The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-11-09
Bears and Woodohucks

Bears and Woodohucks,
For many years the State OF Maine
has offered a reward for dead bears, or
rather for the ears Of dead bears. The
number of wild bears roaming the
Maine woods is exceedingly small, but
the number of dead bears for which the
State has annually been required to
pay has been very large. The explana.
ton is simple. The Maine farmer has
found bears one of his most profitable
crops. In the remoter regions OF
Maine, where the Sheriff is rarely seen
and the newspaper reporter is un.
known, every farmer of any real enter
prise has his bear-pen, in which he
raises from six to twelve bears yearly.
The bear becomes fit for use when
about Is months old, at which age he
is killed; his flesh is sent to the city and
sold under various names, and his scalp
is sent to the head of the State bear de.
from New Hampshire and Canada, but
the number is too small to be of conse-
quence, and the bear farmers have
never felt the injurious effects of COM
petition.
Encouraged ny the success of the
Maine farmers, the farmers of New
Hampshire have decided to adopt, il
practicable, similar industry. They
have asked the legislature to pass
law putting price, to be paid out OF
the State Treasury, upon the head of
every woodchuck in the State, and the
legislature, in. answer to this prayer,
has appointed an investigating commit.
tee.
The committee, the members of which
evidently know what is expected of
them, has made report in which the
woodchuck is denounced in unmeasured
terms. 1t appears that there is no
more dangerous wild fowl than the
woodehuck. The grain, potato and
cabbage crops of New Hampshire are,
as a rule, completely destroyed by
woodchucks, and the voracious ami
mails, not content with eating most of
the green grass in the State, are sus-
pected of an intention to eat up the en-
tire forests. The ferocious character
and terrible strength of the woodchuck
are notorious. Every year hundreds of
men, women and children fall victims
to his deadly fangs, and are dragged to
remote dens in the wilderness and there
torn TO pieces. Packs of woodchucks
numbering several hundred of these
hungry and fearless beasts roam over
the country, terrifying all other living
beings with their awful roar, and ex-
terminating every animal that comes in
their path. The woodchuck seems to
know no fear, and railway trains while
running at full speed are sometimes
attacked by packs of woodchucks, who
kill and devour the passengers, the
trainmen, and even the candy and
prize-package boy. In view of the ter
rible devastation caused by wood
ehucks, it is the opinion of the commit
tee that handsome reward should be
paid for every woodchuck's scalp that
the fearless hunters can capture.
If the legislature passes the desired
law no more bears will be reared in the
State. Notwithstanding will be the
business OF every enterprising citizen.
The wOodchuck breeds so much faster
than the bear and eats so much less
that not only can much larger profit
be made from woodchuck crop, but
three crops can be raised in the time re-
CURED for raising one small crop of
bears. At the same time, it must not
be forgotten that the pauper wood
chucks Of Canada can easily be snug
gled across the border. The New
Hampshire farmers will find it very
difficult to protect themselves against
imported woodchucks, and it is not inn
possible that the bright hopes with
which they are about to enter upon
woodchuck culture may before long be