St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-05-03
Written for the FARxER.1
HUNTING.

mences to get warm the hunter
makes his preparations, i. e. he
lays in = supply Of lard oil for hi1
''aambeau," powder, No. 4 drop
shot, caps, coarse salt and pro
visions. He may hunt in the neigh.
b0rhOOd of his home, or he may
travel quite . distance in search 81
his game.
Should he leave his home, he
usually with q companion, will load
his paraphernalia aboard his lugger,
(selecting his smallest and easiest
running ski1 for his tow,) and sc,
sail for the vicinity Of his hunting
ground, where he will camp on the
most convenient spot. A calm dark
night is the best for their purpose,
. low tide preferred. Before sun
down they are busy cleaning their
gun and 6ambeau, transferring into
their skin whatever they may need
for their expedition, and awaiting
darkness with impotence.
At the proper time they start. the
hunter sitting in the bow, gun in
hand, the hat on which his lit fam
beau is fastened on his head. his
companion in the stern guiding and
padding the boat with an oar.
They glide along the shore noise
lesely, exchanging . few words now
and then in An undertone, unmind-
full Of the mosquitoes or Of the
grass that occasionally impedes
their progress.
The hunter turns his head in
every direction. The darkness and
m~onOtony OF the night are only re-
lieved BY the fash Of the bull's-eye
on the water, and the humminx ol
mosquitoes. As soon ~ IN alliga-
tor is in sight (only his eyes are
seen, each resembling . coal Of fire.
the hunter motions to his compan-
ion by q series Of signals previously
agreed upon, the coarse to be taken,
at what rate to travel, and when to
stop.
When within four or five feet oil
the alligator the hunter can see his
head Qnite distinctly he then sig
mails to his comrade to stop. Point
ing (nOt aiming) the gun 1t the
head Of the animal 50 that the muz-
zle thereof is about six or eight
inches from his skull, he discharges
1t between the two Goals of IRE.
The gun is quickly placed in the
skin, and, provided with his gaff,
search is made for the crocodile
without loss Of time. II he 10 IN
expert hand he does not need any
hook, but with lightning r.pidity
will try to catch hold Of his game by
the fore feet or by the jaws. With
the assistance Of his companion he
will drag him in the skin and cut
his backbone, to prevent him from
doing any mischief.
As soon As shot the alligator
thus the necessity Of . hook.
lit is usually like . muss hook, be-
ing about d OF 3 inches in diam
eter, and fastened to . pole, the
Of the latter depending upon
the depth Of the water.)
1t is not always m easy matter
to find an alligator, as sometimes
they are ten VI twelve feet away
from the place where they were
shot. But rarely will an experi-
enced hunter lose one. The hunt
ers then continue their hunt till
either the moon makes its appear.
ance or the scarcity Of game neces-
their return to camp. Next
morning they are busy SHINING and
the hides. y
Another way, but not near - re-
munerative, is to catch them with .
hook. The hunter sets out Is or
70 hooks in the evening, using .
No. l hook. or rather two hooks
Wrapped together tightly with Irvine.
The hook is hung 1 or 5 inches
above the water, baited With . bird.
} fresh piece of pork or . fish. The
Ind Of the line Is secured firmly
the water to . pole driven
'lanting in the bottom Of the lake
bayou. The line-rather slack-|
hen passes to the top Of the pole,
which 10 about four feet above the
xater, running through . slit made
herein, and from there It bangles
Alligaton coming along
Efll swallow the bait and hook,
tart to swim Oh - far q the slack
sill allow, and remain there till the
.snter comes along and dispatches
hem.
Like all other animals, alli9ators
Don ''learn the ropes" Let the
miss him, and be will disap-
'ear the very next time be sees 81
lambeau ; or he may allow the hum
er to approach . certain distance
nd then vanish, or be may swim
Il with the hunter in pursuit until
either sinks or ID killed.
Where alligators have been "edu-
ated," or destroyed in any quanti-
y, BY the use Of the famheau. a
D small lakes, it Is very difficult to
pproach them. Hunters then have
ecourse to hooks ; but - . rule the
hunter win spurn the hook,
here b not enough excitement and
port In It for him.
The steel trap b also sometimes
sed, but not to any extent. In
fances are on record where ALI.
ators have been caught in seines
nd cAaf>nofa Old h~uu%oru da1SUA&