New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-04
ADVENTURES IN POCONO MOUNTAINS.
AN OLD TRAPPER TELLS OF SPORT WITH
PANTHDRS, DEER AND BEAR.

An OlJD IKAPPER IELl'o Or SrOr'-~ wa
PANTHBRs, DEER AND BE,R
Scranton Penn, Jan. 3.-Eli Benedict, an aged
hunter and trapper, has lived in the Pocono Noun
talns since 1923. He has killed hundreds OF deer
sixty odd bears a score Of wolves and forty or fifty
panthers. On being asked few days ago to relate
some Of his most dangerous experiences with wild
animals. Mr.. Benedict said
When this region nearly all covered with dense
woods, and wild animals roamed over every mile OF
1t, there no fOurfooted creatures that | liked
t. kill 50 much as ! did panthers. Fiftyfour years
ago this winter l followed panther's track for two
days. ! had two good dogs with me- and | started
the panther on Pocono Knob. kept the dogs
with me all the time. holding them in check with eel
shn strings and not letting them loose until had
nearly overtakcn the beast. The snow was about
half foot Deep and the panther crossed the POconO
Crccl went into the Paradise Valley. AID then took
over the Oakland Hill, toward where Canaden,is now
is. When night came had followed the panther to
the head Of the Bucl Creek. where shot some birds,
made a little hut ont Of limbs, but fire and put up
for the night
The next morning | started after the panther
as soon as | could see y couple Of miles beyond
where | had slept | found that the panther had lain
in some brush through the night The remains OF
two rabbits were there, and when got "a the spot
the pantter's tracks in the snow showed that the
brute hadn't been gone long. \ panther knows
or 50 behind, and | concluded that this had hur-
rcd from lis nest only a few minutes before. Late
In the afternoon il crossed Knob Pond the ice. 1t
took to the woods on the other side Of the pond and
there | oycrhaucd and freed il Just before dusk.
Then | freed the dogs, and the panther tried TO get
away by caping from tree top to another. It
did this several times before | good chance to
shoot il. When / fired IL fell I'm the snow sprang up
instantly and made leap for me. The dogs saved
LIE. bV attacking IL and turning
, them, and while they were fighting put another
bullet IL the panther and stretched IL Il dead. one
OF the dog, crippled for life.
Another winter / chased a panther through the
snow from the Bushkll Creek 10 the mountain north
Of tl,c Delaware Water Gap. let tho dogs loose be-
fore saw il, and II took to big maple tree when
they began 10 yep. The tree was ,aller and larger
than any trees near it,, and the panther cluug 10 a
limb and screamed at the noisy dogs. Then /
hanged away at it, head, and it went end over end
among the limbs lodged the crotch and got stuck
there. II scratched and screamed. but IL had got
wcded I'm 50 tightly that it couldn't get loose and |
fired AT IT again. The second bullet sienced the
panther II lay limp in The crotch. and as il was
impossible for NE to get leg bold on 50
large tree, | cat a POLE climed up smaller tree
and pushed the panther ont. The fall revived i;
some. aud r. gave my dogs painful scratches be-
fore II died.
81 had & worse tuS~lc with big buck once than
ever mad with panther" continued the old hunter.
D." 1t took place Pine Ill! almost fifty wear, Az.
Whc" the snow Was quite deep II was a new snow
There Wa> no crust or awning that made noise
under my feet and wa, >tll hunting for deer
when discovered the buck not twenty yaris away.
hrcl tine instant saw him throw up his head.
and down he Went suddenly a, though the bullet
tad zone through ID, BRAIN standing my gun against
q ~natched my knife ont NY belt and hurried
20 cut th' buck, throat. y reached down Ia pull
mp hi> head the buck struck out with OF his fore
feet and knocked the knife ont of hand. lie wa,
on all fonr> IN AN instant ana the only thing could
do was Ia grab M, antle, | never saw madden an.
imal. lie >norrd huckcd, struck with his feet and
At HAT time va, As strong and long.winded as
any IN the poconO> but for fifteen or twenty
minute, expected the angry buck would wind me
and luail XIII me First one was down and then the
other. and the only salvation had was in ,ngng to
III, horns. y number ot times the buck doubled him
self up and made great effects to tear with his hind
II was only question OF endurance. for he would have
pounded and trampled me "a death II he had free u,
Of his head and mad tired to run away. 80 hung 10
his horns iiN ana 10y the ouch began to weaken and
myself just about tuckcrcd out. More than half
OF nv clothing was torn OF and there were many cuts
got ont my iockl,nifc while the buck was yanking me
about the snow, opened II with my teeth and stabbed
the buck In the meek. For half minute he acted
wilder than ever. but clung TO his ancr Till he got
weak and then jumped away. Ile buck soon blcl
t. death, and on examining his head discovered that
my bullet had struck the root of his left antler knocked
him down and temporarily stunned him.
heel crushed during the war lie didn't get the wound
in the army, but in a bear, den on Knob Pond Noun
tain 1852. lie and drove an old She bear and two
cubs under shelving rock on the mountain in
december. We fired into the hole until w,
thought had killed the whole family. the Old
bear having stopped her growing and my companion
volunteered 10 back in his hands and knees and
drag them out cculd't get him 70 go In head first
because he said he could get ont good deal quicker Il
ANYTHING should happen. with his head toward the
opeulng As soon as he was ont OF sight heard Ow
growl I'm the den. and in ten seconds more my com
panion scrambled ont with crushed heel Instead
of being dead the mother bear was very lively and
angry and she had given his heel one snap with her
tcrth and then como back. There iron plate
his heel but that didn't save the bone, and friend
was laid mp for month killed the old bear before
nirhfall and got both of her dead cubs