The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1880-10-14
HUNTING WILD HOGS IN TEN
NESSEE.

The early settlers brought hogs with
them into the country, and having little
or no food for them, suffered them to
stray off among the hills to root for their
own living. The mast, which is very
abundant in these hills, consists of hick-
ory, beech and chestnut, as well as
acorns, so that hogs, deer and turkey
grow fat on it in the fall and winter.
Hogs stray off miles away from their
owners and become as wild as deer, and
it requires as much skill and cunning to
capture the one as the other, and in
course of time their whole nature is en-
tirely changed. Instead of the fat, lazy
lubbers that we see on the farms, or as a
house pet in an Irish shanty, they be-
come ferocious wild beasts. They grow
tall and slab-sided. Their ears stand up
straight, their hair grows long and wiry,
and, in short, they are different animal
in nature, habit and appearance.
Mountain wolves are plenty in those
hills, but they seldom attempt to capture
hog from drove, knowing they are
likely to be captured themselves.
The people who live in the hills depend
almost entirely upon game and wild hogs
for their supply of meat. The wild hog
is not fit for food in summer, but grows
| fat in the late fall and early winter on the
| great abundance of mast in these great
forests. The hog here is not considered
the property Of any one settler, but is
looked upon as common stock property
for all who may choose to pursue and
capture him.
After hard nights rest on blanket
before log fire, we are up by daylight
to find about three inches of snow on the
ground, just what we wanted. Even the
long Kentucky rifle is left hanging in the
| rack in the cabin. Our outfit consists OF
a stout hickory club and butcher-knife,
the latter tightly belted around the waist
in leathern scabbard. These are the
only sporting tools used for hunting wild
hogs in these hills, and they are very eff
fective, as we shall presently see.
Some seven or eight of US, with as
many stout dogs, set out that morning,
and after tramp of three miles or more
we began to discover signs of game. We
now halt and hold council of war. Our
old bushwhacker, Judge Newland, is
| chosen captain of the party, and the
plans of the hunt chalked out by him.
"You see, boys" said Captain Jack,
there is the range of drove, and you
see by the signs and fresh beds, as we'll
as the tracks in the snow, that there is
about twenty hogs in the drove, big and
little. Most on 'em is big fellows, end
will give hard fight. Now, Jim and
Ned, take two of the dogs and go round
that pint of hill over thar. Sam, you
and Bob just kinder crawl around over
that ar mob and lay low. The rest of us
will follow on the trail. When I see the
hogs I'll holler like an owl. Then you
answer, Hoo! hoo! hoo! same as me,
case see the hogs rootin'. Then pitch
in ana head 'em off till the dogs come up.
The snow gave us good chance to see
the hogs a good way off, and we had not
proceeded far before we sighted them a
few hundred yards away busily turning
up the leaves in search of food. Here
we halted behind trees, and Captain Jack
gave the call in imitation of the big-horn-
ed owl, which was answered by the two
other parties. This was the signal for
attack. We started in on run to sur
prise the game, and soon the dogs had
brought the hogs to bay. The rest of
the hunters now arrived with all the
dogs, and the fight commenced, each one
urging his dog to seize hog by the ear,
and watching his chance would jump
astride of him and holding on with one
hand would put in his deadly blows over
the head with his club, and as soon as
down, out with his butcher-knife and
plunge it up to the hilt in the hogs
throat then off for another. The chase
and slaughter are thus kept up for mile
or more, or until the dogs and men are
tired out or all the hogs are killed, when
we retrace our steps and make arrange
ments for gathering in our game.
We have seen a stout hog bound off
through the woods with his rider while
the dog was fast to his ears, and carry
both a considerable distance before being
killed. The sport is ludicrous in the ex-
treme, as we'll as being attended with
considerable danger; and unless one is
familiar with it he is pretty apt to get
severely hurt by the side wipes of the
hogs long tusks. When we engaged
this drove the fight was exciting and fu-
ious. As for ourself, though not cow
ard, we must confess that we often pre-
ferred to take refuge up a sapling and
watch the fight than participate in it.
The day was far advanced when the sport
ended. We all assembled and built a
large fire, and proceeded to drag the
slaughtered hogs into camp, which prov
ed very laborious job. When all
the killed had been brought in we count
ed eleven large fat porkers. 1t was now
near dark. and We concluded to camp
there for the night. returning to where
we had left our provisions in the morn
ing. On first discovering the game and
bringing it into camp we hung up the
hogs, to have them ready for transporta-
ton. We cut out tenGerloins and bro;l-
ed them on the live Goals, and enjoyed a
hearty supper and breakfast. During
the night we were awakened by a pack
of wolves which had assembled on a
neighboring hill to give us grand sers-
made. We could no. soc them, but