, 1890-03-16
HUNTING THE SEA OTTER.
HOW THIS COSTLY FUR is GOT
TEN IN WASHINGTON STATE.

Perched High Above the Bmows tho Oar
Ing Hunter Watches with His Ride and
Glasses-UnwrItten Law That Is Care
fully Observed.
1t Is not generally known that some Of the
most expensive fur producing animals are
killed off the coast OF the new state of Wash
ington, and it is remarkable that the extent
OF territory where these animals are taken is
so extremely limited, being only from Da-
mons point, at the northern entrance to
Gray's harbor, up the coast to Point Green
vile, a distance of about twenty-four miles.
Tn animal referred to is the sea otter, the
fur of which Is manufactured into the robes
of the potentates and princes of the Old
World.
Unlike that of the seal. tho fur of the sea
otter requiresno plucking Of hair or coloring;
in fact, the most valuable skins are those
which are sPeckled through with a silver
tipped hair, which is known as the silver
tipped fur, the addition OF this hair adding
IS to 80 per cent. to the price of the skin.
There are now several hunters engaged in
killing sea offers at the place referred to, and
the modus operandi of taking them was very
interesting to me.
THE "CRow's NEST"
The hunters build themselves derricks 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 n huge tripod. These
are set on the ocean beach, about midway be-
tween high and low tides, the foot OF the poles
being imbedded 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 in
land.
About eighteen inches below the top of the
tripod, cross timbers are secured to the legs,
and upon these cross TIMBER a floor from
four to five feet square is laid, and on the
oceanward and two adjoining sides walls are
built up from three and a half to four feet in
height. On the land side, a door is construct
ed to allow the hunter easy ingress and egress
to and from his crows nest" On the top Of
the tripod, which extends about eighteen
inches above the floor, a seat is constructed
and around the inside of the wall a row of
shelving is placed.
AT low tide, when the wind is propitious,
the hunter HES himself to his crows nest,
armed with a good pair OF glasses, a Sharpe
rifle and a lunch, and for six long hours he
scans the line of the ocean just outside OF the
breakers, where he most expects his game to
appear. When the tide first begins to food
his range is about GOO yards, but as it runs
in the range is shortened to 200 or 800 yards.
Even at these latter distances 1t 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 out OF 100 shots Of the
best marksmen is effective. When the tide
is full the derrick stand in the midst of the
breakers, and a land lubber like myself feel
N Httla pnfoh lAnlfn~ lAurn fro-, a..
dizzy heights on the rolling waters below.
The shooting is generally done on a foo
tide, so the animal, when killed, will wasl
ashore, and even then it Is sometimes three o
four days after one is killed before it 1
beached. Undoubtedly many others ar
killed and never do come ashore.
MEANS OF IDENTIFICATION.
Each hunter marks his bullets with a mari
known to the other hunters, and when al
otter is found on the beach the first duty o
tho finder is to look for the bullet and ascer
tain who is the rightful owner, for this sigr
is respected among the hunters as sacredly a.
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 a 'slick
ear, u in stockmen's parlance, and belongs to
the finder.
Sometimes an otter, on receiving a death
shot, sinks; but the hunter generally 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
coloring 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 vita
many an otter killed by the white hunters.
l have had occasion many times TO pass along
the beach at daylight during the hunting
season, but l 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 go fifteen or twenty miles to
sea and stay out several days. But when
they hunt along within a 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 otter is skinned whole, as 1t were,
by cutting across the launches and stripping
the skin down the body and over the head.
The skin is then turned, the fur in, and a
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 contrariwise 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 feet long by
twelve inches wide, double, or, when cut,
twenty-four inches wide, and, in the hunters
hand, Is valued at from 500 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
brings from 1900 to 5000, while in China
even more is sometimes paid.
The season for killing sea otter extends
from May to October, and 80 scarce is this
game becoming that four a season is consid-
cred doing well by any hunter. In fact, some
pass the season without taking any.
The hunters have a rule among themselves
which is strictly observed-that only one
derrick can be allowed within a range, /. e.,
about a half mile, thus giving the whole
beach a regularity of appearance not else
where observable.-Portland Oregonian.
Ono Sale In Three Years.
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