St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-01-14
Hunting the Wild Boar in Connecticut.

"Wlld boar hunting in Connecticut, -
said an old Windham County farmer
recently to your correspondent, sis
something never expected to see in my
day. Nevertheless, it is solid fact that
can't be denied" The farmers asser-
ton is true. The finest and most excit-
ing sports in Windam County this fall
and winter has been hunting wild hogs.
In the town of Ashford there is an extern
sive tract of sterile land that is nearly all
Il wilderness. Large forests cover the
lofty hills, and in the hollows are impass-
able swamps, quagmires and dense
thickcts, and along the hillsides rocky
caves. In this district live and breed
and are hunted the wild hogs.
How the hogs came there is a question:
but it is the general belief that they are
the offspring of a litter of pigs that
strayed away from the farm of Mr.. Bos-
worth several years ago, and became
wild. Their number now is variouslv
estimated at from fifty to seventv-tive
head; and at certain seasons they do
much mischief, prowling around the
farms and out-houses at night and root
ing up fields of crops. They have re-
turned 10 SaFagerE.
They are described as long-bodied and
lean, covered with coarse, black bristles,
and are ferocious and formidable antay-
onists. Their tusks are long, sharp and
curved. They Turk in the coverts of
the woods, feeding on nuts and forest
twigs, and when disturbed rush out
with a loud snort. and run with the
swittness of the wind. They have long
since been voted a common enemy, and
every hunter earns the gratitude of the
farmers by shooting them. The hunters
don't like to 60 alone to meet the hogs,
but, well-armed with breech-loadinr
IN strong parties.
About the middle of October was the
first hunt of this year, and several no gs
were killed after a fierce conflict, and |
brought into the village of Ashford amid |
great rejoicing. The carcasses were
completely perforated with buckshot !
Since then several other parties have |
tried the sport, but in each case the I
game was too wary to hazard battle or
too swift for the hunters. In one in
stance big hog. with flaming eyes and
erect bristles, started up out of thicket
just ahead of the hunters and dashed off
in full view of the sportsmen, who were
too astonished to shoot.
Last Wednesday the most formidable
and elaborate hunting expedition of the |!
year set out from Brooklyn, Windham
County. There were nine men, all
armed with breech-loading rifles. A
double wagon loaded with munitions of
war, and drawn by a pair of heavy
horses, conveyed them to the field. A
small and lively domestic pig was car
ried along for decoy. A drilling rain
was falling, and the ground was Slip
perry. The party tramped all day
through the wet underbrush, going over
thirty miles, and got not glimpse of
wild hog. The domestic pig was com
plete failure as a decoy. 1t was intend
ed to take the youthful animal into a
part OF the forest frequented by the hogs,
md to have one of the party secreted in
he bush press it to his breast. 1t was
that the pig would squeal ago .
lzingly in return, and attract the wild !:
swine to the spot. The man with the l
zig secreted himself, according to the .
of the programme, and 5
the animal viciously, but it
would not squeal He then tried to
;oax it to sound note of appeal he 1
'inched its ear and trod on its tail, but 4
lot sound would the pig utter. The c
'arty accordingly put the animal in c
'ag, and late in the afternooss. footsore s
md disguised rolled home in their two Il
lorse vehicle. Their entry into the vii
age was greeted with shouts of deris- s
on, and the price of tame pork rose I
ent and quarter per pound. Cor.
'oston World