THRILLS WITH GOATS

Dunstan Times, Issue 3517, 13 April 1931, Page 3

THRILLS WITH GOATS

BILLY OF THE "ROCKIES" HUNTER'S LIVELY ENCOUNTER The fiercest denizen of the Chicago underworld cun show no points to the mountain goat of British Columbia for getting rid o: iiis male rivals, whether tliev “double cross’ him or not. And, just as it is well nigh impossible to corral ’ the boss gangster in America says the Vancouver correspondent of the Auckland ‘ Herald,’ the big game hunter will have all the thrills he wants before ho gets his goat Owing to the fact that he preices the church steeple-slopes above the timber line, the mountain goat has lost a good deal o( publicity to his only two natural enemies, the moun-tain-lion and the grizzly bear which come closer to civilisation. Only those who. have seen “ BillyOreamnus Columbiana ” —to give him bis lull title—in action know the deadly effect of his short, dagger-like horns. The mountain-lion will only kill a goat when ho can seize him from behind. Jn a frontal attack, the lion’s chances of getting killed in an encounter with i ful 1 grown goat are nearly u certainty. The “grizzly” must also get him unawares, or his life is forfeit.

Mr J. TV. French, who has spent a lifetime scraping up a casual acquaintance with “Sir William,” thus recalls a knife-to-horn encounterOn a hunting trip in the Rockies, I wounded a large male mountain goat in a spot where further shooting was not advisable. Yet. I was anxious to make sure ot the goat, and add it to the day’s hag. Approaching ‘ Billy ’ with a hunting knife in one hand and a rucksack in the other, I planned to put the rucksack to about the same use as a bull-fighter does his red cape. 1 figured the goat would get his head in the rucksack and give me a chance to administer the coup-de-grace without having to awaken the mountain cchoe-' with another shot. “Stabbing a Billy to death is not to lie recommended to even the most agile and daring hunter, as I soon found out. A goat, in hooking with his horns, is as quick as any cat using its paw. This was evidenced by Billy’ spearing my rucksack out of mv hand just the moment it came within range Am. n .right and left of a speedy boxer came any quicker than his second hook with those deadly rapiers. “A« 1 was endeavouring to plunge the knife through the goat’s heart and end his suffering, lie ripped through pants and shirt with one desperate stroke, grazing my skin and inflicting a superficial flesh wound. An inch or two closer and he would have killed me. as there was power enough belli nd the thrust to do it. As a scare, it has been deep and lasting. Ever since 1 have bad a proper respect for wounded goats—especially of the male persuasion.” “ HOMICIDAL ” PROCLIVITIES. Next to the Sockeyo salmon, which are members ol the greatest suicide club on earth, the adult billy-goat lias strong “ homicidal ” tendencies. He does hot fight like the big-horn ram or iVio vnvtbived vumvnawt. He will quietly walk up to another goat ho dislikes and hook him. Not only the males, but the females are victims of this mania. Zoo collectors are, tliere-Ib’-e, careful to segregate them in transporting them by rail in crates. The number of females to males is now about ten to one. The mountain goat will be the last of Canada’s big game to go, due to his fondness of the mountain summit. It requires a very young and entlmsias tiq nimrod and good stalking experience to got him. His trail is very difficult to follow; that of the bighorn ram is just so much exercise. The goat can drive all animals off the range and pre-empt it for Ins own uses. This is perhaps why “ Billy ” is not yet regarded as a big game trophy Yet ho withstands the terrific cold of the upper reaches of the Rockies and Selkirks. His miniature buf-falo-like profile, combined with bis solemn look of extreme wisdom, gives him a unique place among the earth’s fauna.