Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-11
BAR MEAT.
Where our Bears Keep Themselves.
Something about the Game Market
and Its Source Of Supply,
Hunter Sport, Etc.


400 pounds each, dead bears they
were, have been sold here within the
past week at SO each, rather cheap,
but the warm and rainy weather
caused the flesh to be less desirable
than usual among gourmands and
epicures. Another bear weighing $50
pounds was in the hands of a well
known game dealer yesterday, and
there seemed to be little demand for
the meat. The hides Of the aforesaid
bears sold for 81 each, and one of them
was shot in the woods of Blacklist
bayou, about seventeen miles from
this city. The cane brakes of Black
fish bayou, the St. Francis river val
ley, near Madison, about forty
miles west Of this city, and the
swamps of Tunica county, Mis-
sissippi, near Austin, sixty miles
to the South are the principal haunts
of the bears which find their way to
this market. They are said to be
quite numerous during the present
season, and they are in fine condition.
Hunters are having excellent sport
shooting them. When the weather
is cool their flesh meets ready sale, and
orders are now in the hands Of our
game dealers to save a Christmas hol-
iday supply of several bears for the
Louisville and other markets, at the
rate of 500 for a 400 or 500 pound bear.
During the usual midwinter holiday
season, a piece of fat bear sells in
Louisville and New Orleans at 30
cents a pound. 1t never gets quite
that steep hereabOuts, as bear are too
close and too numerous in the swamps
and canebrakes Of this section.
During the recent soft weather all
kinds of game has been a drug in our
market. Rabbits have sold at $1.25
per dozen; squirrels two for % cents
at retail and $l.25 per dozen; quails at
Soc to $1.25 per dozen and
v%enison at 4 to 5 cents
a pound. The latter have been very
abundant and are to be seen in this
market, weighing from 100 to 200
pounds each. The woods of the Mis-
sissippi valley country are everywhere
full Of fine game this season. The
lakes and heavily timbered tracts lying
between the Mississippi and the St.
Francis to the north of this, for more
than 200 miles are bountifuliy supplied
with wild game of all kinds, water
fowl being unusually plentiful. A
well-known gentlemgn won't out with
his fowling peice a few days since in
Pemiscot county, Southern Missouri,
and in a few hours he bagged 100 fat
ducks, 2 swan and half a dozen geese.
and he did not consider it a very good
day for ducks, either. Several hunt
ing clubs from upper Missouri, Ken
lucky and Middle Tennessee, have en-
iOyed a few weeks in that vicinity dur
ing the present fall season, and a dozen
or more Of hunters who reside in this
city and make their living in this way,
have been actively at work for some
time shooting various kinds of game
for restaurants, hotels and game dealers
here. Large quantities have already
been consumed by our people, while a
considerable amount soured and was
wasted. We may look for a we'll
stocked game market throughout the
ensuing winter, for there is no place
in America more accessible to the
haunts of wild varmints than this.
Steamers from White, Arkansas, St.
Francis and other rivers seldom come
into port without having their
boiler-deck guards garnished with
strings of fine game,