Early Game in the White Mountains

by Sylvester Husley

Apache County Independent-News
St. Johns, AZ, 7/11/41

We came into Round Valley by wagon train from Arkansas in September, 1878. At this time the country was settled by about 10 American and 10 Spanish families in the area now known as Round Valley. We moved up to what is now Alpine, then called Bush Valley after the Bush family who lived in the lower end of the valley.

My father landed here with $26 and 25 head of cattle and a team. Since game was plentiful he joined up with the Gibbs family who were professional hunters who derived their livelihood from the wild game almost entirely.

Nutrioso Creek was a series of beaver dams, and native trout were in abundance in all streams. Antelope were in herds on all open mesas situated on each side of Nutrioso Creek. Mountain sheep had been plentiful but were on the decrease at this time. The Merriam elk herd, which is now exterminated, was around a thousand head at this time and were gradually killed off until about the year 1895, at which time they all disappeared and it was thought they left in a herd toward the Black Range of New Mexico. However, they never came back into this country. These elk were big and the large bulls dressed around 600 pounds.

The lobo wolves were plentiful in this country, however they left about the time the elk did and returned later about 1905 and much damage was done to domestic livestock. At this time the country and territory put a bounty of $25 per wolf and trappers made a fair living getting these and silver tip bear for a few years.

Deer and turkey at this time were plentiful, in fact my father killed five turkey and one deer from around the opening near our house one morning before breakfast, using a small squirrel rifle.