Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-16
Otter Hunting. TT7. AL

The art of otter hunting consists, not, as some people may imagine in killing an otter, but in finding him. The killing him is comparatively easy matter 8 rule, but the finding is science that it takes but little short of lifetime to learn. Your hounds having once hit upon trail, the first thing to find out, or to try and find out, is whether your prey be up stream or down. The ap- pearance of the stream, weather, amount of scent, time of day, spur marks, and many other phenomena may help you to arrive at yonr decision, but no one who has not made thorough study of the otter's habits can hope for success, nor can even he be sure. A spur up stream may be as fresh as paint, hounds may tear along the banks with scent breast high, and at the end of six or seven miles you may come upon him as you think in his hide, only to find that you have been duped, that he has doubled back and foated calmly down stream, perhaps, before you were out of your snug bed. As a rule an otter will never move by daylight, all his for aging and roaming taking place 'twixt the hours of gloaming and daybreak, and if you wish to score 8 kill you cannot be at the water-side too early. The meets of these hounds accordingly range from a. m. to 8 a. m., but during the summer months they not unfrequently take place as early as 4 a. m. Rather early, admit; but then what glorious view presents itself to your eye on a fine morning when, having made a good breakfast at say a. m. Gf you can), you join the hounds at some picturesque mill or bridge at the early hour mentioned; the sun already high above the horizon, the dew still sparkling on the green grass, the Ennets, thrushes, blackbirds and larks singing merri- ly, while the great trout lazily turns the deep into fly or rises to see what all the fuss is about. Every one looks hearty and fresh, and, like the hounds, only longing for the sport that is to reward them for their scanty breakfast If such was the easel and whet their appetites for heartier one later in the day
 Then the hounds are sent to water and all eagerly do they obey the order of 'EYoick
 wind him, my lads' A trail is struck, a bay, 8 chorus, and it is time to move if you would live with them; for already they are couple of meadows ahead, and have now cut off great bend of the river where the otter has landed during the night, and gone to water again higher up, after perhaps hay ing eaten a nice, plump eel of which they are connoisseurs. Now the hounds are pug zled and there are apparently trails both ways, or perhaps up the main stream and up a tributary, and then it is that the hunts
 mans experience is brought into play; may be they lucky enough to hit upon the right one, and in another half hour they come upon a fine dog-otter in strong piece of water. Great is the excitement then, and had it been few years ago, all those with poles would have fixed their spears and wait ed waist deep in the river for their chance of spearing the otter as he came rapidly down stream under water, leaving nothing but the chain of bubbles caused by his respiration to denote his advent. Now, however, hu- manity forbids the use of steel and all is left to the hounds, and right capable they are, too, of doing the work independently. Many are the difficulties they have to con tend with, and the water, rendered muddy with their own feet, is all in favor of the ot- ter, to say nothing of many ''hides" that have their entrance under water, thus form ing very safe refuge the water effectually cutting of all trace of scent, while even the terriers do not care about diving for the en- trance
 But supposing these difficulties to be over come, a truly beautiful sight to lovers of sport meets the eye. A lovely day, with the spring foliage in all it's perfection, the mead ows crowded with spectators, while the scar let coats of the members of the hunt are dot ted up and down the stream, and in the cen ter the aI-eager pack. One would think the otter had but little to fear in his hide, with such deep water around him, and with any amount of hollow banks whereunto to par take himself. And see, the water is muddy as can be, and as thick as pea-soup. But harkl he has bolted fTally-hoi Tally-ho!" is the cry from some one who has marked the "bubble O vent" The next moment, and all is hustle and excitement, while the hounds scatter themselves over the whole water and under the banks, but to no avail Where can he have gone toa He surely cannot have gone down stream, or the scarlet coats who have been watching must have seen him, and even if he had succeeded in dodpino them there IS relay of ardent sportsmen lower