The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-04-02
WILD BEAST WHIMS.
hERCE ANIMALS OF THE FOREST WHO
HAVE PREJuOlCES.
wolves, Panthers and Bears Sensitive
About Fur Overcoats-An Aged Sullivan
County Hunter Tells Some Experiences
Illustrating This Queer Fact.

County Hunter Tells Some Experiences
Illustrating This Queer Fact.
"A bear or panther can't stand the
sight Of wolfskin or a coonskin over.
coat, said an aged hunter of Sullivan |
county, 'and both also dislike the looks |
of an overcoat made of buffalo skin.
They become enraged wher they see
hunter striding through the woods with
a fur coat on. They will start for him
the instant they get sight of him, and
unless he stops them with rifle ball or
charge of buckshot they will invaria-
bly, tackle him. A wolf or even pack
of them will always turn tail and run
away from hunter that wears wolf
skin coat, but they will chase man
who wears a coat of any other kind Of
fur and will attack him if they get
chance. In the winters early in the for
ties hunted panthers, wolves and bears,
killing deer once in awhile for
change When the weather was bitter
cold, | wore coonskin overcoat until
panther ruined it, and here is what is
left of it.
Il killed an even dozen of panthers
and "a score of wolves while wearing
that coat 1t was in January, 1914,
| that had to stop wearing it. One very
cold morning l put on my snowshoes
and started for the head of Kitchens
creek to hunt panthers and wolves The
snow was three feet deep in the woods,
and the wolves and panthers were
Strengthening the deer at a frightful rate.
In spruce ravine to the right Of the
creek | saw movement in an ever
green tree and raised my rifle for what
/ thought might be panther
Il hadn't been standing minute
when heard a twig snap back OF me,
and before | could turn half way round
something struck my back and drove me
forward on my hands and knees. OF
course instantly realized that panther
had landed ON my back. 1t stuck its
claws into my shoulders and began to
kick with its hind feet, snarling and
tearing at the coonskin with its teeth.
| knew in second that the only thing
for me to do was to throw myself back
ward, and this / did at once, buryine
the panther in the snow beneath me-
The PANTHER then started to scream, bu
the snow and my weight kept it from
making much noise. 1t continued t.
claw great rents in the coonskin Goa
until | stabbed it three times in thu
side when it stopped kicking and began
TO gasp. | knew that the point OF tn
knife had touched vital spot, so la,
still till the panther stretched out dead
Then got up and pulled the beast on
! of the snow by the tail I'd hardl
o dropped it on the surface than there wa
@ another movement in the evergreen tree
g "This time | spied pair of eyes
+ n limb about Is feet above the snoN
4 and blazed away at them. panthe
tumbled out, began to pitch and dive /
- the snow, soon turning up its toes. The
| pulled off the overcoat and discovere
It that the panther had ruined It, III
3 claws hadn't touched my flesh, though
It for wore three thicknesses OF deerski
If and two of wool under the overcoat q
: that trip of three days / got five pan
Llers and four wolves
1.-The same winter / surprised paC
of wolves that had cornered three de-
70 in a pen up in the Mehoopany countr
~ | had OH a wolfskin coat, and the wolv
es legged it out of the pen the moment TIT
re cot sight of me- pulled off the co
tn and nut ii behind tree, and the wolve
in when they stopped to look back, act'
&c rs if they had been scared by TAI
: alarm When they saw that the owe
y, coat wasn't in sight, they didn't ca
re any more for me than Tor sapilh
h. They Immediately returned to the de
tn nen rs bold as you please, and shot I
'ct whole five as fast as / could load a.
as fire.
Ell "One winter Joel Wright, who US
u to hunt and trap all the way from I
"a. I,ovalsock to the Mehoopany, rolled
% his coonskin ovorcoat and placed IL
90 a LOG in the woods till he could go on
fly n knoll and look mt one OF his tral
F. when he got to the top of the knoll
ng his wav back, he heard q bear bello
he inc down in the hollow, as IL 1t
ng challenging another bear to fight w
%. him In a minute Joel caught sight
nv the noisy bear, but couldn't make
where the other one was. The chall'
lie ger was slouching toward the log
for which the coonskin overcoat lay II
est bunch. and Joel made up his mind q
his the bear had got scent OF the coat
e was about to tackle IT,
, nn "Joel had better fur coat at hoi
III and he didn't care much what the o
an did with the one on the log Anyh
he was going to watch the bear, and
he got the better of the coat, all rig
He could see that the fellow was an
before he got within ten rods OF the
at Rushing up to the log. the bear sci
ing the oyercoat in his paws and began
tn soueeze and shake it as If it was tn
Sas of life that he held an old grudge agar
ont Joel tramped down the knoll then 10
lot all the fun at short range, and pr,
soon the bear gave tho coat drea'
NIX hug, let out yell, fell over oackw
! of and went to sprawling and rolling
ing the snow. joel knew what the tro'
the ,uos INIT he didn't say word