The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-01
Trapping a Grizzly.

Trapping grizzly has. its perils and
excltements also. The 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 art to set and
place a trap cunnlngly, and trappers
vary IN their methods and are chary of
explaining them. L will then pass this
branch OF the subject Let us suppose,
therefore, that the hunter has made his
camp In neighborhood redolent of
grizzlies and that he has his trap set in
likely place for bear. At the end
OF the trap chain is ring about five
inches In diameter, and this is driven
about half a. foot over the end of a
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 arrive. Great care must be
taken that the chain be fastened to the
extreme end of the clog, in such way
that 1t cannot 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 will event
ually get loose, and ordinarily in few
houySof He is generally caught by the
extremity of the forepaw, Just above
the claws; the hold on him is not very
great; his exertions to get away are
Tremendous, and the result in so cutting
and decorating the foot that sooner or
later he will tear ont of the trap alto
gether. Two grizzlies that | caught
got away; one who was probably taken
by the claws alone leaving some hairs
only to tell the tale, the other leaving a
small piece of his foot behind as a
souvenir. Many had all but torn them
selves loose; in one case the foot was
almost cut through and only small
piece of skin the thickness of man 5
little finger remained to hold the terri
bly, Infatuated monster to the much de-
tested clog
The traps are set far back in dense
and gloomy forests near the tangled
swamps, where grizzlies love to make
their lair. The ground is covered with
fallen timber, and travel must be afoot
and is slow and difficult The bear on
being caught starts off on a tremen-
dous rush for the swamp which is close
by. Here he catches on a rotten log
for a second and plows path through
wide enough for cart. there he hangs
on two fallen trees fifty feet long, but
he hangs for an instant only, moves the
great trees to one side and rusheS on.
Next he strikes against 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 he reaches the swamp and plunges
deep into its recesses, venting his rage
on the balsams and poplars, absolutely
chewing down saplings and even gnaw,
ing them into lengths like stove wood.
All this time he is slowly but surely
tearing his foot loose from the the trap,
and surely but not slowly is he working
degree of rage and ferocity.
When you have thus trapped a thou
sand-pound grizzly, you have not
caught bear; you have simply caught
the aevil incarnate! Indeed, the ques
ton sometimes is, not whether you have
caught the bear, but whether you have
notsimply given him first-class oppor
tunity to catch you! Now let us sec
how this is. The grizzly thus caught
and thus worked up into the mos
formidable ferocity, has to be followed
up afoot, first through dense forest
and then carefully into the heart of {
tangled swamp, where one cannot sec
ten steps ahead, and where, if the
monster should suddenly rise directly
in front and charge, trap, clog and all
retreat would be absolutely impossible
Add to this that at the time of the
hunters arrival the bear may have jus
succeeded in tearing his foot loose, Of
may have just managed to break his
chain, Or may have just finished eating
up the clog bodily, all of which things
have happened in my experience II,
would then be in a beautiful state o
frenzy and would be perfectly delighted
to wipe out hunter or two if only t.
qniet down his nerves.-FOreSt ant
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