Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-02-27
A BEAR HUNTER.
Tells How he Manages to Entrap
%NLuckIess Bruin.

Achc ''ow hS "ondBeS TO Entrap
&'1LuckIess Bruin.
L found myself hobnobbing with a bear
hunter in the midst of his traps the other day.
The hunter was Enoch X. Knapp, who lives
on Bear river, a small stream that runs down
from spur of the White mountain chain
and empties into the Androscogin at Newry.
The bear hunter house is a neat cottage at
chase of Bear mountain. around which
the river runs. The read winds among steep
hills and thickly wooded mountains till it
seems to lose itself, and TO lose you in the
bargain. ~
This mountain has long been known as
favorite resort for bears. The farmers in
the vicinity do not try to keep many sheep.
One of them went up on the mountain with
a yoke of oxen to haul,Out some timber not
long ago. A very large and hungry bear ap.
peared on the scene and rushed at the cattle
with mouth open and eyes full of fury. The
oxen snOrted and. started on wild gallon
down the steep mountain.
---- go. A BRILLIANT IDEA.
The farmers judgment was as good as
his cattle's. He had nothing with which to
defend himself and he had to think lively
10 devise a way to escape. He did an anus
ing but brilliant thing. Running between
the oxen he caught hold oftthei ring In the
yoke and dangled there until the oxen had
carried him to the foot of the mountain and
out of the reach of the bear. The old grow
Ter jumped and snaried around the oxen,s
TANKS and tore their hides, but could not
reach the man between them hanging for
dear life.
Mr. Knapp has a blacksmith shop oppo-
site his house, where he makes bear trans
and shoes horses. His traps are ingenious
ly made of iron and steel, and one of them
looks like two stout wagon springs with a
pair of jaws in the middle. These laws are
bands of wrought iron with great steel teeth
riveted into them. When the jaws are OPEN
ed and caught under the stout steel springs.
you see trencher in the middle of the ma
chine. The object of the bear hunter is IN
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 a
tIap bear Killer as well as a bear catcher. |
CRAFTY BRUIN.
Your bear hunter must use considerable |
craft. Said Mr.. Knapp: 81 usually build a |
cubby house In the woods of old stnmnS
and decayed branches. I serter nile Penn m
around, you know, and leave little omen.
Ing Tor the bear TO go in, after he sees me
coDsaIn and his curiosity is excited. / catch
some suckers or other kind of fish In the riv.
er and hang 'em Up in the cubby. Then 7
lryfo AK the trap 50 that the bear wiu.have
10 step on the tencher If be gets the fish A
bear never steps on log IN bis patb hnt al
ways steps over it. lsusualiy tx the tran
,n tOther side of a log or branch, SO he viii
,se pretty sure to step over the log and into
he trap. =.
= knowing old bear won't go into one of
hese cuDDleS. Sometimes after trying TO
Z zen an old sheep thief in this way and not
letting him. 1baye caught the old fellow by
hanging string Of fish in a careless way or
Tree, as II left there accidentally by some
pn tsman, and putting the trap underneath.
l find track where a bear has a
laOlt OF fprdmg book. l take away the
zone ia the brook which the bear steps on
vheH he crosses, and put the .trar, IN its
lace, When the bear feels after the old
nd Iamihar. stone his fore paw is caught in
trap, so we have to kill the smell. We do
hat ny daubing il over with lard and bees
AK. - J4lN .a-1. TNotl
II have twelve traps, and visit 'em twice /,
week. The bear is usually caught by the