The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1886-04-16
WILD HOG OF SAN JOAQUIN
OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN, AND SAFER
TO TRAP THAN TO HUNT,
Entrapped Through Partially to Bar
ley-Caught by Means of; Deadfall-
An Army of Wild Hogs and % Wolf ai
ut Bay-A Surprise.

California now in this city, "but when l lived
in San Joaquin county we used to have more
fun than house afire at the quiet little pastime
of trapping wild hogs. No one ever seemed
to know exactly where the wild hogs of the
San Joaquin tule lands came from, but there
they are, at least there they were ten years
ago. They probably originated from some
runaway domestic stock. These wild hogs
were SO shy that it was rare that any one
ever got glimpse of one, and then it would
be only by accident. They held themselves
entirely aloof from civilization, and it was
only by strategy that they could be captured.
This is the way we used to do it:
A LIBERAL TRAIN OF BARLEY.
ut was no trouble to find where drove of
hogs was feeding, for they left abundant evi-
dences of their presence never knew who
first found out that they were partial to bar
ley, but they were, and for that reason we
thought that it was more than likely that the
original stock was escaped dStillery-feds swine
Anyhow, some one discovered that if there
was anything San Joaquin wild hog would
risk his all for it was barley, and so we took
advantage of the discovery and went to
tempting the wild hog to his destruction The
first step in the conspiracy against him was
the building of a corral, or pen, big enough to
hold dozen hogs or so. In one side of the
pen heavy drop-gate was set, which was
raised up and held in position by a rope that
extended to the side opposite. The rope was
held taut by being fastened to a sort of figure
four drop, which the slightest touch would
spring. The corral was placed on the trail of
drove of hogs.
"The next step was to lay a liberal train Of
barley from the gate of the corral some dis
tance from it along the trail Barley was
scattered about inside the pen, thickest about
the gate, and gradually thinned down as the
deadfall was approached. AS soon as the
hogs struck the trail of barley they followed
itup, crowding and pushing, and each one
trying to get the biggest share, | suppose,
just as natural as tame hogs When they
reached the gate in they rushed, the first one
stopping where the barley lay thickest until
they were crowded further in by the squeal-
ing, greedy lot behind. 1t was only mat
ter of a few seconds before some one of the
leaders had to be jammed up against the
1eadfall. That settled it, Down would
come the heavy gate, and there would usually
be dead hog or two in under it, and q dozen
Of choice fat porkers inside. The old fellows
we butchered with rife balls ON the spot II
there were any young pigs in the corral we
lassoed them and took them home for future
reference.
u never saw drove Of wild hogs loose but
once, and from what I saw of them and their
methods then was satisfied to hunt them
with -baited corrals, and leave the free
and open chase to some one else. I was out
shooting birds one day, and as was passing
through dense thicket to get to an open
where expected good sport l heard the un-
.mistakable snorting and tusk grinding of wild
hogs. / thought some one had a corral set
near by, and had got the drop on some hogs
IS usual I drew toward the edge of the
thicket, and thenit seemed to me that the
morting was too yoluminous and the grinding
too far-reaching and penetrating to be made
by dozen penned-up porkers, but kept on.
When 1 reached the edge of the thicket
peered out into the open. Well, that's all
lid. had no desire to proceed further.
THE WILD HOGS AND THE WOLF.
"Such sight never saw before nor since.
think there must have been ], 900 wild hogs,
Of all sizes ages and sexes, congregrated in
chat open. They huddled together like free
men at an outdoor ward meeting Each and
every individual hog was mad-very mad.
Their bristles stood up all the way from their
aars half way down their backs. Froth flew
aboat in that undulating mass like foam on q
storm-lashed coast Rage cleaned from
svery eye, and voiced itself in every snort.
stood there, peering out on the extraordinary
scene wishing myself ten miles away. and
not daring to move, for fear the furious mob
Of hogs would detect me and parcel me up
among them. 1t was five minutes before
discovered what was the cause of this turbu-
lent gathering and the object of its fury,
when saw, in the midst of the wild con-
course, poor, lean, and haggard wolf, gath
ared together on the top of a stump, just
beyond the reach of the biggest boar in the
irove, and with the most abject look of ter
ror on his face that it was possible to express
Tdon't know what the wolf had done to bring
this avenging army of hogs down upon him
But there was this vulpine, unfortunate.
trembling, and haggard, perched on pin
nacle barely large enough to give room for
mis- four feet, gazing out over this waving sea
IF upturned tusks. He was a cowardiy,
thieving wolf, but felt sorry for him.
"The hogs never let that wolf rest second.
Some big fellow would lift himself up against
the stump on one side, with a snort like
thunderclap, and quick as flash the wcf
would turn his face that way. Then another
long-tusked brute would jump up and let go
howl, and around the wolf would go toward
him like flash And SO it went all around
the stump, and it was wonder to me how
that terrorized wolf managed to keep his foot
ing on the stump at all. By and by got
tired watching the proceedings, and thought
would try an experiment. raised my gun
and fired In the air That was the climax.
The wolf hadn't calculated on that. With the
report Of the gun he lost his presence of mind.
He leaped ten feet in the air and came down
twenty fest away. A thousand upraised
tusks were ready to receive him. There was
one wild yell Then pieces OF wolf filed the
air a second, and the vengeance of the wild hog
was complete New York Sun.