The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-10

The following account contains In part q memo
randum of my mode Of hunting bears and other
animals of that nature. such as panthers and WHO
cats ETC., as well as the number OF those oinerent
animals killed by me- and my dogs, since the year |
1852. on the Bsyous Crosse Tete and MaraDguin,
IN the parish of lberville. |
This norton of Louisiana, until within the past
eight or ten years, was covered WIKI immense
cane breaks and swsmps; these canebreaks were |
from five TO twenty-five miles in length. and from
one mile to FIVE miles in depth, extending along
the bayous Of this country: the canes are fire.
ouently thirty feet high, two or three inches 10
Circumference and stand so III ok on the ground |
that no object is visible more than ten yards, and
very frequently not more than ten feet from you,
and here in the dark places or the sun never sees
the earth in a canebreak) IL the home OF the bear,
panther. cstamount, wild cat and poisonous raft E.
snake, and many other animals and repues
equally ss dangerous-and the only possible
means Of travelling through tLem is on FOO, IN
IS little baggage or Announcements as possible
for in order TO pass through these cane0reaks
man must make up his mind TO do hard day
work and get drink Of water when he gets
through, which sometimes occupies ten or twelve
hours. The want of water was the principal
source OF my suiieriDgsin bear hunting; and now 4
have become so much accustomed 10 do without
il that never drink during the day, even il an OPP
poruniiy offers; this is done in order to accustom
ny self TO do without II on hunt.
Well, when / established myself on the Bayou
Crosse etc, heard that the canebrakes were
that the bears in particular did to the corudelis.
and the havoc that they made with the hogs and
other stock. that ! determined to try and stop
them in a measure at least. such was their NOM
Der, and so bod had they become, that have
known them to destroy five hundred barrels Of
corn for a single individual, and then come into
the BARNARD and take the hegs of and eat them
alive. Such was their number that 1t was lmpos-
sible for the small farmers to raise hog; and
frequently calves and colts were destroyed by
them or panthers, which grow TO an enormous
size in this country. The largest that ever
killed. was three feet three inches in height
sad nine feet seven inches in length, and weigh
ing three hundred pounds. This fellow was pu--
sued by the dogs went up q tree, and as / shot
him he spfaDg at me, and had not the canes
been so large and thick, he would have caught
me- / have not the least doubt; but my dogs
tsenty.two in number. few to my relief, and an.
moved him 80 much that | killed him with my
hunting knife. while be was venting his spleen on
awhile dog, which seemed most to attract his atten
tori be had at the same time twenty four large
bu lodged in his lungs and vitas. Inave killed
many others since, but this fellow was conceded
to be the largest ever killed about here. Well as
] said before when l came up here there were
great quantities of animals in the caaebreaks, aud
very few were ever killed, except by the ACCT
dental shot of q set gun. So at once busted
myself in raising, begging. buying and borrowing
a pack Of dogs TO hunt them with. had all breeds
of dogs that are in this country-for my acquaint-
ance was very extensive, and my friends from all
parts sent me dogsdogs OF all kinds, ages, sexes,
sizes and colors. | found the mixed ours very
good for few fights until they had been badly
hurt, then they would give up the bear hunting;
the bloodhound and bulldog, or bull-tertier, are
too severe. they get killed OF as coon as they
come across big fellow, Ia walking he bear);
YOU want the long cared stock (hOunds) of the
severe breed, and with fifteen of these and my
double-bsrTel shot gun, with an ounce ball In eacn
barrel, and some few more in my pocket, thiuk
that l can either conquer or kill anything that
wears har.'
when 20 in for bear hunt, the night before
have my dogs fed and NV horse al so, and something
to eat is put aside for my breakfast. About " o
hours before daylight when l get mp, call the
dogs, take cup OF coffee, put on coarse, strong
suit of clothes, light shoes to run in, and a close
fitting cap, in order to slip through the cane with
as little biudrance as posslble | take piece OF
bread and meat in my pocket, some matches to
make fire (for sometimes sleep in the woods, or
smoke a bear out of hollow tree), my double
| barrel gun and ball and buckshot of the largest
| size, mount my horse, blow the horn, and by the
peep OF day am on the ground where the bears
| live. tie my horse well 10 tree, aud with my
| dogs enter the hcket and darkest parts Of the
csnebrske, for these are the aces that the bears
/ lie in the dogs hunt around and in the course OF
our travels dnrirg the day they are certain TO dad
some old bear, that is snOozng in his dark re-
! treat; the dogs give me the alarm By barking,
and sometimes Though seldom) kill him in his
| bed, which is made by digging hole IN the
/ ground and drawing in dry cane tops; but more
| frequently of goes the bear, the dogs follow and
ark after him for hours, and frequently
he travels for ten or fifteen miles before he Is
| killeo: the bears invariably select for their
route the thickest and most difficult canes or
brsrs 10 pass through, in order to eude the trOu-
besome and untiring hounds, but all IN vain the
HOUNDS follow and bark. but keep at a respect
full distance; they frequently travel out Of my
| hearing but ! keep on the course they take
and finally come in hearing OF them again, or the
bear turns and comes back where he started
from. | then get in ahead of the dogs and select
the very thickest pait of the cane u stand H. and
more than likely he will come up within ten fee
of you without seeing You-then with certain
aim at the ear or heart, give him an ounce ba.
and be is yours; the dogs instantly, az the crack
Of the gun, fly in and seize him, and IL moment
is lost with the knife other barrel Of your gun
be will kill one or more dogs ia his dying efforts
but when q bad shot il made hunter and dogs lo0l
out, for there is danger about. aud in this case
always let him come TO the muzzls OF my gun anC
then blow the powder, bullet and wadding 10 hi
mouth or ear and then depend on my knife FOL
the balance. In this manner / have killed ove
five hundred bears since the year 1852. hot
that she one with her young is the most savage
in Jolly both the male ana female are very savage
they have their young in February; have keC
bear in every month In the year and never ye
have found the young in the mothers womb, o.
| met with one man who has. have found then
February no larger than rats without any hal
Oh them.
The largest bear that ever killed weighed IO'
pounds. This monster found in his den and kille
before be could get cut. Aud strange as
may seem. killed the first bear that saw In tn
woods with large percussion caps for shot 10 m.
gun | had lost my ammunition, aud the bea
stopped 10 fight had powder aud caps-so
loaded with csps-rau and put the gun to hi
ear and killed him with the caps. Near tn
same place last month had to kill panthe
with long sticks in my gun as had no balls o
buCbEbOt. The bear was killed in 1852, and tn
panther was killed in 1859. For killing these an
mas depend on my double barrel gun wit
ullets, and good pack of hounds 10 folio
them MP and bark and annoy them. These an
mails will turn on three or four dogs, but II 20
have twenty dogs after them they are frightened
and either run Of. or go up tree. After they ar
shot they fight until death.
In seven years have killed with my pack {
dogs, as follows:
Bear Panther. Wild Cat. Deer Allig ito
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