New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-12
HTNTING THE SEA OTTER
From The Portland Orcgonian.


II j. not general, known that some OF ihc most ,
valuable fur producing animal, are killed on inc
coast Of the new stat" Of Warrington ana II ~ +"
markahc that the extent "i TERRITORY "Fi" 'h' M,
animal, ar. taken /, extremely limited benz "hN
from Damon Point at The northern rn'r,nIs 70
cray, IIarhni. up the coast to Point 'rc'nNlilc
distance of about twenty four miles. The animal re-
fcricd j, the sea otter. the iur OF "h'h }. MN
nfacturcd INTO the robe 81 the po''h'"c' anu P''"
Of the old World ,
The fnr Of the otter rcpnir"s no plnching Of
hair or coIoring. In fact. the most valuable ,hln'
are those which specified throughout win oN''
tipped hair which J., known the silver tipped ilr.
lie addition II This hair adding =, To - pr cent
~ ,hc ucr Of an. skin. The hunter, buiid for them
selves dcrrioh~ about fort, feet hie nN hAlh. "''
slim pole. or piece q" llniD'I, 'n a ,, ~, ,nc
end for the Top, they sprci Them about twenty ~"
feet apart at IN, bottom 1vins the .pp,a,,1'' ,nu
hugo tripod. 1hc-r ct OH the ocean De" H. h"""
midway between high aud low tide. the fool OF 'h'
nIce Lcinp c,nledded In the sand from to three
icri Thc ,tructurc is then thoroughly bracci. ana
ann'' di p1, nros',yir on The inside About
timber, are secured to the leg, and upon these eros
timber, floor from four I" lv" feet sgiarr i Hr'
and on the occanward and t"O adjoining s".'
walls are hnii up ii1 h , ,r, sde door is con.
Structcd 10 allow the hunter easy lngrrss anu
~ and from his crow, nest On the top Of the
:" a," ,,i tends ahou eighteen inches above the
floor seat Is constructed and around the Inside oi
wIcn iic wind is propiious. the hunter HE. himself
10 his crows nest armed with good pair Of ga,scs,
a sharp rife a lunch and little something to Keep
hmseIf warm. and for SIX he scans the line Of
the ocean Just outside Of The brcakcrs. where ne most
nNnccis his came appear. When the noe D'ElnS
ia hood his range T. about 600 yards. but rs IL runs ~
The range is shortened TO 200 or 800 yards, Even ~
these latter distance il requires close calculation 10
r,ow inst how shoot to overcome IN" ri r anu ,ii
Of the ocean swell and the effect oi the wlhd upon wv
hullcs II is said that not one out OF one humnirn
shots Of the best markemcn IS elective Nhrn
,hc midst Of the breakers. and land nhbcr
feels little squeamlsh. looking down from the uky
heights ON the rolling waters below: the shoo,lng
il generally done food tide. 80 the animal Wlci
llcd will wash ashore. and even then u j. some,me
,hrcc ar four DAYS after y killed bcfor" u
he.ched Undoubtedly many others are hihcu NJ"
rnvcr do come ashore. Fich hintrr I"hI.,
Ia. INLET with "A mark known to DINER hune's' ii.n
,,hen an otter i found the beach the hr>I un,y
az the finder Is to look for the bullet anu asccr'
who Is the rghtful owner for the sign Is rcspcct"
,mong the hunters sacrcdly a. marks ana Dishus
are among soc smen. When an otter comes ashorr
With mo- bullet In him. frequently occurs the bhile,
having gone clean through the body, ana no houce
having been Given, II belongs to the ilndcr
an average skin is about five feet long ny WE'VE
inches wide tdoublc when cut. twenty four nches
vide and I'm the hunters hands Is valued at from
600 "a 500: but these prices leave a handsome
r,arcin Ia the fur men who handle them. In Russia
an nvcrcoat made from these same otter skins brings
from ~ 900 10 T2 .0oO while In China even NOR.
snmctiuce paid The season for killlng sea oter
cNtcndS from May Ia October and - scarce Is tnc
GANG Incoming that four season i considered doihg
,ro bv any hunter In fact. some pass TIE season
,ifhout fading any. The hunters have "A rule among
thcmseycs which + strictly observed. that Oniy one
acrrIck can he allow within range. l. e.. about hall
y nile Tins giving whole beach regularity OF
appearancc not elsewhere obscrvables