Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-12-13
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oNEg OF THE ANIMALS YOU CAN'T
cATCHslN A TRAP OUT or WATER.

Him Out of Tree-His Habits In Winter,
Especially the Long Fast
"Did you ever hear any one say he had
trapped coon?" said p. B. Eyler, of
Pittsburg, who has been spending a few
days on Lake Keuka, and says that if
there is anything he knows all about it's
coons. T" If any one ever told you he
trapped coonin the woods he told what
never happened Coons can't be trapped
except in one way, and l never found
coon hunter yet who knew how it was
done, ltii
The coon leaves the coldest scent be-
hind it of any animal that lives, but it
carries the keenest scent in front Of it of
anyiauit1al. o1 You may track a coon to
his home in the creyice of some rock,
which is a favorite retreat for him. You
may place your trap in front of the hole,
and disguise it as you may, cover it with
leaves a foot deep, if you like, but that
coon will never leave that hole as long
as that trap is there. He will starve to
death first, as l have proved on more
than one occasion. He can smell the
iron of that trap, and he seems to know
knows it will be death to leave the hole,
and he prefers death by starvation TO
being trapped. / have tried iron traps
and snares and all sorts of devices, but
could not succeed in fooling one of these
wise little animals into getting caught
by me, until one day a new idea struck
me. 1t isn't often you see a coon in the
daytime, unless you know where to look
for them. If there is creek in your
vicinity in which erawfish are plentiful,
you will be likely to discover some cpl
curean coon fishing for them, if you hide
at the side of the creek and keep very
quiet. @. -a -'
The coon is particularly fond of
crawfish. The way he fishes for them is
to wade in the creek, generally going
down the stream. The crawfish live un-
der the stones on the bottom. The coon
feels under each stone he comes to with
his fore paws, thrusting one Under on
one side and the other on the other side.
1t is comical sight to see a coon fishing
for crawfsh, He keeps his head high in
the air, moving it up and down and to
and fro, his eyes evidently gazing at
centrated on the business beneath the
water. You can tell in second when
he has fastened on crawiish, for the ex-
preston on his face changes instantly
from the dull, vacant stare to one of
brightness and animation. He draws
the crawfish out of the water, and, stand
ing on his hind feet, rolls it smartly be-
tween his paws. This crushes the shell
and claws Of the crawiish, and makes
the sweet meat more accessible. The
coon cats his capture = i,i great relish,
and then begins the search for another
one.
While watching coon fishing III this
way one day got the new idea of trap
ping for coons. thought that by plac-
ing a steel trap under the water in the
creek where coons did their fishing they
could be deceived, aud more than likely
caught. ] tried the experiment sank
two traps at different places on a favorite
crawtishing route for coons, and the
same afternoon found coon in each
trap. And that is the only way you can
trap q coon.
l often hear hunters talk about smok.
4
have been located. If they say they have
done; the smoking by burning straw or
leaves or substances of that Kind, don't |
believe them. Coon hunters in western
Pennsylvania know by long experience
that there is only one thing, the smoke |
of which will force Il coon to beat re-
treat from his hollow tree. You may
burn leaves or straw till the cows come
home, but you won't get your coon. You
can hear him sneezing every little while |
like man with the hay fever, but that
is all the effect the smoke will have on
him. If you want TO get your coon by |
smoking him out of the tree, you must |
take what we call a sulphur match over
in western Pennsylvania. The coon
hunting sulphur match is made by melt |
ing down quantity of sulphur in a
saucer and saturating u strip of muslin a |
few inches long and an inch or two wide |
in IT, When you run your coon into q |
hollow tree all you've got to do is to put |
youl sulphur match at the bottom of the |
hole and light it. 1t won't be burning |
ten seconds before Mr. Coon VIII pop out |
of his hollow as if he'd been shot from a
catapiilt, and then if you don't get him
it's yoar fault.
IEJrer read anything about the habits |
Of tl.s coon yet that didn't say that the
anim.l lays up stores to subsist on dur
ing the winter, and never met anybody |
who pro:eased to know anything about
coons THAI didn't hold the same thing
4 coon depends ON stores it collects to
set'it through winter just about as much
as the lear does, and everybody knows |
that the bear goes 10 sleep in his hole
when the weather drives him in. and |
doesn1 general!y wake up until spring.
and 90 he cant eat much The coon
does the same thing, except that he will
wake up uow and then ON some fine day
and take little stroll through the cou,l-
try When he goes to his winter home
he rells himself with his nose between
his hind legs, and very close to his hams,
at that and gives himself upt oblivion.
When he comes out in the spring he's as
thin as a shadow I've cut down dozens
Of coon trees in the winter, and always
al. Il.