Some Early Experiences.
In 1871 or 1872 I had several bear traps made by our local blacksmith
and I started in as a bear trapper and went it alone. After being out
with Mr. Harris I had taken some valuable lessons on trapping bear
and other animals. I built a good log camp on the West Branch of Pine
Creek and went to trapping and hunting without either partner or
companion, but after being in camp the first season I bought a
shepherd dog that was a year old and broke him for still hunting and
trapping. I found that a good intelligent dog was not only a
companion but also a valuable one. I have noticed that some trappers
do not want a dog on the trap line with them, claiming that the dog
is a nuisance. This is because the dog was not properly trained.
To get back to the bear trapping: In the locality where I was
trapping, bear were not very plentiful except in season, when there
was a crop of beechnuts, although there was but little other shack,
such as chestnuts and acorns. However, some seasons there would be an
abundance of black cherries which the bears are very fond of. I set
three traps at the head of a broad basin where there were three or
four springs and the next day I set the balance of my bear traps;
then I built a few deadfalls for coons and set a few steel traps for
fox.
As I had seen several fresh bear tracks crossing the stream, where I
had been setting the coon traps, on the morning of the third day
after I had set the first three bear traps, I thought that I would go
and look after them. They were about a mile and a half from camp and
when I came in sight of the first trap I saw that I had a bear. You
may be sure that I again felt like a mighty hunter. I was more
pleased over this one bear than I was over the eight bear we had
caught when I was with Mr. Harris, because now I was the trapper and
not Mr. Harris. The bear was a good sized female. She had become fast
only a short distance from where the trap was set. I shot and skinned
the bear then cut the carcass into quarters, bent down a sapling and
hung a quarter of the bear on this. With a forked pole I raised the
sapling up until the meat was out of the way of small animals that
might happen along.
After hanging up three of the quarters in this manner, leaving one to
take to camp, I took the lungs and liver and put them in the bait
pen. The bait had all been eaten and I was quite sure it had been
done after the bear was caught, as a bear immediately loses its
appetite after placing its foot in a good, strong trap. I really
expected to find another bear in one of the other traps as they were
not far away, but the other traps were undisturbed.
The next morning I thought I would take some bait from camp and bait
the trap where I had put the offals from the bear, fearing that
should a bear come along it might not eat the bait that was in the
pen. You may imagine my surprise when I came in sight of the trap to
see another bear fast in the trap.
After killing the bear I removed the entrails and started to carry
the bear to camp. It was a cub and I could carry it without cutting
it in parts. I was just about to start for camp when I decided I
would go to the other traps. If I was surprised at seeing the first
cub, I was doubly so, for there was another cub tangled up in the
trap. Do you think I felt gay? Well, that was no name for it.
I shot this cub and without waiting to dress it I took a lively gait
to the other trap to see if there were any more bears but there was
nothing there. The last two bears, I think were the cubs of the old
bear that I had caught the night before. I spent the entire day
getting the bears to camp. I did not get any more bear for some time
although I had an opportunity to learn a whole lot about them.
Some days after I got the old bear and the cubs, I found the bait pen
in one of the traps torn down by a bear, which had taken the bait and
had not sprung the trap. Right here I will say that I learned a great
deal more about the habits of Bruin. After finding the bait gone I
thought that all I would have to do was to make the bait pen a little
stronger so Bruin could not tear it down so readily to get at the
bait. I did not think that a bear knew anything about "trapology,"
for the experience I had so far in bear trapping was that bears knew
but little more about a trap than a hog, though later I found I was
very much mistaken.
[Illustration: SETTING A LARGE STEEL TRAP FOR BEAR.]
The trap was set in a small brook where there were plenty of rocks of
all sizes. I rolled several of these rocks, as large as I could
handle, up about the bait pen to strengthen it to such an extent that
Bruin would not think of tearing it down. I figured the bear by going
over the trap would take the bait from the entrance of the pen as a
good bear should; though in this I was greatly mistaken. The second
day I went to the trap with full expectation of finding Bruin fast in
the trap, but again I was disappointed--Bruin had again gone to the
back of the pen and torn the top of the pen off, rolling away some of
the stones, taking the bait.
Now I saw that if I was to get my friend Bruin, I would have to work
a little strategy. I removed the trap from the clog, leaving the clog
undisturbed and making all appear just the same as it did when the
trap was set. I was very careful to have the covering of the trap
left just the same as when the trap was set. Then I got another clog
and set the trap at the back of the pen at the place where the bear
had torn off the top of the bait pen. Here I concealed the trap and
clog as completely as I knew how and being very careful to make all
appear just as before the trap was set, flattering myself that Bruin
would surely put his foot in it this time.
I went early the next morning, being sure that I would find Bruin,
but no bear had been there. I went again early the next morning with
high expectations of finding Bruin waiting for me, but again nothing
had been disturbed. Thinking that Bruin had left that locality
altogether, or that he would not be back again for several days, I
thought I would go and have a team come and take out the furs and
game I had, and give Bruin time to get back after more bait. As I had
caught no bear at the other traps, I felt quite certain that Bruin
was still somewhere in the neighborhood and would be around again
after more bait.
When I reached home an old gentleman by the name of Nelson who was a
noted hunter and trapper and who lived near us, came to see me. Let
me explain who this Mr. Nelson was, as I shall have more to say of
him.
Mr. Nelson was one of the early settlers in this county, moving here
at an early date from Washington County, New York State. He was known
here as Uncle Horatio and by many as Squire Nelson, as he was a
Justice of the Peace here for thirty years.
Mr. Nelson would always come to our house as soon as he found that I
was at home, to see what luck I had in the way of trapping and
hunting. On this occasion, Mr. Nelson, or Uncle Horatio, as we always
called him, was soon over to learn what luck I had and when I told
him what sort of a time I had trying to outwit the bear, he said I
had better build a deadfall and let the bear kill himself. Uncle said
that Bruin would give me much trouble and was likely to leave and I
would not get him at all. This idea I did not like, for I had, before
this, been put to my wit's end to outwit a cunning old fox, but
finally succeeded in catching him and I thought I could outwit such a
dumb thing as a bear. I thought if I could not get the bear in a
steel trap, there would be but little use trying to get him in such a
clumsy thing as a deadfall--however, Uncle had trapped bear long
before I was born and knew what he was talking about.
As soon as I got back to camp I went to the bear trap to relieve
Bruin of his troubles, but it was not the bear that was in trouble,
but myself, for Bruin had been there and torn out a stone at one side
of the pen and had taken the bait. Well, the case was getting
desperate, so I got another trap and set it at the side where the
bear took the bait the last time, taking all the pains possible in
setting the trap, but the result was no better than before.
I had made it a habit to hang on a small bait near the bear traps,
believing that the bear would be attracted by the scent of the bait
hanging up from the ground more than it would from the bait in the
pen. At this trap I had hung up the bait in a bush that extended out
from the bank over the brook and each time the bear had taken this
bait. I now took one of the traps at the pen, leaving the clog and
all appearances as though the trap still remained there. Getting
another clog I concealed it under the edge of the bank and set the
trap under the bait that I had hung in the bush. I was certain this
time that I would outwit Bruin, but instead, the bear went onto the
bank, pulled the bush around, took the bait and went about his
business. Now I was getting pretty excited and began to think of the
advice of Uncle Horatio but I was not willing to give up yet.
Up the brook, fifty or sixty feet from the bait pen, there had fallen
a small, bushy hemlock tree which stood on the right hand bank of the
spring, and the top of the tree reached nearly over to the opposite
bank. I had noticed that when the bear had come to the trap he had
come down the brook and went back the same way. The water was shallow
in the brook, barely covering the stones and fallen leaves all over
the bed of the brook. Going to the top of the hemlock tree, I saw
that the bear had passed between the top of this tree and the bank of
the brook. Here was a fine place to conceal the trap and I said, "Old
fellow, here I will surely outwit you." I took the trap from the bait
pen and set it in the open space between the top of the tree and
concealing all the very best I could, I again put more bait in the
bait pen and hung up more on the bush.
I waited two days and then went to the traps again, wondering all the
way what the result would be. Well, it was the same as before. The
bear had gone to the bush on the bank, taken the bait, and had also
taken the bait from the bait pen as usual. Now I thought it quite
time to try Uncle's plan, though I had but little faith in it.
It was several miles to Mr. Haskins', the nearest house, but I lost
no time in getting there for I was now feeling desperate. Mr. Haskins
readily consented to help me build a deadfall. We cut a beech tree
that was about fourteen inches through, that stood back in thick
undergrowth some rods from the bait pen. We cut a portion about four
feet long from the large end of the tree for the bed-piece and
placing it against the small tree for one of the stakes. With levers
we placed the tree on top of the bed-piece and with three other good
stakes driven at each side of the logs fastened the tops of the
stakes together with withes to strengthen them, we soon had a good,
strong deadfall made, as every boy who is a reader of the H-T-T,
knows how to build. We baited the trap and set it, getting done in
time for Mr. Haskins to get home before dark.
I again put bait back in the bait pen and on the bush as before and
patiently awaited results. The second day I looked after the traps
but there were no signs of bear being about either the deadfall or
the steel traps and I feared that I had frightened Bruin out of the
country in building the deadfall. I put in three or four days looking
after other traps, thinking but little about the bear that had, so
far, been beyond my skill.
After three or four days, I again went to the deadfall, wondering and
imagining all kinds of things. When I came to the steel traps the
bait was still undisturbed and I was now sure that that particular
bear was not for me, but when I stepped into the thicket so that I
could see the deadfall, there was Bruin, good and dead. When I looked
at the bear I found that he had three toes gone from one foot and
this I thought to be the cause of his being so over-shy of the steel
traps.
I learned a lesson that has since served me more than one good turn.
* * *
In later years it was customary for many of my friends to come to my
camp and spend a few days with me. It was of one of these occasions
that I will relate. Two young men, named Benson and Hill, had sent me
word that they were coming out to my camp and hunt a few days; also
to go with me to my bear traps but added that they did not suppose
that I would get a bear while they were in camp, even if they would
stay all winter.
It had been drizzling sort of a rain for several days and every old
bear hunter knows that dark, lowery weather is the sort bears like to
do their traveling in. I had set the time to go out on a stream known
as the Sunken Branch, to look after some fox traps and also two bear
traps that I had in that section the day I got word from Benson and
Hill that they would be over to camp the next day. I thought I would
put off going to look after the traps in that locality until the boys
came over and should I have the luck to find a bear in one of the
traps it would come very acceptable to have the help to get the bear
to camp for it was some four or five miles to the farthest trap.
The boys came as they said but the next morning after they got there
it was raining very hard and they did not want to go out and did not
want me to go until it slacked up. Well, the next morning it was
raining hard and the boys were in no better mood to go out than the
day before. It had been several days since I had been to the traps,
in that direction, and there were some chestnuts in that locality
where the bear traps were set. The storm had knocked the chestnuts
out and it was probable that bears would be in that locality. I told
the boys I did not like to let the traps go any longer without
looking after them and they could stay in camp and I would go to the
traps. When I was about ready to start, Hill said that he would go
with me, notwithstanding the rain, though Benson tried to persuade us
not to go, stating that no bear was fool enough to travel in such a
rain and that all we would get would be a good thorough soaking.
I was determined to delay no longer looking at the traps and started
off when Hill said, "Well, I'm with you." So we took the nearest cut
possible to reach the traps. Hill was continually wishing we would
find a bear in one of the traps and that he could shoot it so that he
could joke with Benson.
Our route took us along the top of a ridge for about three miles when
we dropped off to the first trap. When we were still half way up the
side of the ridge I saw that Hill had got his wish for I could see a
bear rolling and tumbling about down in the hollow and knew that it
was fast in the trap. I tried to point it out to Hill but he could
not get his eye on it, so we went farther down the hill when Jim
(that was Hill's given name) could see the bear. He said there was no
need of going closer, that he could shoot it from where we were, but
I said we must go closer as I did not like to make holes in the body
of the skin unnecessarily. We had only taken a few steps farther when
Jim said we were plenty close, that he could, shoot it from where we
were and that if we should go closer the bear might break out of the
trap and escape.
With all my urging I could not get Hill closer so I told him to be
sure that he shot the bear in the head and not in the body. I
discovered that Hill was very nervous and told him to take all the
time necessary to make a sure shot. When the gun cracked I saw a twig
fall that the gun had cut off fully three feet above the bear's head.
I urged Hill a few yards closer when he tried again with no better
results than the first shot. After making the third shot Hill said he
guessed that I had better shoot the bear as he thought something had
gone wrong with the sights on his gun. It was raining hard so I
killed the bear and took the entrails out, set the trap again and
left the bear lying on the ground. As it was a small bear we
concluded to take the bear to camp whole.
We hurried on to the next trap which was about a mile farther down
the stream. When we got to where the trap was set it was gone, but
the way things were torn up we could see that we had a bear this time
that was no small one.
The bear had worked down the stream, first climbing the hill on one
side of the stream until it became entangled in a jam of brush or old
logs, then back down the hill and up on the other side until it
became discouraged, when it would try the other side again. The bear
was continuously getting the clog fast under the roots of trees or
against old logs when it would gnaw the brush and tear them out by
the roots. It was also noticed where he would rake the bark on the
trees in trying to climb them, in hopes of escaping the drag that was
following him. The bear would gnaw and tear old logs to pieces
whenever the clog became fast against them.
This was all very interesting and exciting to Hill and he said he
would give Benson the laugh when we got to camp. Hill had made me
promise not to tell Benson how he had shot three times at the bear's
head and missed it.
The bear had worked his way down the stream nearly a mile from where
the trap was set, when we came upon him and shot him at once. Hill
declaring that it was getting too near night and raining too hard for
him to practice on shooting bear any more that day.
We skinned the bear, hung up the meat, took the trap and skin and
went back up the creek and set the trap in the same place again.
Taking the bear skin we started back to where we left the other bear.
After carrying the whole bear and bear skin until it was dark, we
hung the bear skin up in the crotch of a tree, taking the bear and
hurrying to camp at as lively a gait as we were able to make.
Hill said that while we had had a pretty rough day of it he would
make it all up in getting the joke on Benson if I would not give him
away on shooting the bears, as Hill was to tell Benson all about how
he did it.
Before we came to camp I said to Hill that if he cared to we would
play a joke on Benson. He wished to know what the plan was. I said
that we would fix the bear up in the path that led from the shack to
the spring and get Benson to go after a pail of water and run onto
the bear. So we planned to have Benson think that we got no bear and
after supper was over I was to take the pail and start to the spring
after a pail of fresh water when Hill was to interfere and insist
that Benson should go for the water as he had been in camp all day
and needed exercise.
It was about a hundred feet from the shack to the spring and down
quite a steep bank and about half way from the shack to the spring
was a beech log across the path. When we got near camp we made no
noise and when we came to the spring we washed our hands carefully to
remove any blood that might be on them. Then we took the bear to the
log that was across the path and placed the forepaws and shoulders up
over the log leaving the hind parts on the ground, then with a small
crotched stick placed under the bear's throat to hold up its head we
had it fixed up to look as natural as we were able to in the dark.
We went into the shack looking as downcast as a motherless colt. It
was unnecessary to deny getting any bear for Benson told us almost
before we were inside that we should have known that we would get no
bear in any such weather as we were having and none but simpletons
would have gone out in such rain.
We ate our supper which Benson had waiting for us. We had little to
say farther than to talk of what a fearful rain we were having. After
supper was over I took the water pail, though it was nearly full of
water, and threw the water out the door before Benson had time to
object, saying that I would get a pail of fresh water. Hill said that
we should let Benson go after the water as he had not been out of the
shanty all day and needed some fresh air. Benson consented to go
after another pail of water although he said that he had brought the
water that we had thrown out just before we came. I told Benson that
I would hold the light at the door so he could see but Benson replied
that I need not bother, all that was necessary was to leave the door
of the shack open so that he could see his way back.
About the time that Benson reached the log he gave a terrible howl
and we heard the water pail go rattling through the brush and when we
got to the door Benson was coming on all fours, scrambling as fast as
he could and yelling "Bah--bah--bear--bear!"
Hill nor I could not keep from roaring with laughter, and finally
Hill managed to say, "Oh, you didn't see any bear."
Benson made no reply but was as white as a sheet and shook as though
he had the ague. We could not conceal our feelings and when Benson
found his speech he said, "You think you are mighty cunning; if you
got a bear why didn't you say so and not act like two dumb idiots."
We had laughed so hard that Benson caught on and the game was up.
Well, after Benson was onto our joke, nothing would do but we must
get the bear in and skin out the fore parts so we could have some
bear meat cooked before we went to bed. Every time Hill awoke during
the night he would burst out laughing while Benson would hurl a few
cuss words at him.
The next day we brought in the skin and saddles of the other bear,
leaving the fore quarters for fox and marten bait.
The rain now being about over with and the ground and leaves
thoroughly soaked, it was a good time for still hunting deer, so we
were all out early the next morning. We started out together and soon
became separated and it so happened that I was the only one to get a
deer during the day. When I got to camp I found Benson was not in
yet, so I did not tell that I had killed a deer, but thought I would
wait until Benson came in and see what luck he had. If he had not
killed anything I would give him the hint and let him have the credit
of killing the deer that I got as a sort of off-set on Hill on the
bear hunt. I stayed outside gathering dry limbs for wood until I saw
Benson coming and I planned to meet him before Hill got to talk to
him. I learned that Benson had not killed anything, so I told him
where I had killed the deer and that if he cared to he could claim
the deer as his game. Benson was much pleased with the idea and as I
had told him just where I had killed the deer it was easy for Benson
to explain to Hill where the deer was shot. Hill did not believe that
Benson had killed a deer and said he would not believe he (Benson)
had killed one if he did not know that he had been alone and anyway
he must see the deer before he would believe it. I took the first
opportunity when Hill was out to tell Benson which way to go so that
he would be sure to find the deer and the next morning the boys went
out and brought in the deer while I went to look after some traps.
The boys stayed a day or two longer and then went home declaring that
they had had the best hunt of their lives.
I will now tell of some of my hunting and trapping with Mr. Nelson
and my first experience with a big cat. About 1860, when I was a mere
chunk of a boy, a man by the name of Perry Holman was camping on the
extreme headwaters of Pine Creek, hunting and trapping. Early one
morning Mr. Holman came out of the woods after groceries and other
necessaries. On his way out he saw where a small bear had crossed the
road just at the top of the hill on the old Jersey Shore turnpike and
about five miles from Mr. Nelson's place. Mr. Nelson at that time
always kept one or two good bear dogs. Mr. Holman told Mr. Nelson of
the bear's track and said that the bear had gone into a laurel patch
on the west side of the road and that the track was very fresh. He
thought if Mr. Nelson would take his dogs and go out that he could
get the bear without much trouble as he believed the bear would still
be in the laurels close to the road.
Mr. Nelson told Mr. Holman to get his groceries while he would come
to see if I would go along to look after the team while Mr. Nelson
and Mr. Holman went into the laurels after the bear. Of course, I was
ready for anything that had hunt in it. The sleighing was good and
Mr. Nelson was soon ready, taking his dogs into the sleigh so that
they would not break off on the track of a deer or some other animal.
When we came to where Mr. Holman saw the bear or cub, Mr. Nelson, or
Uncle as we always called him, said to Mr. Holman before he got out
of the sleigh:
"Perry, that is no cub's track; that is a big cat and I think we will
find him in the laurel patch."
Uncle told me to stay with the team and that they would not be gone
long; that if the track led off he would come back to the sleigh and
I could go back with the team and he would go to Mr. Holman's camp
and stay over night and come home the next day.
The dogs were anxious to take the trail, but Uncle held them in to
the laurels. They had not been gone more than ten minutes when the
dogs began to give tongue like mischief. I could see that the dogs
were coming towards the road and in about a minute saw the biggest
cat that I had ever seen at that time, shinning up a large tree that
was not further than fifty yards from the sleigh. The dogs were soon
at the tree barking their best and in a few minutes I heard the crack
of a gun and the big cat seemed to fly out into the air. I could hear
the cat go threshing down through the limbs on the trees and the dogs
doubled their howling and I could hear the men laugh. I called to the
men to see if they got the cat. Uncle told me to watch the horses and
they would soon be there, and they were soon in sight dragging a
large panther instead of either a cub or cat. Uncle drove down to
where Holman's path left the road to go down to his camp and we then
drove back home. Uncle was greatly pleased over Perry's cat hunt as
Mr. Nelson called it.
* * *
In or about the year '67 or '68, Uncle Horatio Nelson, whom I have
spoken of before, had for years been accustomed to going to Edgecomb
Place, later known as Cherry Springs, to hunt and trap. Wolves were
then more plentiful than foxes are at the present time.
I will explain that Cherry Springs was simply a farm house built of
logs. This house was located about half way through, or in the center
of a dense forest of about twenty miles square. The Jersey Shore
turnpike ran through this vast forest and the stage or any traveler
going through this region were obliged to stop at this house to feed
at noon, or to stop over night, this being the only house on the
road.
From where this house was located there was easy access to the waters
of Pine Creek, which flowed east, to the waters of the Cross Fork of
Kettle Creek, which flowed south and to the waters of the East Fork
of the Sinnamahoning which flowed west. There was no one living on
any of these streams for many miles. This was the point where Mr.
Nelson, or Uncle, as I shall call him, hunted for many years.
At the time I am writing of, it had been a noted place for many
hunters to stop from all parts of the country. There were almost too
many hunters stopping at Cherry Spring to suit Uncle as he was
getting pretty well along in years and did not like so much company.
I had been camping a greater part of the time for several seasons
about five miles north of Cherry Springs and one day Uncle said, if I
cared to, he would go on to Crossfork and build a cabin and we would
hunt and trap, more particularly trap. This was satisfactory to me
although I had a good camp where I was trapping and in a fairly good
locality for game, but the Crossfork country was a little farther in
the tall timber so I thought that the change might be a good thing.
About the first of October we took a team, went into the woods and
cut out a sort of a turkey trail from the wagon road down to Boon
Road Hollow to the Hog's Back branch of the Crossfork, where we
selected a sight for the camp. We felled a large hemlock tree and cut
off four logs of suitable length to make the body of the camp about
ten by twelve feet inside. We worked them around in shape fitting the
two shorter logs in between the ends of the two longer logs; then
placing rafters at about half pitch, put on the covering, chinked and
calked all the cracks and built a chimney of stones, sticks and clay
and put in a door.
We were now ready for the trap line. We set the bear traps on
different ridges where we thought would be the most likely places for
bears to travel. Then we put out two lines of deadfalls for marten.
We then took the different branches and spring runs, building more
deadfalls for mink and coons, setting the greater part of our steel
traps for foxes. After all the steel traps but three or four were
set, Uncle said that if I would go down the creek and set the balance
of the steel traps, he would go and look after the first of the bear
traps that we had set. I set the steel traps for foxes and built one
or two more deadfalls farther down the creek. I think that I found a
mink and one coon in the deadfalls that we had set in that section.
I got to camp about dark but Uncle had not come yet. I hustled supper
to have it ready when he came, but when supper was ready I could
neither see nor hear anything of him. After waiting some time I
concluded to eat and then if he did not come I would go in the
direction he had taken as I now suspected that he had gotten a bear
and was bringing in what he could carry and that I would meet him and
help him in with his load. Before I started out to see if I could
find him I gave several long and loud "coohoopes," but got no answer.
I concluded I would fire a couple of gunshots and see if I could get
an answer, but got no reply save the hoot of an owl.
I now began to feel alarmed, fearing that some misfortune had
happened Uncle as he knew every rod of the ground in that section. I
had no lantern so I made two good torches from fat pine, having a
good supply in camp, and followed the stream until I came to a little
draw where we had a bear trap set. This trap had not been disturbed,
so I climbed the hill to the top of the ridge when I fired two more
gunshots but still got no response. I was now thoroughly alarmed as I
knew that a gunshot on the still night air could be heard a long ways
from the high ridge I was on.
With the aid of another torch I hurried on to the next bear trap and
upon arriving at the second trap I saw that the clog was gone and
that there was a trail leading off through the leaves and
undergrowth. I now knew that it was something in connection with the
bear that was detaining Uncle, but what it was I could not tell.
I followed the trail with the aid of the torch for fifty yards when I
came to a fallen tree that lay up about a foot from the ground. Here
I found the clog that had been fastened to the trap. I could see that
the trap ring had been moved from the clog by the aid of a hatchet. I
searched about but could find no signs of the trap nor of the bear
and I could no longer follow the trail by the aid of the torch, the
last one being now pretty well burned out. There was nothing for me
to do but go back to camp and wait until morning.
When I was within a mile or less of camp, I heard the report of a gun
in the direction of camp and knew that Uncle had arrived and was
firing his gun to let me know that he was in camp. I answered the
call by firing my gun and hurried on to camp to see what had detained
him.
The bear had gone over the fallen tree while the end of the clog had
caught under the log and a weak link in the trap chain had given
away, Bruin going off with the trap. Uncle had followed the bear
several miles when dark came on. He followed down the stream to where
it came in to the branch that the camp was on, and being over a ridge
and so far from the camp was the cause of him not hearing the
gunshots that I had fired. Uncle followed the bear until dark so as
to know about where he was in case a snow should fall to fill up the
trail.
It was after midnight when we turned in but we were up in good season
the next morning and taking a lunch in our knapsacks and each a
blanket, we started for the wind jam to see if we could find the
bear. Uncle took me to the bear's trail at the edge of the wind jam
where I waited, giving him time to get around on the opposite side of
the jam, at a point, where the bear was likely to come out, provided
I should start him. I had not followed the trail far into the jam
before I came to where the bear had made a bed by breaking down
briers and gnawing down saplings, but he did not stay long at this
place when he again went on.
I soon came to another such bed and after finding several more, came
to one that was fresher than the others. I could see that the bed had
been made during the night. I now began to work my way along the
trail very cautiously with my gun in hand ready for action and my
heart in my mouth for I knew that Bruin would soon be on the move. I
worked my way through the jam at a snail's pace and soon heard the
rattle of the trap and could see the brush move not more than a
hundred feet away.
The undergrowth was so thick that I could get no distinct sight of
the bear but fired a shot more to let Uncle know that Bruin was on
the move than of any expectation of hitting him. When the gun cracked
the bear gave a snort like that of a frightened hog and I could hear
him tearing through the brush at a great rate. It was not long until
I heard Uncle shoot and in the course of two or three minutes I heard
him shoot again and knew that Bruin had given up the trap.
After I had gone along the trail quite a ways, I saw a few drops of
blood now and then and when I reached Uncle he was already skinning
the bear. We found three holes in the bear. Uncle's second shot which
was the finishing shot, hit the bear in the head. The shot that I
fired caught Bruin just forward of the hips and undoubtedly would
have killed him in time.
We skinned the bear and took the hind quarters, the skin and trap and
started for camp. I must say that I think this was the hardest stunt
of packing that I remember and every old trapper knows what sort of a
job of toting he often runs up against. We went down the run about
two miles before coming to the stream that our camp was on, and then
we had to go up this stream about four miles to camp. When we reached
the stream it was dark; there was no path and there was a great deal
of fallen timber and undergrowth along the creek, the creek winding
around from one side of the valley to the other. It was a continual
fording of the creek, climbing over fallen timber, through
undergrowth and what not. You know no one but a trapper would be
silly enough to do such a stunt in the dark. We arrived at camp about
9 o'clock, wet, tired and hungry. The next morning Uncle was still a
little sore but I was as good as new and ready for another job of the
same kind.
Some days later we had a fall of snow of several inches and the
second or third day after the snow came we heard a number of gunshots
south of the camp on the ridge in the direction that we had a bear
trap set. It was near sundown and as we were not aware that there was
anyone camping or living in the direction of the gunshots, we
concluded it was hunters shooting at deer. The shots were at such
long intervals that Uncle said he did not think it was anyone
shooting at deer and that the shots sounded like they were right
where we had a bear trap set and that he thought hunters had run onto
a bear in our trap and were shooting at it. It was then too late to
go to the trap. Uncle said we would get up early in the morning for
he was sure the gunshots were close in the neighborhood in which our
trap was set, and he thought it likely that we had a bear in the
trap.
We were on the way before it was fairly daylight but when we came to
the place where the trap had been set we found it gone. We followed
the trail a short distance when the tracks of three men came onto the
trail. The men had stamped and tracked about where they came onto the
trail as though they were holding a council and then all started off
on the trail of the bear. They did not go far before they came up
with the bear where the trap clog had become fast between two
saplings. The trap was nowhere to be seen. The men had made many
tracks where they killed the bear.
Uncle said it looked as though the men intended to steal the bear
trap and all. We saw where the track of a man led off towards a large
log and returned. Uncle told me to follow that man's tracks and see
what he went out there for, as probably he hid the trap behind the
log. I found the trap clog behind the log but there was no trap. It
was snowing some at the time the men killed the bear.
When we found that the men had taken the trap and hid the trap clog
Uncle exclaimed, "The varmints intend to steal our bear." We followed
the trail of the men as fast as we could for we were quite sure they
must have stopped over night not far from there for it was nearly
dark when they killed the bear. Their trail led down the hillside to
the main stream, then down the creek and we hustled after them as
fast as we could go. After going down the creek a mile or more we saw
a smoke and Uncle said, "There the varmints are," and he was right.
We were none too soon as the men were already hitching the horses to
the sleigh ready to start off. We could see that the bear was already
on the sleigh, although it was covered over with a blanket. The men
started at us but did not say a word.
Uncle walked up to the end of the sleigh, caught a corner of the
blanket, threw it back and uncovered the bear. Then taking the bear
by the foreleg he gave it a flop onto the ground saying, "You have a
bear, haven't you," and the bear rolled to the ground and uncovered
the trap; Uncle said, "You have a trap, too, haven't you." Not a word
did any of the men say and when Uncle asked them who they were and
where they lived, one of them said that they did not intend to steal
the bear but were going to take it to the first house and leave it
for us.
Uncle told them that we did not care to have the bear go in that
direction and told the men they must take the bear to our camp and
their intentions were to steal the bear and trap and that they had
better settle the matter at once. The men were ready to settle and
asked what it would cost and Uncle told them if they would take the
bear to our camp and then leave the woods and not be caught in that
section again, that he would let them go. This they readily consented
to do and insisted that we take a part of a cheese they had brought
in with them. Uncle told them that we did not care for their cheese
or anything else they had--all that we wanted was that they take the
bear to our camp and get out of the woods. This they did and one of
them also took the cheese along and left it at the camp. Then they
left, begging that we would not say anything farther about the
matter.
We learned that the men did not live down the creek but instead lived
in New York State. They had come for a few days' deer hunting and had
only made a shelter of hemlock boughs. The first day out they ran
across the bear and as it was snowing they thought it would snow
enough to cover up their tracks and they would take the bear and get
back to New York State. Well, they did get back but it happened they
left the bear behind.
I would like to ask the old liners who have grown too old on the
trail and trap line to follow it longer with profit and pleasure, if
they keep bees? I find it a great pleasure to watch these little,
industrious and intelligent fellows work.