Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-03-12
SPLENDID SPORT.
Something Interesting About Hun
ing Sea OtterS

OF the most expensive fur-produclng
animals are killed off the coast of the
new State of Washington, says the
Portland Oregonial, and it is remark
able that the extent of territoG where
| these animals are taken is so eXtreme-
ly limited, being only from Damon 3
Point at the northern entrance to
| Gray's Harbor up the coast to Point
Greenville, a distance of about twenty
four miles. The animal referred to is
the sea otter, the fur of which is manu-
| factured into the robes of the poten-
tates and princes of the Old World.
Unlike that of the seal, the fur of ths
sea otter requires no plucking of hair
or cOloring; in fact the most valuabls
skins are those which are speckled
| throughout with a silver-tipped hair,
which Is known as the silver-tipped fur,
the addition of this hair adding % to
30 per cent. to the price of the skin.
There are now several hunters en-
gagged IN killing sea otters at the place
referred to, and the modus operandi of
taking them was very interesting to me.
The hunters build for themselves der
ricks about forty feet high by taking
three slim poles or pieces of timber,
each about forty feet in length, and,
| boiling them securely together at one
end for the top they spread them about
twenty-five feet apart at the bottom,
giving the appearance of a huge tripod.
These are set on ocean beach, about
midway between high and low tides,
the foot of the poles being embedded in
| the sand from two to three feet. The
structure is then thorougly braced, aud
a ladder built to the top by mailing
pieces at convenient distances cross
| wise on the inland.
Aboui eighteen inches below the top
| of the tripod cross timbers are secured
to the legs, and upon these cross tim
bers a floor from four to five feet
square is laid; and on the oceanvard
and two adjoining side walls are built
| up from three and half to four feet in
height On the land side a door is
constructed to allow the hunter easy in
gress and egress to and from his
''crow's nest" On the top of the tn
pod, which extends about eighteen
inches above the floor, seat is con-
structed and around the inside of the
wall row of shelving is placed.
At low tide, when the wind is propi-
tious, the hunter hies himself to his
crows nest, armed with a good pair of
glasses, Il Sharps rifle, a lunch, and a
little something to keep himself warm,
! and for SIX long hours he scans the line
of the ocean just outside of the break
| ers, where he most expects his game to
appear. When the tide first begins to
| f:od his range Is about 600 yards, but
as 1t ms IN the range is shortened to
200 or 300 yards. Even at these latter
| distances 1t requires close calculation
to know Just how to shoot to overcome
the rise and fall of thu ocean swell and
| the effect of the wind upon the bullets.
/ 1t is said that not one out of 100 shots OF
the best marksmen is effective. When
| the tide is full the derrick stands in the
mi ist of the breakers, and land lub-
ber like myself feels little squeamisl
looking down from the dizzy height.
on the rolling waters below. 4
| The shooting Is generally done on q
| flood tide, so the animal, when killed,
| will wash ashore, and even then 1t Is
sometimes three or four days after one
is killed before IT Is reached Undoubt
do come ashore.
Each hunter marks his bullet with 6
malk known to other hunters, and
when an otter is found on the beact
the first duty of the finder Is to lool
for the bullet and ascertain who is tn.
rightful owner, for this sign is respect
ed among the hunters as sacredly a:
marks and brands are among stockmen.
| When an otter comes ashore with nc
ballet in him, as frequently occurs, the
bullet having gone clean through the
body, and no notice having been given
| IS regarded as a ''slick-ear" In stock
mems parlance, and belongs to the find
er.
| Sometimes an otter, on receiving &
shot, sinks; but the hunter generally
knows when he has hit his mark. By
observing the water with his glasses b,
can discern, even at the greater dis
tances which they shoot, the coloring o.
the water from the blood of the animal
and If he does not come ashore on tha
tide, notice Is at once given to the
other hunters, who are then on the
alert to find him. But L opine tina
beach combers, in the shape of stealthy
Indians, get away with many an ottel
killed by the white hunters. L hav,
had occasion many times to pass alons
the beach at daylight during the hunt
ing season, but L always found the fla
tracks of the siwash Just ahead of me
printed there since last high tide.
The Indians hunt the sea otter il
canoes, going out and coming in through
the surf Sometimes they go fifteen o.
twenty miles to sea and stay ont seve
raj days. But when they hunt along
within a mile or two of the shore thel
there Is blood on the face of the moon
and the white hunter -'waxeth wroth,
for the Indian scares away his game
When taken the otter is skinned whole
as 1t were, by cutting across the haun
ches and stripping the skin down tn
body and over the head The skin i
then turned, the fur in, and a boar,
showed through it. 1t is then tightene,
by driving a wedge-shaped piece dow
on one side between the board and tn
skin, and another contrariwise on tn
other. All the grease Is then CAREFUL
removed, and the skin is dried and laiC
away ready for the market
An average skin Is about five fee
long by twelve inches wide (double) or
when cut twenty-four inches wide, and
in the hunters hands, is valued at fror
$50 to S120; but these prices leave
handsome margin to the fur men VIII
handle them. In Russia, an overcoa
made from these same otter skins
!; brings from 81, 900 to g., 200, while i
China even more is sometimes paid.
The season for killing sea otter ex
tends from May to October, and S
!, scarce is this game becoming that fou
season is considered doing well b
any hunter. In fac, some pass til
season without taking any.
The hunters have rule among them
/, selves-which is strictly observed-ths
y only one derrick can be allowed With
a range. e., about a half mile, thu
= giving the whole beach a regularity c
!, appearance not elsewhere observable.
d FauItleSs Gloves.
: Mrs Morton, wife of the vice pres
J, dent, who has the credit of being a
, ways the most perfect gloved woman {