The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-06-19
Trapping n Grizzly.

Trapping grizzly has its pcrils and
excitement 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. It is quite an art to set and
place a trap cunningly, and trappcrs
vary in their methods and arc chary Of
explaining them. will then pass this
branch of the subject. Let us suppose,
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. At the end
Of the trap chain is a ring about five
inches in diameter, and this is driven
about half a foot over the end of
heavy stick or log five inches through
and six or eight feet long. The object
Of this clog rs it is called, is to
make trail which can be readily fol-
lowed and to hamper the bear suffi-
GENTLY to prevent his going a 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
Shuhot XIV nSAo5o WV tACOo, AAO 81
give the brute chance to use his enor-
nous strength to tear himself loose.
Neither must the clog be too large and
heavy, or tho same result will follow.
1t may be accepted as q maxim that .
grizzly
CAUGHT IN SUCH A TRAP
will eventually get loose, and ordinari-
ly in few hours. He Is generally
caught by the extremity Of the fore
paw, just above the claws; the hold on
him is not very great; his exertions to
get away are very tremendous, and re-
suit in SO cutting and decorating the
foot that sooner or later he will tear
out of the trap altogether. Two griz-
lilies that caught got away; one, who
was probably taken by the claws alone,
leaving small piece of his foot be-
hind rs o 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 Infatuated monster to the
much dctested 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 tro-
mendous rush for the swamp, which is
close by. Here he catches ON rotten
log for 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 q
tree, and
IN Ills RAGE TURNS
and eats the whole side out Of il, leav-
ing 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 bal
sans and poplars, absolutely chewing
down saplings, and even gnawing 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 ferocity.
When you have thus trapped q thou
sand-pound grizzly, you have not caught
a bear; you have simply caught the
devil incarnate! Indeed, the question
sometimes is, not whether you have the
bear, but whether YOU have simply
given him q tirst-class opportunity to
catch you! Now let us see how this is.
The grizzly thus caught, and thus
worked up into the most formidable
ferocity, has to be followed up afoot,
first through dense forest, and then
carefully and laboriously into the heart
of a tangled swamp, where one cannot
see ten steps ahead, and whero. If the
monster should suddenly rise directly
in front aud charge. trap, clog, and
all, retreat would be absolutely impos-
sible. Add to this that at the time Of
the hunters arrival the bear may have
just succeeded in tearing his foot loose,
or 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. He
would then be in beautiful state Of
frenzy and would be perfectly delight
ed to wipe out q hunter or two il only
to quiet down his neryes.-Forest and
Stream.