The national leader., 1889-01-19

County,, IN. a. Oh Ills way LO Lu6 DedI
regions, near the headwaters of the
Slnnamahoning Creek, says he takes
more solid comfort hunting bears Tor
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 lie
said:
SETTING THE TRAP.
I After have selected spot where
~ ant to set a trap find fallen tree
about foot in diameter. On the trunk
of the tree place the butts of small
logs, one on top Of the other, Just as
they do In building up a log hut. and
let the other ends spread out on the
ground ia the shape of letter Y, with
the point of the tree trunk. Then l
drive nail in the 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
the bait and run off with it. Oh. no,
l don't set any trap then. The bear
has no difficulty in hooking the bait
and making off with it, 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 be will come nosing
around again within week as 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 little bear will smell
it when he is mile away, and hustle
around and nose about until he finds
1t. In cold weather the meat will
freeze right up, and bears nostrils
can't scent it ten rods away. That is
one reason why trap bears in October,
and the other reason is because Octo-
ber is the finest month IN all the year
to be out in the woods.
"Just as likely as not he will make
his appearance on the third day. In
order to know whether the meat has
been carried away or not, you have to
visit the place every day. When find
that the meat is gone place fresh bait
directly under where the other has
been hanging, plnning it to the ground
with crOtched salping. Then l set
the trap. place it about three feet
from the bait, and in direct line with
it, making sure that the pan of the
trap is toward the point from which
the bear Is to come. If the pan is
placed toward tie bait, it is more than
likely that the bear will bring his foot
down too near the end of the jaws, and
in that case ten chances to one you
will find nothing but BEARS toe or
two when you go the trap. After
have got the trap set nicely covered
with leaves, and have hitched the chain
to either small piece of timber or an
iron claw little larger than my hand.
place stick as large as my leg
across the logs at the month OF "
shaped enclosure, and then go away.
MAD AS A HORNET.
Everything is now ready for him TO
nose around. and when he gets to the
stick that lies across the mouth or the
pen he will not try to push 1t away.
He will not even try to ra1se 1t up
with his nose or to crawl under 1t, but
be Will lift up one of his fore feet,
throw it over Inc stick, and bring it
down on to the trap. Then there Is
some tall thrashing around, for the
bear is just then one of the most as
tonished animals in creation, and In
lis wild attempts to free his foot he
breaks down the bushes and tears
things up generally. He is madder
than 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 bit, does
everything he can think of to coax the
trap to open its jaws and nurses his
F,~F,-