The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-02-07
CURIOUS TRAIT OF ANIMALS,
The Peculiar Fear of Dogs Mani
tested by Panthers.
A Comical, Though Costly, Illustration OF
the Dread Hogs Have Of Bears
How the Porkers Were Kept
Out Of Corn-Field.

have often wondered why writers
on natural history, traits of animals,
etc., have not noticed or commented on
the antipathy, or rather terror, that
some of our wild animals have toward
some one other particular species.
From observation, l know that q
panther has deadly horror of a dog
that a person accompanied by a dog,
no matter how small, is safe from a
panther's attack-that any dog can
tree panther and keep him there as
long as the dog will stay and watch
him.
Hunters who have freed panther
with dogs do not hesitate to move close
to and under the tree, seeking good
shot; knowing that the beast will paw
no attention to them-he will have his
eyes continually on the dogs.
Some years ago while staying on a
plantation on the Colorado River, in
Fayette County, Texas, a fine illustration
of a panther's fear of dog occurred.
The old mother of the planter went
daily to the garden to gather vegetables
for the family and was always accom-
panied by small dog of the flee variety.
One day party of hunters passed, and
as they rode by the garden their hounds
struck trail in the road, sprano over
the garden fence and ran a full grown
panther from among the pea vines. At
that time the old lady was not ten steps
from where the brute was concealed.
He had visited the garden so often that,
in the two weeks that had elapsed since
the garden had been worked, he had
beat down plain path from where he
regularly scaled the fence to the pea
patch. The universal belief of all was
that he came daily to seize the lady. but
that he was afraid to do so on account
of her being always accompanied by her
dog.
One night / was one of party of
coon hunters on White River, Arkansaw.
After long, weary chase the dogs freed
their game, and when we arrived we
found them under tree too large to
climb or to think of cutting. So we Law
down on the ground and slept until the
light of day awakened one of the party.
who naturally looked up in the tree as
tremendous yell, sprang to his feet,
screamed "jump, boys, the tree is full
of panthers! and dashed off at full
speed. We followed in no time to a
safe distance, then returned back close
enough to see three panthers in the tree.
And we had slept under that tree for
several hours. Fear Of our dogs had
undoubtedly kept them from molesting
us.
Having no firearms, we decided that
the occupants of the tree were not the
kind of ''coon" we were after, and after
considerable trouble in getting the dogs
away, left the camp with the "cats" In
full possession.
The hog has the same dread of a bear
that the painter has of dog, and the
bear has the same fear of man.
speak by the card as to the bear
found in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.
(and l venture the assertion that TODAY
there are more bear. panther, wild cat
and deer in those three States than in
the same sized territory in any other
part OF the Western continent.
Let bunch of hogs ION the range
come onto bears track. or signs. or
anything that has the scent of bear
about it, and stampede will bepin
right then, the duration of which will
depend on the wind of the hogs. for
they will run themselves down before
stopping, and that particular locality
will be avoided until they forget ali
about it, and bear is good for a ten
mile run if. in his wanderings, he runs
afoul OF man or his track.
Acquaintance with these facts is
turned to advantage BY the farmers
who raise hogs in the swampy, vermin
Astounding regions of Louisiana. The
panther and bear are both AS fond of
fresh pork as q negro is of watermelon.
and are serious drawback to successful
hog-raising in that section.
The farmers persistently hunt the var
mint with dogs and try to keep them at
the minimum. As an additional precau-
ton, the halt wild punches of hogs are
taught that they can get swill every
day by coming home for it and while |
eating it are, by the use of a mop on |
the end of long pole. sprinkled with |
human offal which makes them safe
rom bruins attacks as long as the scent |
'sts, for one wbisF from properly per- !