Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-15
WILD BOAR HUNTING.
Grand Good Sport on Santa Rosa
Island.
HOGS ATTACK THEIR PURSUERS.
Thrilling Experience of Party-Two of
the Beasts Killed Their Fero-
cious Appearance.
logs ATTACK THEIR PURSUERS.

The Southern California islands,
which lie off the counties of Los An
geles and Santa Barbara, offer many
inducements to sportsmen. They
also have romantic interest, for,
when discovered by Cabrillo, in 1643.
there was large and vigorous popula-
tion, which has mysteriously disap-
peared, their implements of stone and
shell alone telling the story.
The principal islands are Santa
Rosa, which is about twenty miles long
by eight or ten wide. and Santa Cata-
lima, twenty-five miles in length by
from one-half to eight miles in width.
The islands are mountain ranges,
twenty or thirty miles off shore,
abounding in fine scenery and ideal
spots for the camper and lover of sport.
At Santa Catalina one finds wild goat
hunting, quail and dove. while the
fishing is equally fine.
Santa Rosa is famous for it's wild
boars. How the animals were intro
duced is not generally known, but it is
supposed that it became stocked during
the time of the Mission fathers or
earlier. In any event, in deep canyons
and ON the lofty cliffs can be found a
wild boar with fine development of
tusks, the equal in every respect OF the
East Indian variety. The animals in
crease faster than they are killed by
sportsmen, and at times parties are or
ganized to hunt them, when the full
measure of the sport is experienced
Such party recently visited Santa
Rosa and number of fine tusks tell
the story.
The trip to the island was made in
a yacht, the headquarters there being
an old ranch house. Well mounted on
the island bronchos. the morning after
their arrival, the hunters started. Some
preferred the Eastern method and fol-
lowed the game with the lance. others
chose the rifle, while the Mexicans
carried their riatas. A pack of dogs
constituted part of the outfit
Though it was the middle of winter
the ground was covered with wild
flowers and the horses waded in the
lush grass and fodder. The air was
sweet and possessed certain exhilera-
tion that was impaired to man and
beast.
The wild boar frquents the interior
of the island, making it's home in the
deep canyons and the little benches on
their sides, where beneath the low trees
he guards his family. 1t was up one of
these canyons, which cut the island al
most in two, that the hunters wended
their way in single file. The canyon
was the bed of mountain stream that
in ages had cut it's way down, and
along the edge of a narrow trail had
been made, which was followed, only
the clamping Mexican bits and spurs
breaking the stiffness. Suddenly the
trail opened out into little savanna
where the canyon sides were covered
with willows. Just ahead was low
forest of stuunted trees.
The dogs began to whimper, and as
they approached loud snort came, SO
so suggestive of danger that
the horses fairly trembled and showed
a disposition to stop. There was not
much time to consider, as without
further warning there rushed from the
cover nightmare in bristling gray.
1t was large sized boar that had,
wish the instinct of its kind, rushed
to the front to see what was the
trouble. The horses reared and plunged,
and we'll they might, the animal pre-
senting truly ferocious appearance
with its coarse gray hair, the bristles
Of it's back standing upright, increasing
it's size, its large head and deep reddish
eyes. it's long snout from which
curled two tusks that rounded out and,
sharp as razors, almost met again.
AS the dogs rushed upon it, lowering
his head, the old boar for moment
cut from side to side, moving down
the dogs until, red with blood, and,
dazed, he turned and dashed
into the brush. Spurs went into the
hanks of horses, and away went the
dogs and hunt; shouts, clanking spurs,
the pounding feet over rocks and the
baying hounds making confusion of
sounds that echoed up the canyon. The
boar followed the trail for short dis
tance at desperate speed and then
turned and dashed into the brush, 60
ing up AN old trail and disappearing
over the edge of the canyon. 1t did
not take the horses long to follow, and
they scrambled up precipice that
would have amazed an Eastern hunter.
Once up, the boar was seen dashing
away down little valley, and soon
the entire hunt was after him.
The dogs had had their lesson, and
when they caught up with the game
they simply surrounded him. He
dashed at them every few minutes,
whirling about. uttering resonant
snort like the escape of steam. One OF
the Mexicans who carried RATA rode
to the front. In moment the fierce
hrute was upon him, He rushed into