St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-14
LASSOING A GRIZZLY.
How the Lariat Is Used in
the Rockies to Catch
Bears.
Played-0ut Ponies Used for
Bait in Drawing
Bruin.
Horses Which Think Nothing
OF Jumping Clean Over
q Bear.
The Very Latest Bear Story
as 1t Comes From the
Effete East.

before the march of our
civilization. Nearly third of century
ago, says writer in the New York
when l was an officer of the
regular army stationed at a remote mill
tary post in New Mexi co, the foothills
and the main ranges of the Rocky
swarmed with bear. 1t was
the most exciting of all sports to go
with party of Mexican vaqueros, or
white cowboys. from the then great
cattle ranches. to catch bears alive with
the lariat. or lasso. as the rope is best
known in the Eastern states. The pre-
lminaries to this sort of a hunt
are that two of the selected number,
experts with the rope, of course, wheth-
er to capture the grizzly, cinnamon, or
common brown bear, go out a day or two
i'll advance, to look over the ground or
the proposed chase. which sometimes
covers an area of three or four square
miles. This is done for the purpose OF
learning the whereabouts of holes. ra-
vines and other dangerous places that
the hunting party will necessarily have
to ride through on the evening of the
sport.
A played-out pony is taken along, and
when the spot has been selected for lay
ing the bait, the poor animal is killed.
His viScera are then drawn out, in
order that the bear may scent the
effiuvia at a greater distance than he
could if the animal were left
intact. A whole quarter of the pony
is then cut off, fastened by rope to the
horn of one of the mems saddles, and
dragged all over the entire ground, after
which proceeding it IS. taken back, and
left with the remainder of the carcass;
but great precautiOn is exercised to
cover the whole bait pretty well with
brush, to prevent the DuZZardS from de-
vouring it before the bear finds il.
The party which has been made up
previously, as stated, do not start out
for the place until the second evening
sometimes they wait for the third-the
second is the one genera lily chosen, how
ever. Not more than five or six in
dividualS participate in the hunt. as
more than that number are too many
for good sport, half of them, like my
self on such occasions, merely look
erS on, all tue work being done by
three or four of the others. When the
time has arrived for the party to set
out, all are mounted on horses; those
who are to do the business with the
bear are on those that have been drilled
to the use of the rope; it is pot at all
necessary that their animals should be
particularly fast; but must be lively,
and know exactly what to do the mo-
ment the bear is roped. The party gen
orally endeavOr to arrive where the bait
is LAID, about dusk; it having been
placed on an open, clear piece Of ground,
r1a.,pf slrn nt
obstacles to interfere with straight for
ward riding; but it must be within a
few hundred yards of ledge, or rather
kind OF shelter. where the party may
hide, so that the bear will not see any
of the men or horses as he approaches
the bait.
A horse trained to hunt the bear in
this manner soon learns to understand
what the necessary silence of the eXpe-
dition means, and after few times
seems to take as much interest in the
sport as the men themselves. He lets
his rider know by deep breathings and
pricking up of his ears when to he on a
sharp lookout: and when this occurs,
either Oh the part of the animals, or
only portion OF them. the hunters
know that bruin is OH his way to the
spot. Then they get up from the place
where hey have been lying coll
cealed, mount the animals, and
with rope all ready to throw they
quietly spur the horses forward
though no urging is needed, for the
obedient animals are as eager, appar-
emily, as their riders to capture the
bear. A horse is much sWifter and
nimbler animal than bear, and if
everything has been prepared correctly,
as to proper ground, good bait. a full
knowledge of all holes, ravines, ETC.,
bruin is certain to be overtaken before
ne Can find cover.
The cowboy or vaquero who happens
to be in advance when the bear Is seen
FORCES ahead, and the moment he comes
within throwing distance swings his
rope, almost always sure to catch the
bear by the neck, around the body, or
one leg. If he should by any circnm-
stance miss, the others are by this time
close behind him, and, throwing their
ropes, the bear is caught 10y one
or more in some manner. The mo-
ment the shaggy monster finds him
self in the tolls of the rope, he almost
invariably catches hold of it with his
forepaws, and then it must be drawn
tight quickly or he will soon free MINI
self, for bear is not slow animal III
his movements when in scrape. how
ever clumsy he may appear as he sham
bles along alone in the forest and not
disturbed. Sometimes he will sit up On
his launches and begin to pull the rope
hand overland, and as has been the
case, draws the horse and rider in rather
too close proximity for comfort, espe-
cially if the latter should have his rifle
Or revolver empty at the moment. Such
an instance could only happen where
the bear is monstrous grizzly, but
such an event is on record.
6The instant the bear Is rOped, the
horses sagacity and strength is called
INTO action; he keeps sharp eye on the
of both his master and the
bear, doing all in his power to protect
himself and his rider. Sometimes it
happens that from carelessness OH the
part Of the hunter the bear will run
around the horses legs with the rope,
Outa well-trained animal will, with the
greatest agility and Judgment. clear
himself from the tangling alliance
without a word or motion from his
rider. There are we'll authenticated in
stances on record where, when the bear
has run right up to the horse, the latter.
the bear all the while, instead
il uipluB oluOWdfo az IiC oupICluG
of danger, leaped directly over
oruin, then suddenly turned and faced
The vicious brute. OF course such things
are not common, and can only occur
when the horse is an exceedingly intel
Iigent and perfectly trained animal.
Like soldiers in battle, who expert
ance the sensation of fear only for
or until the firing begins, so
with the horses; the moment he sees
the bear, no matter how great the dis
lance, he trembles, and his heart begins
to thump SO hard that his rider can hear
it; but when he feels the strain of the
rope, and knows that the bear is caught,
his whole manner changes, he no longer
feels the slightest symptom of fear. If
the bear caught is very large one, it
requires two or three ropes to secure
him, as they have fashion OF taking a
rope in their teeth and biting it off, or
bring such strain to bear upon it as to
break it.
The bear now we'll entangled in two
Or three ropes is dragged away; the
hnrCnc with nf MI dc