A lil' huntin' trip on the Plains........

[JimBob]

In a recently received book titled "Encyclopedia Of Buffalo Hunters and Skinners" besides the biographical sketches of the people is some information on what they bought in the stores through surviving records.Besides the flour and beans and assorted sundries for camp were listed the supplies for the hunters rifles.Here's some of what the hunting team of brothers Jim and Bob Cator bought;
Oct.1 1874
25 lbs.Powder
100lbs Lead
1500 Primers
1 Can Lubricant
40 Sheets Patching Paper
2 Qrt.Kegs Powder

Hunting must have been pretty good.On Oct.19,1874 on a return trip to F.C.Zimmerman's establishment they bought:
25 Pounds Ducking Powder
200 Cartridges-50/100 Long
100 Cartridges-50/100 Short
40 Sheets Patch Paper
2 Cans Lubricant

And on Nov.23,1874 after selling 6,209 pounds of buffalo meat @.25c per pound:
2000 Primers
100 Pounds of Lead
25 Pounds Powder
40 Sheets Patching Paper

As usual on many of these enterprises in the end only the store owner made money.It relates how after settling their account with Zimmermans covering the months May through July of 1875 they had $12.94 in their pockets after paying expenses.The price of bull buffalo hides had dropped from $2.15 in Dec.1874 to $1.50 in July 1875.

[liten]

 i wont be going buffalo hunting to pay the bills then  

[Fence Fighter]

You know, when you stop n' think about it, things haven't changed much. Hunting trips never have been much of a monetary bargain, I guess. Must be something else, keeps calling me back to the fields.

                                                Fence