Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-07-03
". F.B. GALLAHER, Editor.
Death to Squirrels.

as tall and stalwart, decked in the gar.
ments of the wildwood, whose every fea-
ture displays honor and courage. He has
come out for dinner, and picks target
on far.away tree. He matches his skill
against the distance and wins. With the
flash of the long rifle the nearer squirrels
hide away, and moment afterward bark
Justify at the retreat of the intruder
Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett might be
the model for such a picture. The new
squirrel hunter is very different person.
His methods are like those of the drag-net
fisherman that sweeps from shore to shore,
leaving no ways of escape. His work, if
unchecked, meaDs determination.
The new hunter, says the New York
Star, has nothing to recommend him to
the public except possibly his courage
Fear seems to be unknown to him. His
equipments might not suggest peril. 1t
consists of a gun, an ak, saw, climbing
spurs, rope, stringing belt, and a bull
dog. With the first snow of winter he
begins his work-work, because it is a
vocation, and not a recreation or pleasure.
After the first night the snow through the
forest is lined with a network of tracks
that lead from many quarters to some
mammoth tree. There may be dozen
trails all centering at this point, some
from distant cornfelds, and others from
nearby logs, where supply of nuts was
garnered for winter. Probably with the
pothunter's coming red fox squirrel,
bolder than the rest, barks from the up.
per boughs at the intruder and lashes It's
long fiery tail through the sunlight
Its position would delight sportsman,
or would afford superb shot but the
pothunter has no sentiment. There is no
quickening of his pulse as he unslings his
gun, for il is not to be used, but piled
with the other accoutrements at the foot
of the giant tree while he prepares for the
coming slaughter.
The climbing spurs are already buckled
to his boots. The ak and saw are slung
to his belt, aud with extended arms he
measures the tree; then setting his iron
heels into the bark, the ascent begins
With each reach of his long arms he
leaves the younger forest below. The
line of the pawpaw tops is passed, the sill
yer birch is distanced in the upward reach
and at last the climber comes out into the
open sky.
Long before ihe hunter has reached
half the height the fox squirrel, alarmed,
has hurried to his nest. The climber
reaches the point where the squirrel dis
appears and finds the entrance to the nest
a hollow knot which had been enlarged
by the sharp teeth of the little fellows
The hunter now knots the rope about the
tree and under his arms. Then, imbed-
ding his iron heels deep in the bark, he
hangs out from the tree at an angle of
forty.fve degrees. 1t is dangerous po-
sition and his safety lies in his ability to
keep his muscles rigid and his iron spurs
buried deep in the tree. Should the spurs
slip or the muscles relax the death of the
pothuntcr would be assured. After at
tanning this position he removes his saw
from his belt and makes deep cut just
below the entrance TO the squirrel den ;
the black dust telling him when he has
cut deep enough. Then the saw is drop
ped to the ground and its crash awakens
the bulldog TO the fact that ais part of the
programme is about to begin. Before
this he has sat motionless. Now his dull
eyes flash. He takes up position at the
foot of the tree, his short neck bent back
ward as he looks steadily upward await
lug developments.
The climber begins splitting out the
block with tie ax. There is rain Of
chips, and at 's.t the ak penetrates the
interior and tie slab is pried open. Al
ready the squirrels have been planning to
escape, and as the light enters their home
one of them springs out of the knot hole.
The others would have followed, but the
climber sets the steel blade of his ak
across the opening, and the slab springs
back to its place. barring further escape.
The squirrel that jumped from the tree
strikes the snowy ground and endeavors
GhiIdren CFv for