The sun., 1881-04-10
STORIES or PANTHER HUNTING.
Adventures OF Oid Hunters Up In Uistcr-A
Hears Fight with n Panther.

Adventures OF OH Hunter. Up In Uistcr-A
Hears Fight with IA Panther.
MONTICELLO, n. Y, April 2.-"No, there
are no more panthers in the Sullivan or Ulster
forese." said an octogenuran hunter and
trapper OF this region. "Once in n while re-
port comes to the settlements that panther
has been seen lurking around in the woods, but
on investigation the cause OF the alarm never
turns out to be anything more than big wild
cat or maybe, once in whilo, q Canada lynx.
But can remember when tho woods Of
| these counties we're full OF them. I've Killed
| many panther within q stones throw OF
| where the Monticello court house now stands.
| There are plenty OF deer and bear within a cir
cult OF less than fifteen miles OF the place yet.
| The townships OF Bethel. Rockland, Neversink.
| Forostburgh. and some others in this county.
| have still 50 much wild land that game Of that
| kind finds haunts almost as secure ms 1t did be-
| fore there were any settlements at all. nardon-
| bergh Dsnning. Shandakcn. and in fact the
whole northern part OF Ulster County have
| hundreds OF thousands OF acres where no ono
| but hunters and fishermen ever venture. There
| bears are very common and scores Of them are
! trapped and shot every year.
Panther hunting was q favorlte pastme
| flfty years ago in this county / shot n panther
! on tho headwaters OF the Neversink when l was
| IL years old We used to have dogs trained on
purpose to hunt this game. 1t was hard to get
dog with pluck enough for the sport. A man
who had good panther dog was tho envy.
| sometimes, OF tho whole region. They were
scarce. and n good one would be In demand
from all parts OF the county. Sam Darbee.
who lived in Rockland. had dog sixty years
ago that was the best ono for panthers ever in
the county. He wouldn't hunt any thing else
He got killed in n funny way. Darbee had a
fox trap set in his bnrnyard. 1t was covered
over with chan. One night he heard a panther
yelling in q piece OF woods. on the edge
went out to kill the animal which he knew was
| prowling around after n calf or sheep. He had
hardly stepped out oi his door.when no saw the
! panther bounding toward his barnyard. He
red and hit it Just as 1t lenped over the log en-
| closure. MAZE, the dog, fol llowed tho panther
| into tho yard. and pounced upon it. Tho dog
| but he had scarcely commenced the fight when
lie struck both fore feet in the fox trap. Tho
trap closed on him, and before Darnee had ar
| rived on the scene the panther had torn Maze
| TO pieces. second shot killed the panther.
But Darbeo never got over the way his dog fell
victim TO Us ioe. and never set another iox
| "There.were some famous panther hunters
| In Sullivan County in those days Besides Dar-
bee there were the overtons. Potter Stewart.
| Cyrus Dodge. Nelson Crocker. and many others.
Peter Stewart is still alive. believe. and must
| be getting along toward ninety years OF age.
| He lives in RocKand where he was born. The
narrative OF his adventures would make a book.
psnthers on one single hunt than any other
hunter that ever lived. He killed seven in less
in the spring. OF 1918. and when In
the neighborhood OF Long Pond discovered
n pauthcr's den: It had Two Kittens in it. the
| tion. He took both the young ones and started
h0ms With them placing them br inside hi his hunti
the mother yelling behind him. He knew he
was ia Tor fight, and placed himself in POSI-
lfni il In liz IaGf FAtfu GRaNn mt thar
she caught sight Of Dodge she bounded to With
He shot her, but did not Kill her Her cries wers
terrible. and Dodge knew that in a short time
ity would soon hasten 10 the scene. She was
disabled. and another shot put an end to her.
half mile or so away. Cries from all sides told
him that ho was not yet through with his work.
BY tho time he reached the pond he could hear
panthers leaping through the branches Of the
trees. panther v III not enter water. Dodge
waded out as far as he could and prepared for
business. Within Gunshot o; him he discovered
five large panthers in tho trees, Ho Killed one
at the first fire. the loud mewlng OF the kit;
by the old panthers. for none Of them left the
spot at the sound OF the gun. They bounded
rushed to the waters edge and shrieksd and
lnshsd their tails in fury. Dodge shot both OF
these and killed the other two. and two more
that reinforced them without leaving his tracks
panthors is still preserved by the family. Dodge
came 80 savage that they had to be killed.
Peter Stewart was once hunting in Rock
land. when he saw some deer bones lying al the
mouth OF q crevice in some rocks. lie knew
that it must be panther,s den and that the
pants pants had made on a deer they had captured, I
Stewart hid himself behind a treo and awaited
Developments. Imagine his surprise when he
saw a zig bear come out OF tho cave, carrying
was sqanllinc and Kicking with ali its
giving the Kitten box or two on the ears with
its fore raw. sGueee2ed it to death and threw it
cave and in short time came out with an
other kitten under its arm. This was treated
as lis companion had been; What the future
intentions OF the bear were Stewart never foun
out, for the second kitten had barely been K lled
when the, mother panther appeared on the
on on tRs ground. She bounded frst to on one and nd
} then to the otner, smelling and licking thom,
. and uttering plaintve cries. Then she turned
: on tho bear which had remained in tho crec,
, second kitten to death. With yell that almost
froze the blood Of the hunter. used rs lie was tc
! the fury OF panthors, she sprang upon the bear
l and fastened her claws in its shaggy coat and
her fangs in its throat. The bear hurled its an.
taRonist ten fact away with its powerful paws
; and then attempted 10 escape u second attack
> by flight But tho panther was upon it agar
, IN an instant and a terrific combat ensued
hug BUT but the later was too agile @ and With every " RI
, spring upon its huge eremy the panther in
} tlcted terrible wounds with its sharp claws
The blood poured from dozen great gashes II
the bears body and AT last tho panther leapeG
; on the bear as it stood facing her, and, fasten
I ing her teeth in its throat thrust tho long
sharp nails OF her hind feet into its yitals. Tht
q boar foil to the ground dead. AS tho panthe
= was returning to its dead kittens, Stewart sho
her through tho heart.
I " shot and killed a panther once whore Cor
Q hy's Hotel now stands Mt White Lake. liyed II
2 Bethel. and my wis's people lived in Mama
u kntlng. now Wurtsboro. Ono winter sh
wanted to visit home, and she started on horse
l. back to make the journey. When sho was be
y; tween White Lake and Thompson's, now Mon
u tlceo. she heard q panther, and discovere
9 that It was pursuing her. Tho horse neede
a no -,1 urging, i22r it kneg the danger. an an
8 q horse at full speed is no mate
= for the great leaps II n panther, an
0 my wife found that the animal was rapid
Z gaining on her. At the end Of a milo the pan
J, ther was not more than 100 yards in the real
My wife expected to be torn to pieces. But
8 happened that Nelse Crocker was hunting Il
! that neighborhood. and was on the lookout 70
u this same panther. which had been around 10
;, some days. He heard the sounds OF the horse
9 feet, and the cries OF the panther and came ou
on the road in time TO stop tho career OF tn
: panther aud save my wfes liie."
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q Battling with II PorpoISe.
8 Prom The R1ch,sU DONocraL