Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-13
TRAPPING WOLVES.


will slant his ears at an angle of fo'ty-seb-
en- degrees"
TRAPPING WOLVES.
Splendid Sport If You Do Not Get Too Mach
Oft.
boston Commercial Bulletin.
Wolf stories are abundant in Siberia,
and many of them of blood-curdling
character that is quite sufficient to deter
tho strongest hearted from wishing to
have any close dealings with them. In the
most northerly parts of Siberia the ami
mails swarm over the country, particularly
the wooded parts, in large packs, some
times even of a thousand or upwards.
They attack men and beasts indiscrimin-
ately, and have even been known to make
an attack upon some of the smaller vii
lagos, where their number enables them to
do great deal of havoc before they can
be finally driven off.
But all the aggressiveness is not allowed
to be on their side, for the men of the
country seek every opportunity to dimin-
ish their numbers, from various motives.
Very naturally the people for their own
protection desire to get rid of as
many as possible, and bounty
paid in some quarters upon every animal
killed is an additional incentive to the
work of defamation: Then their hides can
be tanned into excellent leather, and are in
great demand and bring high prices. The
fur is also very useful to the natives, being
very heavy and warm, and is much used
for trimming the large hoods which Sibe-
rians Of the north are accustomed to wear.
The animals are caught in various ways,
sometimes by poisoned bait and again by
traps. One of the commonest kind of
traps in use is large circular pen sur
rounded by high wooden fence. Outside
of this fence is another similar one, per-
haps two or three feet distant from the first
and running entirely around it. In the
center of the pen is placed live pig or
deer. In the outer fence is placed small
opening, the door of which, swinging in
ward, is left conveniently and seductively
open. The wolf scents the live bait in the
center of the pen, and after vainly endeav-
oring to leap over the protecting barrier
and get at it, finds the door standing open,
and at once enters in. The passage be-
tween the inner and outer fence is wide
enough to allow him to move ahead COM
fortably, but is too narrow to admit of his
turning about. Once in, he must keep
going straight ahead, and very naturally
thinking that in this direction lies his prey,
he presses on, licking his chops in antici
patton of rich feast. Having completed
the circle of his pen, he arrives at the start
ing point and finds his further progress
completely barred by the door which still
stands open as when he entered. Pushing
against this, he shuts it close in order to
get by, and effectually made himself a
In ~
las all the time been concealed within,
shoots or spears the animal from the top
of the fence, and draws his carcass within,
so as to save it, and opens the outer door
again SO as to welcome the next visitor.
When the wolves are plenty, two men
or more in one of these pens have very
busy time for a number of days and are
scarcely able to slaughter or skin the ami
unconsciously to their death. It not in
frequently happens that the men are kept
in these pens for number of days at
time, being unable to get out on account
of wolves, which surround them and would
tear them to pieces the moment they made
their appearance. The only thing for
the men to do under such circumstances is
to consider themselves In state of siege
and keep on trapping and Strengthening
uutil the animals, starved out and disap-
pointed, abandon their position and skurry
off to another part of the country.
In localities where the wolves are most
numerous wo.f- hunting is regarded as a
regal, and is also a frequent sport. It is
sometimes engaged in by large parties of
hunters, and! again by one or two individ
uals alone. Like most hunting for sport in
all countries, it is principally practiced by
the weather. men who have both the time
and the means and the daring to pursue it.
The latter is very essential qualification
for the sport, for the man who engages in
it literally takes his life in hand. It is
anything but boys play to enter upon it,
and a great deal of nerve and GOODNESS, as
well as skill, is required of the man who
expects to come off unscathed. The slight
est wavering or the slightest misjudgment
may at any moment throw the hunter
into the very midst of the hunted, where
no power on earth can avail him for
single instant.
The slightest accident means not only
death in less than second, but also means
humiliation for the man-upon whom a
pack Of hungry, Infatuated wolves leap; for
almost before he knows what has happened
he is torn limb from imb-devoured,
hat, cap, boots, and all, so that not shred
is left of him for bis sorrowing friends to
hold a funeral service over. 1t is. perhaps
this horrible fact that is always staring
the wolf-hunter in the face, that adds to
he fascination of the sport, SO There are
few who have the opportunity afforded that
can resist the temptation or forego the
exciting sport.
Mr.. COc on Tacnti0m and MOnOpolies.
New York World, Oct. g..
Congressman s. S. Cox last night ad-
dressed meeting in the Seventh ward ho-
tel under the auspices of the Tammany
Hall district committee. In discussing
t., lo