The pack horses had been taken to a "bench" several hundred feet above the river bottom, where there was good pasture. The snow was wet and soft and their feet "balled up" and when they started down the very steep slope to get water they slid, rolled and tumbled and three were killed in the fall among the rocks. That left the party short of pack horses and all the meat except a portion of one elk and the hind quarters of one small deer were given to the Indians who had come from Lapwai to have their fall hunt. The party thought out the bear skins, the elk and deer hides and heads, but had to leave the meat. They used their saddle horses for pack animals and walked and led them. Tramping 60 miles through mud or snow, wet to the knees and suffering many minutes, the party thought thoroughly worn out when the rifle was discharged. Indians say the Indians, who have been in the habit of hunting in that district for generations, told the party that it had been many, many years since, had fallen to such a depth at this time of year, heavy snow falls are so heavy that the Indians predict a long and hard winter. Sheriff Woody says there will be no snow in the mountains this winter, but the bottoms and three or four feet on the highest mountains will be plenty of elk and other game but the big elk kept well up in the mountains and the work of climbing.  To those heights was too great for the hunt. "Had we camped on the higher there were ers." 