Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-30
FRANK M'COY's COON HUNT.

Frank Mccoy, OF Pine Mills, in the
Susquahanna lumber region, makes no
profession OF being hunter, writes 2
correspondent of the New York Times
but having confidence enough in himself
to think that he could shoot Good if he
could find one, he borrowed shotgun
and dog few days ago and started out to
look for coon. Not knowing that man
might as well look for eels on a scrub oak
barren as to hunt for c0ons in the day
time, MIR. Mccoy secured the country for
miles around, patiently and piuCkily
keeping his eye out for the coon ne con
fdently believed he would be able to lay
low. The dearth OF eoons finally became
SO apparent TO the patient and persistent
hunter that he turned mis- face homeWard.
He had reached hollow along Pine
Greek, when his borrowed dog showed the
first sign of being disconnected by any
thing in the shape of game. The dog
began to bristle up and groWl and act as
If he had q grudge against q cIump Of
bushes few rods away.
Believing that q coon had at last been
started, and fully satisfied that it is to
the man that waits that every thing comes,
Mr.. Mccoy prepared TO load the coon
with shot as soon SIS the tardy animal
showed itself out OF the bushes. He
''sieked' the dog on, aud the dog growled
and barked louder and louder. Mccoy
drew cautiously near to the thickeG, and
finally began TO part the bushes to get a
sight at the coon, is the coon would not
come out OF the brush to be sighted.
Mccoy did not see the coon, but his eyes
rested on a big bear that stood in rep0se
behind the bushes, evidently celebrating
on what course he would pursue.
There was the stump OF fallen tree
few feet to McCoy's right. TWAS about
four feet high. Mccoy did not pause to
deliberate On what course he would pursue,
but proceeded at once to annihiIa5e the
distance between himself and the stump.
He did il in three jumps. at q single
bound he mounted the stump. The DOG
had not yet seen the bear, and still sup
posed he vas showing off for the benefit
Of the coon, and he stood still and brist-
led and growIed, probably interprising
the celebrity and AGILITY Of the hunter TO
mean that he could get better shot
from the stump. By that time the bear
had decided on his course. He broke
through the brush and came out toward
the dog like log rolling down hill. The
astonished dog quit bristling, and turning
tail On the bear went to hu5tling, Mccoy
be6hOUghb him Of his gun, and, taking
aim at the bear, blazed away. The gun
was loaded with fine shot, and the charge
took effect in one of the bears eyes, put
ting it out. That probably saved the dog
from impending peril, for with a howl
that nearly shook Mccoy from the stump
the bear TUNED and charged on the hum
ter on his perch.
alb he
the dog time TO recover himself, and he
came back, and grabbing the bear by the
hind foot, leaned back and braced him
self. The dog was big and strong, and
the bear stopped. He was undecided,
however, whether to turn and ohids the
dog or lunge forward and chastise the
hunter. Pending decision in the case
Mccoy let 90 his remaining barrel a5 the
bear as the latter hung poised, as iSwere,
between 500 opinions. It is not known
where III Che bear, if anywhere, the second
charge took effect, but the result OF the
shot evidently paralyzeing bruin, for he
remained hating where he was, the
dog Juggling ct his hind feet, while Nc
Coy on his stump loaded and fred several
times at him.
At last the bear seemed to arrive at the
conclusion that things were not going on
as they should, for he gave sudden kick
with the leg the dog was doing his best
to chew in two, and the dog tumbled to
earth ten feet away. The bear then re-
sumed his interrupted advance on the
hunter. It was in expectation of some
such a termination OF the bears deIibera-
ton Mccoy had reserved his ammunition,
and is was not until he saw the whites of
the enemy's eyes aud the root OF his
tongue through the wide open jaws that
he gave himself the order to fire. The
contents OF both barrels entered the
bears mouth and lodged somewhere in
the interior, but tho bear kept right on.
Mccoy leaped from the stump fully re-
solved on hasty aud unbroken fight, but
as he jumped he noticed blood pouring
from the bears month in streams, and
having had some experience IN hog kill
ing, he knew that not even big bear
could last long with such waste of blood
as that; he concluded 10 take the risk of
banei ing around SO he could be in at
bruins death.
With the intention of fastening the
catastrophy, he took out mis- knife and
waited for the beac, as it came staggering
toward him, and when itreached him, he
gras ped il by one ear and sank the knife
deep in the bears head. But the dying
brute had more strength than Mccoy
sus pected, and before he could draw his
knife to use it again. bruin dealt bin a
blow with one of his paws that knocked
the over-confident hunter down. Fortu-
nately for Mccoy the dog was not salts
fed with the part he had taken in the
combat, and just as the bear smote Nc
Coy 10 the earth, the dog pitched in again
and drew the bears attention away from
Mccoy. That was the last thing the dog
ever did except to die, for with one sweep
of the bears fore-paw the dogs coon
hunting days were over.
In the meantime McCoy had managed
TO get on his feet, convinced that stuck
hog and wounded bear was not OF the
same capacity and resolved TO carry out
the intention he had on leaving the
stump. He started to run, but heard
heavy fall and looking back saw the big
body of the bear stretched dead on the
ground. McCoy's knife was still sticking
in mis- head, the blade having sunk deep
in the brain. Mccoy went after help, and
the bear YVES carried to Pine Mills. Mccoy
assuring his com panions on the way that
no one should ever go coon hunting IN
less loaded for bear.
Chased by Rhinocer0us.
Whatever it was about me that attract
ed his attention, writes Rider Hsggerd in
II