The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-03
HUNTING THE OTTER.
Dreary Occupation On the Ocean
Coast Of Washington.
rnE sua TAkEs's EYRE.


AbGHd6c8 B31e04
indian Sampson Johns vas IN town this
wesk feeling rood over killing fins so
osesr. Sampson IL quits > noted Indian
and sports medal given him b. The gov
ernmsnt for heroic deeds in Swing he
irom The wrscksd ships Grace and Aber-
corn on The coast from oainanit For
many suns be has watched from his eyre
In vain for shot NJ the sea otter. and now
that he hes succeeded in killing one feels
fulfilled In living in likeness for the rest OF
the summer. The skin Of this one Is .
vesy sns one, being over seven feet ioEg.
and deep black color and Of fine quality;
IL viii bring him not less than 800, and In
New York will sal; for probably 800
The 50 otter. once plentiful of the coast
north Of Grayss harbor, 10 now seldom
seen, and hunters are fortunate who xii
two or three in . year. The hunting
10 . peculiar and dreary occupation.
Both Indians and white men are engaged
in il. The hunters erect hrge tripods by
taking three poles some forty feet long and
boiling them securely tcgether At one end
for the top. they spread them about TWEEN
ty-five feet apart ~ the bottom. These are
set on the ocean beach about midway be-
tween high and low tides, the foot Of the
poles being embedded in The sand from
two 10 three feet The structure Is then
thoroughly braced and q ladder built TO
the top by mailing pieces At convenient dis
tances crosswise on the inside About
eighteen inches below the top Of the tripod
cross tinsbers are secured to the legs. and
upon these cross tiinbcrs floor from four
70 Ave feet square Is laid. and ON the
-a~x{ cd svxts, zfA Uats
are built up from three and hall to four
feet In height Hers the huntsr Is en-
sconced, usually with . long range rifle
and good PAIR of glasses. aud provided
with something 70 eat. as be may have to
stay six or twelve hours.
At Chehalis there is q high rock out in
the ocean where hunter has nest which
be was compelled 10 remain in over two
months ON account OF extreme bad weather
preventing anyone reaching him from
land, and he weil-nigh starved to death.
bat expecting siege he had prepared for
months stay. The shooting Is generally
done on food tide. SO the animal, when
killed, will wash ashore, and even then it
Is sometimes three or four days after one Is
killed before II il beached. Undoubtedly
many others are killed and never do come
ashore. Each hunter marks his bull
let with = mark known TO, other
hunters. and when the otter Is found
on the beach the first duty of the
finder Is 70 look for the bullet and ascer-
tain who ID the rightfui owner, for the sign
IL respected among the hunters as sacredIy
rs marks and brands are among stockmen.
When IN otter comes ashore with no bullet
IN him, ~ frequently occurs. the bullet
having gone clean through the body. and
no notice having been given, 1t belongs TO
the finder. The prices realized by the
hunters range from 800 70 $l25, which
leaves . handsome margin for the dealer.
In Russia and even New York sea otter
cvercoat u worth from u 600 to 5000.
Sea otters are now only found from
Dsmon's Point at the northern entrance
TO Gray's harbor, up the coast 70 Point
Greenville, . distaucc Of about twenty -four
miles.