But this is dangerous business.
15:50If we should wake her, well, I'd rather be outside.
15:54Even a bear's entitled to some privacy.
15:58It was spring now.
15:59The snow was leaving.
16:01Soon the trees would be opening their leafy eyes
16:03and the flowers raising their velvety heads.
16:05It was also about time for Mrs. Bear's coming out party.
16:08She went into seclusion for a definite purpose,
16:11and I was real anxious to get a daylight view of the results.
16:16Well, sir, there they were, both of them, sitting pretty, right on top of the world.
16:24Why, they were only three or four inches long when I last saw them,
16:27and already they were beginning to get a grip on things.
16:31Yes, sir, their careers are branching out.
16:37I hope they weren't too ambitious.
16:39They might be heading for a fall.
16:42You know, I was almost as proud of them as their mother was.
16:49The mother hadn't eaten for a long time.
16:51She chose only the young and tender grass
16:54until her empty stomach had become accustomed to a more strenuous diet.
16:59The cubs took to the idea too,
17:01in spite of the fact that up to now they'd been on a liquid diet.
17:08Suddenly a well-built individual came prowling through the timber.
17:12He was a mean, ornery-looking cuss.
17:15She paid no attention to him, went right on feeding him,
17:18though he acted like he meant business and wanted to move in on the widow and her family.
17:23Yes, sir, he looked as though he had everything but the mortgage.
17:28Soon she saw him and gathered a brood around her.
17:32From my position on the opposite side of the canyon,
17:34I could see the big black as he turned and engaged the mother.
17:40She met him, and they began slapping each other.
17:42The black or brown bear is a powerful animal,
17:45and these were fighting hard.
17:47She for the protection of her home and young,
17:50who even now were climbing the tall tree to safety
17:53while their mother struggled against an enemy larger and stronger than herself.
17:58They fought blow for blow and stood her ground fearlessly.
18:02She had courage, if only her strength would hold out.
18:05They slashed each other with their mighty paws,
18:07paws with cruel claws that had been known to break a cow's neck at a single stroke.
18:11It suddenly occurred to me that I'd never seen a male fight a female,
18:15especially one with cubs.
18:16This must be an outlaw, one who had killed his own kind before.
18:20If this were true, the mother were in a serious situation.
18:23So I started down the mountainside.
18:26The sound of the quarrel echoed across the canyon.
18:29Low, fierce growls were followed by cries of terror
18:32as huge, rough claws caught the flesh of an opponent.
18:35The struggle reached its height.
18:37The heavy, ponderous beasts fought with a driving urge to kill, to destroy each other.
18:42The little cubs are thoroughly scared.
18:45It was a new experience for them.
18:47They were excited, but they weren't enjoying it, nor was I.
18:51There's something curious and harrowing in the weird whine of a desperate bear.
18:56A high, shrill, fearsome cry is uncanny and pulls at a man's nerve.
19:00I couldn't stop the battle.
19:01The timber was heavy.
19:02An arrow wouldn't go through.
19:04They continued to maul each other terribly.
19:07Then the struggle became spasmodic.
19:09The angry smiles, sharp, harsh.
19:11They were wearing each other down.
19:13The heavy breathing now became slower, measured.
19:16As I reached the edge of a small opening, the sounds of struggle ended.
19:20And one walked into the clearing, which I couldn't be sure.
19:26Wearily, he moved off into the heavy brush, and I lost sight of him.
19:31I looked for the cubs in the big tree.
19:34The mother couldn't be far from its base.
19:36In their present condition, either she or her enemy would be dangerous to come upon unaware.
19:43Then the cubs came down the tree to find their mother.
19:46I must be in on this.
19:48They'd be trying to coax her into a better mood.
19:52There they were, poor little fellows.
19:57They couldn't wake her.
19:59Why?
20:00Something had happened.
20:03What was it?
20:04She'd lain that way before in the cave, but this was different.
20:09Why was she so still?
20:11Twice had she given life, that life might continue.
20:15Easy now, there, that wasn't so bad.
20:19I knew the others'd stay close.
20:22They weren't a bit wild, just like two babes in the woods.
20:26But wait, there was something strange, something peculiar about these tracks.
20:31They were pretty well broken up, but I'd never seen a bear with less than five toes.
20:37This one had three.
20:40Sure enough, he'd lost a couple.
20:42It was perfect.
20:44Whole three toes, eh?
20:46An outlaw and a killer.
20:49Well, I made up my mind right then, that someday, somehow, we'd meet.
20:55He'd given me two good reasons for thinking I'd enjoy that meeting.
20:59Yes, sir, he'd robbed them of their mother and given me a new responsibility.
21:07Come on, punks.
21:12Each new day dawned bright and clear as our outfit fouled and staked its camp near the haunt of some new species.
21:18The air at these high altitudes was crisp and tangy, with a scent of spruce and pine.
21:24The snow was going and the horses got a change of diet.
21:28The new arrivals were doing fine, too.
21:31They'd taken to their early rations, kind of free and easy-like, without a thought.
21:35And when we first sprung a change on them, they got kind of choosy.
21:41The honey we carried for our flapjacks made them sit right up and open their mouths.
21:53This new white stuff was a weak imitation of what they'd been used to, and they tried to catch it on the fly.
21:59Like most of us, the more they struggled, the harder it was to get.
22:04There it was.
22:06It was all in the taking, if they only knew how.
22:10Maybe they missed their mother.
22:12I don't know.
22:14But they sure showed the result of her early teaching.
22:17After every display of careless waste, they'd take each other to a cleaning.
22:23They didn't do the dishes, but they sure did each other, to a bear's taste.
22:29Spick and span.
22:31I didn't know what to call them, but they sure were great pals, always together.
22:38I had to admire them a little.
22:44We were frequently visited by a native bird respected the world over, the American eagle.
22:50Proud, strong, and worthy of his honored name.
22:56He builds his nest in the tops of the highest trees.
23:00It's a gigantic affair compared to the nests of other birds, and very exclusive.
23:06It's a symbol of its owner's independence.
23:08This innocent bird, from the heavy growth of the surrounding woods near our camp,
23:13we could hear the vibrant signals of the drumming grouse.
23:16His shyness and quick movement, and his plumage blended with the gray underbrush,
23:21make this bird hard to find.
23:24The male, to attract his mate, beats a rhythmic tattoo with his wings
23:28and we heard a considerable distance.
23:36The close of an active day finds hit and miss sparring for time with the sandman.
23:43On long ropes, they'd romp and play and maul each other from one end of the camp to the other.
23:48They'd fight and make up, and then fight some more.
23:53But they were only foolish.
23:55They were tired now, and asleep.
23:58I wanted to go to bed, now I lay me down to sleep.
24:03Next morning we started out for deer.
24:06On the mountaintops and in places hidden from the sun by heavy timber, the snow still lay heavy.
24:12Here we saw a handsome buck feeding on exposed shoots of the new grass.
24:17Forage is scarce through the winter, and this was like digging out new potatoes
24:21after living on dry scrub and bark for months.
24:25A deer is a beautiful and gracious animal.
24:27Like a cow, he chooses cut, only he puts a little more snap into it.
24:32They vary in color, but are mostly brown with reddish tint.
24:37They even stretch with a little gusto.
24:41You know there's wickedness in animals like there is in humans.
24:45This was criminal.
24:46The killer wasn't hungry, just a bad hombre.
24:55He left his mark in the snow.
24:57Again, three toes had struck.
25:00He was trailing with the outfit, eh?
25:03I thought I knew what he was after.
25:10The earth and sky seemed to blend as we looked across the rainstops for the most elusive drive we'd sought,
25:16the Rocky Mountain bighorn.
25:18He lives at an altitude of from 10 to 12,000 feet.
25:22He is extremely wary and almost impossible to approach.
25:28These are young lambs, basking in the glory of their higher states.
25:32Though they symbolize all that is innocent and helpless,
25:36they're born in the coldest months of the year and live to a fine old age.
25:41The bighorn sheep is the most prized trophy in America.
25:44He has the keenest eye of any animal.
25:48He can safely jump from a 35-foot sheer cliff and further by catching on ledges with his feet for a split second to break his fall.
25:56Entire families haunt the rocky crags, feeding on the scanty herbage,
26:01never going down to the lower levels unless they're driven by heavy snow.
26:06In the dead of winter, they sometimes go down to feed on dry bunch grass.
26:10They're mighty crazy about salt.
26:13They lick and gnaw away the salt from the limestone till they've worn deep tunnels in the cliff.
26:19A mountain sheep was a mighty tough assignment, and I wasn't sure I could get him with a bow and arrow.
26:26I wasn't built for speed in high places,
26:30and the ram I was after must have told the rest of the outfit from the way they ambled over the rocks,
26:34well, they must almost have been amused at the trouble they were giving me.
26:40Then the ram saw me and started away.
26:42I pulled my bow, and I caught him just as he turned to rock.
26:46He was hit all right, but he didn't know it.
26:50A bullet knocks a target down, but an arrow gives no impact, no pain.
26:55It's too sharp and too quick, and kills almost instantly.
27:00One was all we needed for the museum, and this one was a mighty fine specimen.
27:09I didn't watch the Purple Velvet Mountains was real rest into a man,
27:14but if he sat long enough he'd get lazy, and we had work to do.
27:20Hadn't yet seen an elk or a wapiti, that's their true name,
27:24but one day I found a pair of antlers and my hopes took a rise.
27:30Sure enough, just below this knoll was a fine bull elk.
27:34Nature keeps him always in style.
27:37His brown summer coat is thin, his winter coat is lighter in shade, but thicker,
27:42and by spring it's completely worn off.
27:46The bull is polygamous.
27:48He often has from 100 to 200 cows in his band, and he's always on the lookout for more.
27:55When they move from place to place, they go in single file because of their antlers.
28:00If elks ever get their heads together, it's pretty hard to get them apart.
28:05If the feedin' is plentiful and he can whip the leader of another band,
28:08it isn't long before he's acquired his family.
28:12He sends out his three-noted chalice, a shrill whistle.
28:17It's known as bugling and can be heard for three miles on a still morning.
28:21The advantage of troopin' single file can be seen as the elk pass through the trees.
28:32This fella's got a taste of somethin' he can't get enough of.
28:35He eats a while and then he paws the snow like an old hen scratchin' for a living.
28:41When a family travels, the older and more experienced cows take the lead.
28:47They can sense danger ahead and perhaps guide the herd away from him.
28:51But the bull always remains behind to guard the herd from attack from the rear.
28:55If this occurs, he's forced at times to challenge an unexpected foe
28:59and allow the herd to bolt away in safety.
29:02But it isn't very often he's surprised.
29:05His keen sense of sight and smell usually warn him in plenty of time.
29:09Nevertheless, he's cautious and takes no chances.
29:17Spring lapsed into summer and with it went the last trace of snow.
29:22The big herds of elk came down to the open flats to feed on the green vegetation
29:25that was here in plenty now and easy to get.
29:29Across the rolling plateaus ran the elk mothers with their young, calves born in May and June.
29:35Here the mothers band together while their offspring frisk and play.
29:39One cow in particular seemed to be enjoying her summer vacation.
29:43She chewed her cud like she was trying to tell us about it.
29:47Only the bulls carry antlers on their heads, which must not be confused with horns.
29:52The difference being that horns are fed by the animal's blood all the year round
29:56and antlers only during the velvet stage.
29:59Each year the elk's new antlers are covered with its heavy coat of velvet.
30:03And up to the sixth year, the number of points increases.
30:07The second year brings antlers with two points, the third year five points, and the fourth year six.
30:14From then on the number remains unchanged.
30:17And when we realize that this headset weighs from 50 to 60 pounds, well, an elk's got a lot on his mind.
30:25When the velvet begins to dry and peel, the bull gets impatient and strips it off against the nearest tree.
30:32He craves something not quite so gaudy in the way of headgear,
30:35and he isn't satisfied till he's ripped off all the trimmings.
30:40By the time the job is finished, the selected tree looks like it could stand a new coat of bark.
30:47If more than a couple of elks use the same stripping post, well, there isn't much left of it.
30:53In the same manner, they also shed their antlers.
30:57Sometimes a dozen of these ancient hat racks may be picked up where brother elks have been in heady conflict.
31:04The antlers seldom crack or split, but break cleanly from their sockets,
31:08and look as though they might have been removed by an expert hand.
31:12Their surface is so smooth and even.
31:15But that's nature's way, and they serve their purpose.
31:21Before the mating season, the bull elk works overtime, gathering his harem together.
31:25Then he runs himself ragged, trying to keep it that way.
31:29The cows are apt to get lost in admiration for the first enticing interloper that comes along.
31:35That's what happened here.
31:37The malicious snooper bugles in shrill sockets,
31:41rattles the boss of the herd who resents it and returns the insulting challenge.
31:46They lose no time in colliding head-on.
31:53The crashing clatter of their antlers echoes through the timber,
31:56while the fickle females high-tail it out across the meadow.
32:00The angry bulls knock down trees and tear up the heavy-rooted undergrowth in their hectic battle.
32:06When two great antlered heads come together, something's got to give.
32:12And something did.
32:14It was one of the antlers of the meddlesome stranger.
32:17He came from the fray sore and fuming in defeat.
32:21He fought for a harem and lost.
32:24But he couldn't help feeling that the result was kind of one-sided.
32:29So he tried to even it up.
32:32It was no use.
32:33He was knocked off balance for the rest of the season.
32:37Was he mortified?
32:40The fall of the year found us cautiously making our way down the rugged slopes of the Wampatee Range.
32:46At an elevation of 8,000 feet, we made our camp on the shores of Bridger Lake,
32:51a body of cold blue mountain water, fairly alive with various specimens of beautiful trout.
32:59This is how we shoot them.
33:01One end of a wax fly-casting line is tied to the right hand, the other to the end of an arrow.
33:07The rest is looped lariat-like around the little finger,
33:10and when the arrow leaves the bow, the line reels off without hindrance.
33:14It's something like a miniature harpoon.
33:17Bridger Lake is close to the headwaters of the Snake River,
33:21and the fish it contains, the native cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, are really worth trying for.
33:28They're easier shot with a bow and arrow in shallow water, as the deep water deflects the course of the arrow.
33:35But even shooting straight down to a depth of five or six feet,
33:39many rascals can still be had.
33:44Well, it seems like there's a string to everything I do, but things are coming my way.
33:51Mr. Trout put up quite an argument, but I had an idea he was stuck for the evening.
33:58The outfit could do right well with a change of grub,
34:01but of course Mr. Trout's company would have to be added to.
34:07In the luncheon round, we snared another likely guest.
34:10He didn't take the kinder to the invitation either.
34:15But it wasn't long before we had enough to kind of make us look forward to mealtime.
34:20Trout certainly ought to have a special appeal for the too-often cubs.
34:25I knew they'd try anything once.
34:28They were always springing something new.
34:34He was going places.
34:38Just when he seemed to get the hang of a thing, he'd give it up as a wild idea.
34:43His pal was more persistent, but he wasn't getting anywhere either.
34:48He had an idea all right, but he couldn't get it straightened out.
34:54Well, it was a cinch they'd be good and hungry after working all day as lumberjacks.
35:00I knew I was.
35:02I thought if they were really any good,
35:04they might have pulled up a couple of them towering pines and brought them in to kindle a fire for dinner.
35:10They soon stopped the playing and came sniffing around.
35:13The aroma of frying trout blending with the odor of the furs was enough to make a man think he hadn't eaten all his life.
35:21I don't believe I ever had enjoyed anything better,
35:24unless it was watching my two young friends fighting for the best place at table.
35:29They even forgot their manners, trying to convince themselves there wasn't going to be enough.
35:34And they sure liked fish.
35:38In late winter, after the ridges had been wearing their snowy bonnets for some time,
35:42we went out to visit an animal for whom all hunters have the utmost respect, the moose.
35:48The moose is certainly the monarch of the north woods.
35:52Many of the bulls had already shed their antlers.
35:56You see, up to the first of September, the antlers were in velvet and remained so until October or November.
36:02The moose shed them about a month later than the elk family.
36:06Others of the roving herds had reached the shorthorn stage.
36:10That meant they'd have a massive spread of antlers by the next summer.
36:15With the passing of the season, nearly every animal of the range undergoes a change of garb along with Mother Nature.
36:22Winter reigns supreme in this mountain scene,
36:25but the same snowy peaks, the same animals are transformed with the changing of the season.
36:32As the summer sun melts the wintry coverings, we find the headdress of the moose in its heavy velvet and grown to considerable size.
36:42He's a showy animal and a vicious adversary.
36:45He leaves the trail for only one other, the grizzly bear, and I can't say it how I blame him.
36:53Unlike the elk, the moose cares little for grass.
36:57and particularly lily pads that grow along the lake and river bottoms.
37:02When grazing underwater, moose are often more than half submerged,
37:06as they seek and gather from the soft mud the fresh water plants on which they thrive.
37:13The ears of the moose are long and funnel-shaped, and as they dip their heads, the ears are thrown forward in a kind of fold.
37:21This forms an air pocket and keeps the water out.
37:25The moose is resourceful, proud, and planted.
37:29He travels the range alone, and he doesn't encourage strangers.
37:36In her bushy cradle, a baby moose sensed my presence and said so with a soft brown nose.
37:43Her mother was visiting in the neighborhood, and this is my only chance to farm with her.
37:47She looked so shy and innocent, I thought she wouldn't mind.
37:51Was I surprised.
37:54She gave me a rousing welcome, greeted me with all four feet.
37:59The neighbor seemed suspicious of such carrying on and notified the mother.
38:03Her child was cutting up something terrible.
38:05It wasn't long until the mother moose came around to investigate.
38:09I wasn't going nowhere, but her daughter was.
38:12I was just trailing along.
38:14The mother thought it was a pickup and seemed real worried.
38:17Then the calf broke loose and made straight for the angry rapid.
38:20She was frightened.
38:22This was getting serious.
38:23The water here rushed along at considerable speed.
38:26It was treacherous, filled with rocks.
38:29The calf was being swept along through the swirling rapid.
38:32I took a shortcut to head her off.
38:34Her poor mother was frantic now, and I was to blame.
38:37At a turn in the stream, the calf was thrown against a fallen tree and lodged there in the driftwood.
38:42On came the mother, fearful with anxiety for her baby calf, bogged in the rushing water.
38:49I reached the bank first, worked my way out through the struggling mist, and tried to pick her up.
38:56Her little heart was beating fit to kill, but strange enough, she wasn't hurt.
39:04She was heavy for her age, and her hide was wet and slippery.
39:08Well, I felt relieved when I got the little thing ashore.
39:11Shaw, why are men so foolish?
39:14Always getting off on the wrong foot.
39:17My curiosity might have killed her.
39:20I tried to let her know I was sorry, but her mother was coming now and might be giving me a piece of her mind.
39:27I could see my apology was accepted, but she had to go.
39:31Mother was waiting.
39:32Besides, some two-legged animals are so silly.
39:37And you know, I couldn't help agreeing with her.
39:41Messing around this way with other animals kind of stunts a man's opinion of himself.
39:46The jagged mountain peaks, the billowy sky, and the rolling meadows, they make him feel his unimportance too.
39:54But constant change is nature's law.
39:57The American buffalo that once roamed our western plains in thousands is fast disappearing from his native range.
40:04I've heard my granddad tell of how trains were stalled for hours, waiting, while a herd of them crossed the track.
40:11These hardy individuals belong to the last wild herd of buffalo in existence.
40:17The herd is unmolested except on rare occasions when real necessity warrants the granting of permission for their capture.
40:24The herd quickly sensed our approach and started away across the plain.
40:29To bring down a buffalo with a bow and arrow was an old trick with the Indians, and using their methods gave me quite a thrill.
40:35But to pick a worthy specimen was going to take careful maneuvering.
40:39A mustang pony born in the range twitched nervously, impatient to be a mover.
40:46Then we started straight for the herd to try our luck.
40:49You see, a buffalo has a head of his own and resents interference from any other creature, including man.
40:55He doesn't look for trouble, but he won't put himself out to avoid it.
41:00We circled round and slowed down as we neared a bunch.
41:03Then the chase began in earnest.
41:05The one I was after tried to get back to the herd, but my pony stayed right with him.
41:09He turned and doubled back, but the pony wasn't bred on the range for nothing.
41:13Our safety depended on her keen mind and agile feet, though she nearly lost me just as the buffalo straightened out and bolted dead ahead.
41:23I raised my bow and aimed.
41:25My arrow sped, the great beast buckled in his tracks and fell.
41:29He raised himself and then lay still.
41:33My first and biggest prize.
41:35It was my job and I was proud, but I sure admired him and all his kind.
41:45In the shadow of granite peaks and sheltering pine trees, the outfit lazed about for days in welcome leisure.
41:51The only real care we had was the two little cubs.
41:54They were up and coming now.
41:58But they couldn't seem to get together harmoniously.
42:01They always wanted the same thing at the same time.
42:05And they wouldn't divvy either.
42:07They just pout and sulk like a couple of little bears.
42:12Then there was the stock to be herded in from the feeding range and the prepare to the pack train.
42:17This had to be done well and took considerable time.
42:21There was a long trek ahead of us that none of us were keen about and winter would soon be on us.
42:26Meanwhile, we amused ourselves with interesting small animals in the neighboring woods.
42:31There's no fun playing with this fellow.
42:33The porcupine has a peculiar sense of humor and as a rule, it's right to the point.
42:39Contrary to general belief, he doesn't throw his quills, but he doesn't have to.
42:45About time we were convinced that the cubs had made a peace treaty.
42:49We discovered it was only a scrap of paper.
42:52You know, they seemed almost human when it comes to upsetting each other's plans.
42:57But they were only fooling.
43:01I dropped my teepee like a handkerchief when it was time to go and we were soon moving over the trail.
43:09In this section, every ascent of the pack train brings a change of climate.
43:14As the outfit headed again toward the snow country, familiar footprints aroused my suspicion.
43:22I followed them persistently and slipped up on an old acquaintance, old Frito.
43:30He was sniffing around looking for one good meal before going on his hibernating fast.
43:36It seemed if he could just bring down a baby deer or a mountain lamb,
43:39he'd be willing to turn to the roots and herbs that made up his diet before going into hibernation for the winter.
43:46Well, I had other plans.
43:48I hadn't forgotten he'd fought and killed the mother of the outfit's playful mascot.
43:53The outlaw killer saw me.
43:55Maybe he remembered.
43:57I missed him as he bounded over the snow, making for the heavier timber.
44:01He was moving fast, but I meant to head him off.
44:04In the hollow, he dodged among the trees.
44:06He was roused now, angered because he couldn't shake me off his trail.
44:09He bounded across the clearance.
44:11Then he stopped and reared on his haunches to look me over.
44:16Just as he dropped to his four feet, my second arrow got him.
44:21Four times I shot him, I took no chances with a wounded bear.
44:25They're dangerous to approach, old Fritos especially.
44:31Well, sir, the outlaw had run amok for the last time.
44:36To be sure of his identity, we looked for the telltale foot.
44:42We were satisfied.
44:46He was a handsome, well-set animal, but a menace to his companions of the raid.
44:53Leaving behind the last wilderness, the little fellows atop the pack animals were just beginning the long trek back to man's idea of home and living.
45:05Ahead of them was the trip in the plane.
45:07They'd thrilled of that, I knew.
45:10But their life with man.
45:12We never wondered, little bears, what now?
45:17They were leaving this for something man had made.
45:20Moving toward a new life, a new home.
45:24It would never compare with the one they were leaving, their home on the range.
45:32© BF-WATCH TV 2021