A series where we take a #lookback at the stories and history of our community, brought to you by Mick Pryor, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones.
Mart Hornecker was one of the earliest pioneers in the Lander Valley. This is his account of his first buffalo hunt. It is transcribed as he wrote it.
As per the urgent request of some of my pioneer friends that i make a talk or write up giving an account of my first Buffalo hunt in wyo (though i rather think it was Dakota territory at the time,
As i remember it was about the first of December 1869, winter had set in the mines had shut down, and the freighters had pulled off the roads for the winter, being idle and the country north and east being open, a party of us went on a buffalo hunt the party were Bob Menifee, Tom Cosgrove, Jake Fry, Two Jones Brothers, one had red whiskers so we called him sandy Jones, can’t remember what we called the other, and a little frenchman that was cooking for the officers at Fort Auger, (now Lander). There being no cattle at that the soldiers were dependent on wild game for fresh meat. Tom Cosgrove and a man by the name of Camp had been hunting for them supplying them with elk and deer from the local hills. (Mr Camp having been killed by Indians in Sep or Oct.) The Officers ask us to take their cook along as they said he was a good judge of meat and thought he might be able to kill and bring in a nice Buffalo for them, we started from a cabin that stood in the current tourist campground (City Park?), we had three wagons (ox teams) three or four horses, and one or two mules, there being no roads farther than than little wind wind river, and No buffalo than the big wind river, we traveled over sagebrush crossing the big wind river at or near where Kasuses ranch was later located, and Muddy where the Burnaugh ranch is now, then up the muddy to the forks and then up the north fork which is better known as sheep creek now, Making camp at foot of the Owl Creek mountains, As winter had set in the buffalo were leaving the mountains large herds moving to the lower altitudes traveling over the open country and hard to approach on foot, but the first day we spied a small bunch in the breaks on the side of the mountain and Frenchy the cook being so eager to grab one Cosgrove and i went with him on foot, keeping out of sight as well as we could in the hope the we might get near but they either got wind of us or seen us and started to run going up a steep hill, we fired a number of shots at them at long range, thinking we had hit one we followed up and around one just over the hill dead and another one that had got wounded in the back had got his hind legs down in a ditch and could not get out though he was on his front feet, frenchy being so excited and eager tom told him there was his chance to go take him by the horn and cut his throat, which he was foolish to attempt, he had a leather cartridge belt, and he went to reach for the horn the buffalo made a dig for him catching him by the belt throwing him up in the air fortuately the belt broke and he fell clear of the buffalo, but aside from being stunned and a few sore spots he was unharmed, The next day there being no buffalo in sight Bob Menifee and myself started up along the mountains he had a mare and a mule,( work animals) he rode the mule and i the mare, as there was only one saddle i had to ride bare back, It was late in the evening before we found any buffalo, i think it must have been up about a place called shotgun creek now, we managed to to kill two late in the evening we were after dark getting them skinned and dressed, they layed about 300 yards apart, the wolves were so thick we had to gard them to save the meat, it was a bitter cold night fortunately there was some cedar wood near so we could keep fires we had no bed nor lunch, I stayed with one and bob the other the one that I garde was a large one, the carcas laid on one side of the hide i being worn out and sleepy towards mornog i crawled under the side of the hide that was unocupied to keep warm the hair side next to me, and against my wish or any effort on my part i went to sleep and i must have slept sound as when I came too the wolves were pulling on and tramping on the hide that was over me, but they scattered when i raised up, they had eaten up most of the off fall but had damaged the main carcas very little, i was a poor guard, I think the party got about seven buffalo when we returned to the Lander valley, when we packed some of the meat up to the mines on pack horses with another party, I may say that i enjoyed the hunt so much so that i took a longer hunt the next month with another party, when we had some real experience, getting snowed in and having to live on game exclusively for weeks,
Respectfully submitted
Signed Mart Hornecker
Next up for the Fremont County Museum
June 15, 10am at the Pioneer Museum, “Pacific Springs/Oregon Trail Adventure Trek” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
June 19, 7pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Eagle Spirit Dancers”
June 19, 11am at the Riverton Museum, “Buffalo Bill Center of the West: Draper Museum Raptor Program Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
June 20, 7pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Janet Earle: The Geology of Wyoming” Wyoming Community Bank Discovery Speakers Series
June 22, 9am at the Dubois Museum, “Kids Corner: Badlands Trek” Bailey Tire/Pit Stop Children’s Exploration Series
June 26, 7pm at the Pioneer Museum, “Eagle Spirit Dancers”
June 29, 10am at the Pioneer Museum, “Geology of Johnny Behind the Rocks” Wind River Visitors Council Adventure Trek Series
Call the Dubois Museum 1-307-455-2284, the Pioneer Museum 1-307-332-3339 or the Riverton Museum 1-307-856-2665 for detail regarding their programs.
The Dubois Museum, the Pioneer Museum in Lander and the Riverton Museum need your financial support. In the current economic environment, the museums are more reliant than ever on donations from the private sector to continue to provide the quality programs, collections management, exhibits and services that have become their hallmark over the last four years. Please make your tax deductible contribution to be used specifically for the benefit of the museum of your choosing by sending a check to Fremont County Museums 450 N 2nd Rm 320 or taking it directly to the museum you choose to support.