Hunting and Trapping Stories; a Book for Boys/Hunting the Aoudad

by J. P. Hyde Price

AOUDADS

A hunter who was travelling in Algeria had heard much talk of the Aoudad. His Arab guides told him that this splendid game creature could only be shot with great difficulty. Now the aoudad is the largest and most powerful of the goat family, and loves the highest and rockiest places it can find, hence it takes great endurance to follow it. The hunter made up his mind however, that he would like to try the hunting at any rate, so an expedition was arranged, and after three or four days he found himself camped on one of the highest slopes of the Atlas Mountains.

Taking a single experienced Arab with him, the hunter set out before sun-rise the next morning. They climbed together up a thousand or more feet above the camp till they came to a "hog's back" ridge, from which they could see around on every side of them.

Slowly the sun rose and drank up the morning mists until the valleys below were clear. After looking intently for some time the Arab spied the game. The white man looked and looked, and yet, experienced hunter as he was, and used to our Western mountains, he could see nothing; but in a few minutes he noticed some tiny brown patches moving among the rocks.

The aoudads were three in number. Hastily seizing their guns, the two men went down the ridge on the off side, and scurried along to a place of better vantage. They hid behind a large rock and lay out panting for breath. From this place the aoudads were not more than half a mile away. The party was composed of a fine horned male, its mate and a little one. Slowly the trio came nearer, stopping from time to time to nibble the coarse grass which grew between the boulders. At last they got within gun-shot, but the hunters held their fire until they should come quite close. The two men were lying on their stomachs with rifles levelled and waiting in agonized suspense. "Now!" said the hunter, and bang went the guns with one report. The female doubled up at once, but the big male was shot through the lungs. It gave a great cough and made a superb spring in the air; then stumbled forward a few paces and fell dead. The little one was uninjured. The Arab was about to shoot it too, but the hunter stopped him. The hunter hoisted the kid onto his shoulder and carried it back to the camp. This baby aoudad was afterwards brought to the United States where it grew lustily and became so tame and playful that it would follow its master around like a dog. Everyone who saw the little creature fell in love with it, for it was very gentle in spite of its great strength. Only one thing it hated and that was the dogs. However it butted them so hard that, after a while they were only too glad to keep leave it alone, and keep out of its way.