The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-27
TWO KEEN-WITTED C0ONS.
One Lost to the Hunters in a Lodge and
the Other in a Mill.

the Other in Mill.
The BucksTort Coon Club held its last
hunt for the season in the woods back OF
Blocks Mountain, and while the two coons
which the dogs started escaped from the
hunters. and all the sportsmen got wet
and stayed wet for hours, the members
learned several interesting facts about
natural history, and are better informed
about the ways OF coons than they were
before they took their long tramp. The
hunt took place on Friday night, having
been postponed from Thanksgiving on ac-
count OF the rain. The first coon was freed
in a hollow hemlock stub after half
hours brisk chase by the dogs. AS the
man who assembled the tree with climbers
found the coon was lodged in hollow
near the top, the services OF an axman
were needed. No sooner had the tree
fallen than the coon shot out OF the top
like a cannon ball, and went off 10 hide
him self in the crevices of ledge, where
ton of powder could not dislodge him.
in tramping home three members OF the
club passed through the orchard OF shah
Hawimson and found q big coon up in
tree making his supper on frozen apples.
Before man could think of shooting the
coon had leaped from the tree to the
ground and was off across lots with six of
the best dogs in Hancock County in close
pursuit. The hunters were highly eated,
knowing that an old coon would not take
to tree, but VIII fight the dogs upon terra
firma until be or tie dogs or both contend
ing parties are dead or disabled. 1t was a
SLOW hard hunt from the start. The coon,
fully conscious OF his own powers, struck
out through a wide swamp at the head of
Long Pond leaping from logs to tree roots
when he could, and swimming cheerfully
whenever he could find nothing to stand
upon. At the end Of an hour, when the
coon emerged from the lowlands and
struck out for warming-up run across
the hills OF Strum blow, sill but the be t
dogs had lost the trail and given up the
chase in disgust, so that out of twenty
two dogs that had started only nine had
threaded their way across the bogs. These
came trailing along throus the under
brush, led by Carlo. a brindle hound,
owned by an Orland man, who was highly
elated to know that MS dog led the pack.
Instead of quickening his pace on gain
ing hard ground, the coon continued at
jog trot, so that Carlo soon overlook him.
The hunters coming up the gully heard
Carlo give sharp, ugly bark, followed by
wild. prolonged "ti vi" which told of
Car.o's defeat. While Carlo was scooting
through the brush and telling his woes 10
two counties, and Carlos owner was fran
tic with chagrin and grief because of his
dogs defeat, another hound tackled the
coon and confessed he was sorry Cor it in
agonizing yells. The other dogs coming
up soon after this, the coon broke into
run, and, oubing on his tracks, went
down to Long Pond stream and swan
down toward the milldam. The keen
scented dogs, skirting the shore, had no
trouble in following the coon until it
reached the sawmili.
The water having been drained off for
winter enabled the dogs to go down on
The bank to the entrance to the hume,
where they stood yelling until the ruen
arrived. The dogs saw the coon had gone
into tee upper end of the fume. AS the
box was too small to allow dog to go in
a pole was cut and pushed througn the
tlume several times. Finding the fume
empty of coons the men led the dogs
about the dam and rnlli for an hour or
more, hoping to pick mp the lost track.
The dogs worked faithfully, but gave no
sign OF having suspicion about the coon,
SO the hunters were compelled to give up
the chase, Harvesting mp and starting for
home about o clock Friday morning.
Four hours after all the hunters had
left Fred Smith, who saws shingles in the
mill, ran down 20 the store for gun, say
ing there was loup cervier hiding on the
top Of the frame OF the muley saw. When
the animal had been shot and brought
down 1t proved to be fat old coon that
weighed forty-eight rounds on the store
scales. 1t had passed clear through the
fume and elm bed the dripping shaft of the
Waterwhee until 1t reached the ROOF OF the
mill There were scratches and hairs all
along the shaft to show how the coon
went up. From here it had leaped to the
wide upper frame of the saw and settled
down for a nap. AS the shaft was boxed
in for ten feet above the mill tiume and as
the coon lad gone up inside. the dogs
we're unable to follow the scent bevond
the emf ranca to the fin me- -Naw York