The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-04-17
HUNTING The SEA OTTER.
Queer Method of Obtaining Fur that Is
More Valuable Than Sealsl<in.

y
where these animals are taken is SO ex-
tremely limited, being on from Da
mons Point, at the northern entrance,
to Gray's harbor up the coast, to Point
Greenville, distance of about twenty
four miles. The animal referred to Is
the sea otter, the fur of which IS man
ufactured into the robes of the poten-
tates and Princes of the Old World.
Unlike that of the seal, the fur of the
sea otter requires no plucking of hair
or coloring; in fact. the most valuable
skins are those which are speckled
throughout with 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 offers at the place
referred to, says 4 writer in the Port
/ land Oreq0niaR and the moduS-oper
andi of taking them was very interest
ing to me.
The hunters build for themselves
derricks about forty feet high by TAX
ing three slim poles or pieces of tim
her. each about forty feet in length,
and, boiling them securely together lit
one end for the top. they then spread
them about twenty-five feet apart at
the bottom. giving the appearance OF II
huge tripod These are set on the
ocean beach, about midday between
| nigh and low tides. the foot of the
poles being embedded in the sand from
TWO to three feet. The structure Is
then thoroughly braced, and a ladder
built to the top by mailing pieces at
| convenient distances crosswise on the
/ inside
About 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 oceauward
and two adjoining sides walls are built
up from three and half to foia' feet
/ in height. On the land side door is
constructed to allow the hunter easy
ingress and egress to and from his
''crow's nest" On the top of the trl-
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-
tlOuS, tliG Iuutcl HIS lilHlSCll w h.S
crows nest, armed with a good pair of
| glasses, Sharp's rifle, lunch, and a
| little something to keep himself warm,
and for six long hours he scans the line
| of the ocean just outside the breakers,
where he most expects his game to APP
! pear. When the tide first begins to
| flood his range is about 600 yards, but
as ii runs in the range is shorted to
| 200 or 800 yards. Even at these latter
distances it requires close calculation
to know just how to shoot to overcome
the rise and fall of the ocean swell and
| the effect of the wind upon the bullets.
1t is said that not one of the 100 shots
! of the best marksmen is effective.
The shoot is generally done on a
flood tide, so the animal, when killed,
will wash ashore, and even then it. is
sometimes three or four days after one
is killed before it is beached. Undoubt-
edIy many others are killed and never
do come ashore.
Each hunter marks his bullets with a
mark known to the other hunters. and
when an otter is found on the beach
the first duty of the finder is to look
for the bullet and ascertain who is the
rightful owner, for this is respected
among the hunters as sacredly as marks
and brands are among stockmen.
! When an otter comes ashore with no
bullet in him, as frequently occurs, the
bullet having gone clean through the
body, and no notice having been given,
it is regarded as ''slick-ear' in stock
mems parlances, and belongs to the
finder
Sometimes an otter. on receiving q
death-shot, sinks; but the hunter gen
orally knows when he has hit his mark.
BY observing the water with his glasses,
he can discern, even at the greater
distances which they shoot, the color
ing of the water from the blood of the
| animal; and if he does not come ashore
on that tide, notice is at once given to
the other hunters, who are then on the
alert to find him. But l opine that
beach combers, in the shape of stealthy
Indians, get away with many an otter
killed by the white hunters. | have
had occasion many times to pass
along the beach at daylight during
the hunting season, but I always
found the fiat tracks of the siwash just
ahead of me, printed there since last
high tide.
The Indians hunt the sea otter in
canoes, going out and coming in
| through the surf, sometimes they 90 tif-
teen or twenty miles to sea and stay
out several days. But when they hunt
along within mile or two of the
shore. then 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 OF
ter is skinned whole, as it were, by
cutting across the launches and strip
| ping the skin down the body and over
the head. The skin is then turned,
the fur in, and board showed through
it. 1t is then frightened by driving a
wedge-shaped' piece down on one side
between the board and the skin, and
| another contrarywise on the other. All
the grease is then carefully removed.
and the skin is dried and laid 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 from 800 to $l20 but these prices
leave a handsome margin to the fur
| men who handle them. In Russia an
overcoat made from these same otter
skins bring from $1,000 to $1,000,
while in China even more is sometimes
paid.
The season for killing sea otter ex-
tends from May to October, and so
scarce is this game becoming that four
a season is considered doing well by
l., Al
season without taking any.
The hunters have rule among
themselves-which is strictly observed
that only one derrick can be allowed
within range, i. e., about half mile,
thus giving the whole beach a regular
ity of appearance not elsewhere OBJ
seryable.
The Irony of Fate.
''Well, friend of other DAYS. how are