The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1888-11-24
TRAPPING A BEAR.
HOW 1T is DONE IN THE WlLDs OF
POTTER COUNTY, N. Y.
October the Finest Bear Hunting Season Of
the Ycar-Setting tho Trap for Bruin.
An Angry Animal-A TickIish Under.
taltinr.

October the Finest Bear Hunting Season of
the icar-Settins the Trap for Bruin
An Angry Animal-A TickIish Undcr-
taking.
Benjamin j Jones of Cortland county, N.
y, on his way to the bear regions, near the
headwaters of the Sinnamahoninc creek.
says he takes more solid comfort hunting
bears for n month out in the wilds of Potter
county than he does on his fertile farm in
Cortland during all the rest of the year In
talk with Farmer Jones he said:
SETTING THE TRAP
after have selected spot where | want
to set n trap find a fallen tree about foot
i'll diameter On thetrunk of the tree place
tho butts of small logs, one OH top of the
other, Just us they do in building up log
INT, and let tho other ends spread out on the
ground in the shape of Il letter V, with the
point at the tree trunk Then drive nail
IN tho log and hang the bait on it SO that the
bear can come along the next day, march
right into the log pen with the open front,
grab tho bait and run OFF with it. Oh, no, /
don't set any trap then. The bear has no
difficulty i'll hooking the bait and making or
lit, but he won't come back the next day
after to see if there is any more meat around
there to be gobbled up, but you can set it
down as fact that he will come nosing
around again within week us sure as he
lives
From now until the ground freezes up is
the best time to trap bears out there Their
skins are good from now on, and they can
scent the bait half dozen times further now
Than they can after it gets SO cold that the
bait will freeze. We use almost any kind of
fresh meat for bait, and if it hangs till it gets
tainted n little a bear will smell it when he is
milo away, and hustle around and nose
about until he finds it. In cold weather tho
meat will freeze right up, and u bears nostrils
cant scent it ten rods away That is one rca-
son why trap bears in October, and the
other reason Is because October is the finest
month III all the year to he out in the woods
just rs likely us not he will make his ap.
learancc OH the third day. In order to know
whether tho meat has been carried away or
not, you hnve to visit the place every day
When | tnd that the meat is gone place
fresh bait directly under where tho other has
been hanging, pinning it to the ground with
crotchcd saping. Then set the trap.
place it about three feet from the balt, and in
direct line with it, making suro that the
pan ot the trap is toward the point from
which the bear is to come. If the pan is
placed toward the bait, it is more than likely
that the bear will bring his foot down too
hear the end Of tho jaws, and IN that case ten
chances TO one you will find nothing but u
bears toe or two when you 80 to the trap
After have got the trap set und nicely COW
cred with leaves, and have hitchcd the chain
&" citllern small pieco of timber or an iron
riit" II little larger than my hand, place Il
stick as large as my leg across the logs at tho
mouth of tho V-shapcd enclosure, and then
so away.
MAD AS A HORNET.
'Everythiug liz now ready for him to nose
around, and when he gets to tho stick that
lies across the mouth of the pen he will not
try to push it away. He will not even try to
raise it up with his nose or to crawl under
1t, hut he will lift up one of his fore feet,
throw it over tho stick, and bring it down
right Oh to tho trap. Then there Is some tall
tlrashing around, for the bear Is just then
one Of tho most astonished animals In creu-
ti"n, and In his wild attempts to free his
foot he breaks down the bushes and tears
things up generally. He is maddcr than u
whole nest of hornets over the fix he finds
himself in, but when he learns that the trap
does not hold him to the spot he cools Off u
''N''
The trap to open its jaws and nurses his pain
full foot.
Looking for the bear after you have found
that the trap has been carried away, es-
pr@allly when tho underground is Dense is
very exciting Its ticklish business, for you
don't know what minute you may run foul
Of the bear, and, If you happen to come pat
upon him, he will plunge at you and make
IL noise fhDt. for N Snron6c ,,c,,
he almost beside yourself II there is ever
time that bear will fight any living thing
iis'l, he gets his eye on, 1t is when trap is
making every minute of his lifo miserable.
He acts us though you had something to do
"lth getting him into the trouble, and he does
his best to get square with you for it, OF
course you have u good gun well in hand
when you find him, and tho weight or the
hook on the other end Of the chain keeps him
from making quite us fast speed through the
bushes and over the logs rs you make, and
you soon stop his noise with chunk of lead"
New York Sun.