The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1880-07-29
Hunting Wild Hogs in Tennessee.
Cincinnati Commercial.

The early settlers brought hogs with
them into Tennessee, and having little
or no food for them, suffered them stray
off among the hills to root for their own
living. The mast, which is very abun-
dant in these hills, consists of hickory,
beech and chestnut, as we'll as acorns,
so that hogs, deer, and turkeys grow
fat on it in the fall and win,er. Hogs
stray off miles away from their owners,
and become 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 entirely
changed. Instead of the fat, lazy lub-
bers AS we see them 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, habits, and appear
ance.
Mountain wolves are plenty in these
hills, but they seldom attempt to cap
ture hog from the drove, knowing
they are likely to be captured them,
selves
The people who live in the hills de-
pend almost entirely on game and wild
hogs for their supply ofmeat. The wild
hog is not fit for food in summer, but
grows fat in the late fall and early win
ter on the great abundance of mast in
these great forests. The wild hog is not
considered the property of any one set
tier, 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 a big log fire, we are up by day
light 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 his waist in q leather
scabbard. These are the only sporting
tools used for hunting wild hogs in these
hills, and they are very effective, 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 begin to discover signs of
game. We now halt and hold coun-
Gil of war. Our old bushwhacker, Jack
Newland, is CHOSEN captain Of the par
ty, and the plans of the hunt chalked
out by him.
"You see, boys" said Captain Jack,
'here is the range of drove, and you
see by the signs and fresh beds, as well
as by the tracks in the snow, that there
is about twenty hogs in the drove, big
and little. Most on 'em is big fellows,
and will give hard fight. Now, Jim
and Ned, take two dogs and 60 round
that pint of hill over thar: Sam, you
and Bob just kinder crawl around over
that ar mob and lay low. The rest on
us will follow on the track, When !
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 and head 'em off till the dogs come
up"
The snow gave us good chance to
see the hogs good way of, and we had
not proceeded far before we sighted
them few hundred yards away, busily
turning up the leaves in search Of food
Here we halted behind trees, and Capt
Jack gave the call in ir5itaition of the
big-horned owl, which was answered
by the other two parties. This was the
signal for attack. We started in on q
run to surprise the game. and soon the