Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-01-06

THE ROPING OF BRUIN.


mails of the United States are rapidly
vanishing before the march Of our civi.
lization. Nearly y third Of century
ago, when [ was an officer of the regu-
lar army stationed at remote military
post in New Mexico. the foothills and
the main ranges of the Rocky Noun
tains swarmed with bear. 1t was the
most exciting of all sports to go with q
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-
liminaries TO this sort of hunt are that
two of the selected number, experts
with the rope, of course, whether to
capture the grizzly, cinnamon, or com
mon brown bear, 90 out day or two in
advance, to look over the ground Of 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 holos, ravines 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 saken along and
when the spot has been selected for lay
ing the bait, the poor animal is killed.
His viscera are then drawn out, 10 order
that the bear may scent the eifuvia at d
greater distance than he could IL the
animal were left intact a whole quar-,
ter of the pony is then cut of. fastened
by rope to the horn of one the mems
saddles, and dragged all over the entire
ground, after which proceeding it il
taken back, and left with the remainder
Of the carcass but great precaution is
exercised to cover the whole bait pretty
we'll with brush, to prevent the buzz
yards from devouring it before the bear
finds it.
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 generally chosen, how
ever. Not more than five or six indi-
viduals participate in the hunt, as more
than that numDer are 700 many ior gooa
sport, hall OF them, IKE myself on such
occasions, merely lockers on, all the
work being done by three or four Of the
others. When the time has arrived for
the party to set out oil are mounted on
horses those VINO are 70 10 inc puSi'
ness with the Dear are those mat nave
been drilled TO the use OF me rope ! u
is not at all necessary that their animals
should be particularly last but tney
must be lively ana know exacty wha'
to do the moment the bear Is roped.
The party generally endeaVor 10 arrive
where the bait IS LAID about dusk IL
having been placed on an open clear piece
OF ground, where there are no rocks, or
any other obstacles 10 interfere VIVID
straightforward riding; put u must DC
within few hundred yards OF a ledge,
or other kind OF shelter, where The party
may hide, 30 that the bear viii not see
any OF the men or horses as he approaches
the bait.
A horse trained to hunt the bear ia
this manner soon learns to understand
what the necessary silence OF the ex-
petition means, and after a lew times
seems TO take as much interest 10 the
sport as the men themselves lie lets
biz rider know by deep breathing md
prickiog up his ears when TO be on
sharp lookout; and when this occurs,
either on the part OF all the animals.
or only a portion OF them, the hunters
know that bruin Is on his way to tho
spot Then they get up from the p lace
where they have been lying concealed
mount their animals, and with rope all
ready to throw, they quietly spur The
horses forward, though no urging "a
needed, for the obcdlent animals are as
eager, apparently. as their riders TO cap
ture the bear. A horse is a much swifter