Thomas County cat., 1886-12-02
OLD DEER HUNTERS.
an Interview with Mighty One
Of Pennsylvania.
Tho Triumphant Slayer of "Oid Greeley .
An Experts Outiit-The Deer as
Barometer-Followi
Bloody Trail

in those primitive days when Penn
'sylvania was yet thinly inhabited
State it was a common thing to see the
deer roam up and down the valleys.
The early settler shot them from his
cabin door. Now they have retired to
the distant mountain heights, and few
are the daring hunters that follow
them into their retreats. Andrew
Steiner, of Myerstown, Pa, stands at
the head of deer-hunters in Pennsylya-
mia. His exploits among wild animals
are most thrilling, and as an expert in
the chase of this feet game he hardly
has his equal
Yes. slr," he said, recently, 81
have visited the Allegheny mountains
for tweEty-seven years, and am pre-
pairing to go in November again.
Though am well up in years, the zest
of this sport has never been on
the wane. | have five or six
companions in the State who fire.
-quently 60 with me. We hunt in
Blair, Center, Cleariield and Hunting
ten Counties. We camp out in the
wilderness and a wilderness it is.
stretching out over hundred miles.
We construct log-cabin right in the
center Of the hunting grounds, fire.
Guently twenty and thirty miles away
from any habitation. We reach the
spot in teams. All old hunters are
good cooks, and our fare is of the
best. We bring with us goodly sup
ply of the civilized luxuries and then
depend upon orr riiIvs for the rest
We build fire for the night and let il
blaze TO keep off the catamount, the
bear and the wolf Our slumbers are
often disturbed by the midnight howls
of wild beasts. The catamount is
dangerous animal; it is even more
fierce than the panther, and if it were
not for the fifteen dollars reward on
his scalp he would be altogether
avoided"
TO the question as to what his outfit
as deer hunter might be, he replied:
Il take with me my old reliable
my double rifle, muZzle loader. sixty
pound shot, bowie-knife in belt and re-
NSiNSi .iia ltIittI w HIS
tie. good warm clothes and high-leg-
.ging boots. You need the weapons to
defend yourself with and some to cut
wood to hang your game.
In speaking of the successes of his
hunting expeditions he said: Il have
helped TO kill over two hundred deer
il my time. The highest number we
shot was in the fall of 1863. when |
brought thirteen with me. The deer
is exactly ike the weather." he next
remarked. speaking OF their habits.
when bad weather is brewing they
at once seek the laurel swamps, with
their low shelterinG branches. Instinct
gives them the sign Of change in the
atmosphere twelve hours ahead. Then
again. when a high storm is on the APP
proach they speed to the lofty ridges,
where nothing but bushes grow. They
do this for very special purpose. The
great hemlOck trees are always loaded
with snow after fresh fall and any
high wind blows it down in such GUAM
titles that man and beast would be
crushed under it. Very frequently the
hunter hears in his cabin by night such
tremendous crashes for miles around as
if the rocky heights were giving away.
He knows that the mighty hemlock
branches are breaking under their load
of snow.
1.-The deer has no particular haunts."
he continued. 1.-The mountain heights
from north to south are its home. 1t
roams. When snow falls three feet
deep the deer seeks some open place
and lies down in its soft white bed,
until by its own animal heat it has
melted the snow away. 1t eats what
ii can lind there, but never stirs from
the spot until it is inclined or becomes
disturbed. The deer never feeds by
day. 1t hides away and lies as still in
its retreat as the stone by its side
When it is half moon then it stirs early
in the evening and in the dawn OF
morning. When it is full moon the
deer is out al night, and seldom then
Is heard the report OF :be hunters riiie.
In the half moon is the time to hunt the
'decs. when YOU can trace it early and
late in the day
In describing the manner Of hunting
the deer he intimated that it had the
most scute sense of hearing. seeing and
smelling. 1T can sceut a man two
hundred yards away, and with the
wind should say auarter of mile
away. You can't get deer to run
with the wind when chased. 1t is a
most remarkable instinct of the animal:
it will always run against the wind.
1t wants to smell what is ahead of it,
you see. Then to entlap your game
the maneuverings are about these: The