Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1884-03-13
NUMBER 20.
Trapping Big Bears.

Trapping grizzly has its perils and ex-
citements also,n says a hunter 'gThe
trap employed is of the double spring
pattern, with steel jaws, and weighs,
complete, thirty-eight pounds. The
springs are very powerful, and have to
be bent with levers. 1t is quite an artto
set and place trap cunningly, and trap
pers vary in their methods and are charry
Of explaining them. viii then pass
this branch of the subject. Let us sup
pose, therefore, that the hunter has made
his camp in a neighborhood redolent Of
grizzlies, and that he has his traps set in
likely place for bear Atthe end Of the
trap chain is ring about five inches il
diameter, and this is driven about half d
foot over the end of heavy stick or log
five inches through and six or eight feet
long. The object Of this clog as it is
called, is to make trail which can be
readily followed, and to hamper the bear
sufficiently to prevent his going to great
distance away before the hunter can ar
rive. Great care must be taken that the
chain must be fastened to the extreme
end Of the clog, in such way that it can
not get across two trees, and SO give the
brute chance to use his enormous
strength to tear himself loose. Neither
must the clog be too large and heavy, or
the same result will follow. 1t may be
accepted as maxim that grizzly caught
in such trap viii eventually get loose,
and ordinarily in few hours. He is
generally caught by the extremity Of
the forepaw, inst above the claws; the
hold on him is not very great; his exer
tions to get away are tremendous, and re-
suit in SO cutting and lacerating the foot
that sooner or later he will tear out of the
trap altogether. Two grizzlies that I
caught got away; one, which was proba-
bly, taken by the claws alone, leaving
some hairs only to tell the tale, the other
leaving a small portion Of his foot behind
as souvenir. Many had all but torn
themselves loose; in one case the foot was
almost cut through, and only small
piece Of skin the thickness Of a mans
little finger remained to hold the terribly
infuriated monster to the much detested
clog. The traps are set far back in
dense and gloomy forests near the tangled
swamps where grizzlies love to make
their lairs The ground is covered with
fallen timber, and travel must be afoot
and is slow and difficult. The bear on
being caught starts off with a tremendous
ush for the swamp, which is close by
Here he catches on rotten log for asec-
ond, and plows a path through wide
enough for cart; there be hangs on
two fallen trees fifty feet long, but he
hangs for an instant only, moves tho
great trees to one side, and rushes on.
Now he strikes againsta tree, and in his
rage turns and eats the whole side out Of
it, leaving the fresh white pine red with
blood-stains from his gums. Now be
reaches the swamps aud plunges deeply
into its recesses, venting his rage on the
balsams and poplaTs, absolutely chewing
down saplings, and even guawing them
into lengths like stove-wood. All this
time..he is slowly but surely tearing his
foot loose from the trap and surely but
not slowly is he working himself up into
the most tremendous degree Of rage and
I terocity.