Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-10-08
A Maine Bear Hunter.

A Maine Bear Hunter.
/ found myself hobnobbing with a
bear hunter in the midst of bis traps
the other day. The hunter was Eroch
Il. Knapp, who lives On Bear River. in
the town Of Newry. Bear River is a
small stream that runs down from a
spur of the White Mountain chain and
enters into the Androscoggin at New
ry. The bear hunters house is a neat
cottage at the base of Bear Mountain,
around which the river runs. The
road winds among steep mills and
| thickly wooded mountains till it seems
to lose itself, and to lose you in the
bargain.
This mountain has long been known
as fayorite resort for bears. The
farmers in the vicinity do not try to
keep any sheep. One of them went
up OH the mountain with a yoke of
oxen to haul out some timber not long
ago. a very large and hungry bear
appeared on the scene and rushed at
the cattle with mouth open and eyes
full of fury. The oxen snorted and
started on a wild gallop down the
steep mountain. The farmers judg-
ment was as good as his cattle's. He
had nothing with which to defend
himself and he had to think lively TO
devise o way of escape. He did an
amusing out brilliant thing. Running
between the oxen he caught hold of
the ring ia the yoke and dan gled there
until the oxen had carried him 10 the
loot OF the mountain and ont of reach
OF the bear. The old GROWER jumped
and snarled around the oxen's tanks
land tore their hides, but could not
reach the man between them hanging
0n Tor dear life.
Mr, Knapp has blacksmith~shop
opposite his house, where he makes
bear traps and shoes horses. His traps
are lngeniously made OF iron and
steel, and one Of them looks like two
wagon springs with q pair of jaws in
the middle. These jaws are bands of
wrought iron with great steel teeth
riveted into them. When the Jaws
are opened and caught under the
stout steel springs you see trencher
in the middle Of the machine. The
object of the bear hunter is to induce
the bear TO step his fore foot on that
trencher. The least pressure lifts the
catch and the jaws fly together with
crushing force. The teeth in the Jaws
make this kind of trap a bear killer
as well as a bear>catcher.
Your bear hunter must use consid-
cradle craft. Said Mr.. knapp: II
usually build a cabby house in the
woods Of old stumps and decaycd
branches. [ sorter pile 'em up around
you know, and leave little opening
for the bear to go IL, after he sees the
| consarn and his curiosity is excited
catch some suckers or Otaer kind of
fish in the river and hang 'em up in
the cunoy. Then I try to fix the trap
SO that the bear will have to step on
the trencher if he gets the fish. A
bear never steps on log in his path
but always steps over il. I usually
Tx the trap on t'other side Of log or
branch, SO he will be pretty sure to
step over the log into the trap. A
knowing old bear won't go into one Of
these cubbies. Sometimes after try
ing to catch an old sheep thief in this
way and not getting him, I have
caught the old fellow by hanging a
string of fish in a careless way on a
tree, as If left there accidently BY some
sportsman, ud,pu ting the trap under
Meath Sometimes [ find a track
where bear has habit of fording a
brook. | take away the stone in the
brook which the bear steps On when
ne crosses, and put the trap in its
place. When the bear feels sitter the
cid and familiar his fore paw is caught
IN the trap. Some bears have learned
to smell trap SO we have to kill the
smell. We do that,by daubing it over
with lard and beeswax. [ have twelve
traps and visit 'eIn twice week. The
bear is usually caught by the foreaw &.
ii e don't live more than twenty four
hours after the jaw closes on him, as
a general thing. In warm weather
the pelt would soon spoil if did not
get It pretty quick after the critter
died. The fur is in the best condition
when the bears are housing late in
the fall Then it is as nice as AMER
mo sleeps wool. get So toS15 apiece
for my pelts. The bears spend the
winter in lodges about here or in
stumps. Since we had that hurricane
that blew down SO many trees there
have been a lot OF coy places for
bears around here"
The skin of a bear, caught the day
before, decorated the barn door of the
Newry bear trapper.