The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-03-07
wolf.Hunting in Michigan.

A young man named Oscar M. Perry
arrived in this city Saturday from
Gladwin county, having as baggage
about seventy-five wolf skins, three or
four bear skins, and large number of
deer skins, coon skins, muskrat and
mink skins. Last fall he, in company
with two other young men, went from
Detroit to the country named, with the
intention of taking up permanent
residence for the winter as hunters and
trappers. Dime-novel reading had not
as much to do with this movement as
the fact that Perry wintered there year
ago, and made his stay among the wild
animals a very profitable one. He was
yesterday making arrangements to re-
turn, and was inquiring after worn-out
horses, purchasing several old equines at
his own prices. He also made the
purchase of an old sleigh, as he is to take
back quantity of provisions, and leaves
this morning with the intention of re-
naming in the woods until spring. His
purchase of old horses is where the fun
comes in, he says, as he is to use them
for batting wolves. .
Last fall the party constructed a
stout log cabin in the woods near a large
marsh, proposing to make it a permanent
camp. The house is q two-story one,
and the hunters live and sleep in the
second story. The lower story is en-
closed only on two sides but the other
sides are large doors, so arranged that
they can be drawn up or let down at the
will of those above. The construction
of the cabin in this manner was to make
of the first story wolf-trap on whole
sale, and it has been tested several times
to the satisfaction of the builders. In
addition to deer-shooting and trapping
the men proposed to make wolf-catching
speciality. They found that by using
strychnine they lost many of the victims,
who ran away and hid where their bo-
dies could not be found, and in time
wolves got shy of the meat flung around.
After the trap was completed an old
horse was purchased at the nearest settle
ment, as a bait. That afternoon bits of
raw meat were flung about, and some
bloody pieces of fresh-killed deer were
carried off in different directions that
the wolves might get the scent. The
men remained on the watch all night,
but were disappointed. The wolves
came within pistol shot but were afraid
to approach near and finally went off.
The old horse got no food next day, and
at night was complaining about it in a
series of neighs which could be heard
half mile. More meat was scattered
about, and about midnight the wolves
came up. After careful survey, to sec
if trap existed, one of them ventured
in, then another, and at length a dozen
wolves surrounded the old horse and
o. h, INr,r 4n, nI
out of his horse sense, the equine kicked
and plunged, and was making it warn
for the wolves, when down. went the
doors and the animals were entrapped
Part of the pack were tearing at the
horse at the time, having him down
but they left off and began rushing
around to get out. One of them founC
a corner where the door did not fit well
and all rushed for the hole with sucl
force as to take the door off its fixtures
escaping to the wood. The men founC
the old horse so badly bitten that h
was killed to end his sufferings. Th
bUaf was left there three nights, but tn
wolves would not touch it, though on
OBJ two ventured into the trap withou
much fear.
Finding that the palates of the animal
yearned for old horse living, instead c
old horse dead, another jaded anima
was purchased, and this time, under tn
same circumstances as before, he wa
made to decoy several wolves into tn
trap, and the doors held them. By tax
ing up board in the floor the hunter
had an easy job to shoot the animals
The wolves got suspicious the next nigh
and would not enter the trap, and so o
the next night the horse was tied to
tree in the woods and two wolves weT
killed by the ambushed hunters. Th
next day q smaller pen was constructe
about two miles away, and by takin
old horses from one pen to the othe,
with an occasional night in the wood
Perry and his companions have done
wolfish business. He stated that on
horse stood them about eight wolvo
generally, but mentioned two case
wherein the equine had been inconsisten
enough to give up the ghost after on
nights work. Animals were purchase
in Bay City and Saginaw, and about te
have been used up since last fall. Tai
ing the bounty on the scalps and tn
price of the skins, the hunters make
pretty good thing of it, even if the ba
doesn't hold out above two nights
Detroit Free Press.
Successful Surgical Operation.