The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-26
AN OLD HUNTER.
Sport AS It Is Down on Cumberland
Island Among Bear and Deer.

Sport AS It Is Down on Cumberland
Island Among Bear and Deer.
A. W. BedIer in Atlanta CA Journal
"You may say what you please, but my
hounds would make pretty music this morn
ing let out after bear or deer"
So spoke Hon. John Fl. Dilworth, of
Cumberland Island, and member of the
late state Senate from that district
Mr.. Dilworth is a famous hunter and
needs but little encouragement to tell of
some of his hunting exploits.
AS he spoke, he half closed one;of his blue
eyes and put up his hand to feel the nipping
breeze from the north.
Eyes, sir" he resumed, "Id give deer a
fine run if 1 was at home this morning"
SCOT some good dogsp
"SOme tip-top ones. We lose, on an
average, about fifteen dogs year, though"
"HowW
1.-THE alligators kill them. When the
weather is warm the deer will take to the
water, and in every little pond on the
island there's a score or two of alligators,
As the deer swims out the hounds follow,
velping as loud as they can, which attracts
the alligators.
You may then say goodbye to some of
your dogs If you'll watch you'll see one
or two dogs suddenly disappear, leaving a
lot of bubbles on the water, and maybe
some blood, and that's the last of that dog.
The gators hold him under the water until
he is drowned and then swim ashore with
him, where they'll tear him in pieces and
devour him."
sDo they ever catch deer?'
Eyes, have known them to pull a deer
under, but not often. The yelping Of the
hounds attracts them, and then they love
dog meat, 1 believe, better than anything
else"
''What else do you hunt on the island?'
sWe have thousands of ducks, but want
bigger game than that, and generally go for
either deer or bear, and there's some fun in
hunting coon. When the tide rises, the
coons all leave the marshes and come out on
the high land, where they climb into the
tall trees and wait for the tide to go down.
| went out the other day and killed fifteen
in a little while.n
"How do you hunt the bearsg"
'With my dogs and my old muzzle loader.
Pm afraid to risk breech loader. l also
set steel traps for them. found one Of my
traps shut the other day. and In it were
three bears toes.
About a week after that my dogs freed
something up big pine tree. rode under
the tree thinking it was coon. The bushes
were very thick, but as soon as / could get
a view of the tree saw large bear Rugged
close to the tree trunk. My gun was loaded
with No. s shot, and knew IL shot him
with those he'd make his escape. put
spurs to my horse and galloped as hard as
could to the house, half mile dis
tant, loaded my gun with buckshot
and returned as quickly as /
could. The dogs were still baying the bear,
and among them was a shepherd dog that is
a great coon dog. fired load into the
bears back and down be came like two
thousand of brick. The shepherd dog
thought had killed a coon, and rushed
forward to shake il. When he saw the
bear struggling, just thought he'd break
his neck getting out of the way. He seemed
TO feel mad at me, because he evidently
thought I'd put up job on him."
"Are the Cumberland bears very Zero
cious"
"No, sir. They're the biggest towards in
the world. Last Sunday / was driving
along the road In a little two wheeled gig.
| saw bear just ahead OF me in the edge OF
a field close 20 the road l whipped up my
horse. and as soon rs the bear saw me he
broke into long, swinging trot. He took
the road, and a. gained on him he broke
into a lopc. My horse backed his ears
and was soon laundering along be-
hind tho bear which was scared
nearly to death. The old fellow