The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-01-21
WAYS OF THE LoUPCERvER,
Savage and Active, He is the Terror of the
Smaller Animals.

"If the loupcerYier, Or Canadian lynx,
were heavy and strong in proportion to
his pugnacity and savage appearance ne
would be bad customer for man or dog
to tackle said the man from Norcross.
AS it is, it takes sandy hound to 90
one up even if he gets him cornered,
which is hard thing to do. In point OF
fact tie loupcervier is buffer. He
keeps himself pretty well in the back
woods away from the abodes of men, but
when the hunter or lum herman comes
UNEXPECTEDLY on one, the beast is by no
me ans sure to run away Though slight
of build, the loupoervier is long-legged,
and when he faces q man, his eyes gIar-
ing yellow, his gray fur sticking out In
all directions, his tasseled ear upright,
with the ugly grin that shows his long
teeth, he isn't the sort of creature that
one would like to take up and fondle.
Ii the man approaches him he will spit
and snar1 as if about to put up great
fight, and it is only at the last mumsnt
that he will give ground and leap away.
| Even then he goes no further than he has
to, sometimes darting up tree or to the
top of high rock, where, ensconced on
| the defensive, the temptation is not
great to follow him. In that case, If the
| man has gun of course the affair is
quickly settled. but otherwise the loup-
oervier usually holds the fort.
"To the smaller animals on which
he prays the loupcervier is terror, He
is quicker than chain lightning CREASED.
and is all over the woods at once. On
the ground he skirmishes for rabbits ano
grouse, and in the trees he captures birds
| and squirrels. and, more frequently, the
Young in their nests He is deadly en-
envy to fawns left in hiding by their
mothers when they go away to browse
for a dinner Sometimes when pressed
nv hunger he will attack doe. drop
ping on her hack from the limb of tree
beneath which she passes: but the re-
suits of the experiment do not always
encourage him to repeat 1t, for 1T implies
an experience in bareback riding that
knocks bronco breaking into the shade.
fsuD in winter, when the crust formed on
the deep snow will bear up the loupoer-
yier. he, banded with several OF his kind,
will successfully hunt the deer. which
wall1w hampered in the snow. William
| Oak6S. q lAuu surveyor AL 4un'A1ct Shoo
came upon deer which had been pur-
sued and killed by three loupcerviers.
l.They had driven the animal into the top
of fallen tree, where, entangled among
the branches, it was an easy victim.
1.-THE loupcervier, as l have already
inn plied. is not cautious animal, and
he is less difficult to trap than most
other animals of the feline kind Fast
In trap he will put up his back and
spit and hiss at the approach OF his cap
tor. but he Is easily killed with the blow
of club on the head. He is not SO te-
naoious of life as the wildcat, and reso-
lutte dog that is game to face his teeth
and claws for the first brief round, Will
make short work of him. But for any
dog not a thoroughbred the first round Is
ell-su 1oient, his sole concern thereafter
being a convenient line of retreat. A
man firing at loupcervier in tree
wants to stand well away. for II he ven
tures within reach of his spring, with
the report of his gun he may find the
creature landed upon him, clawing al
his face. and even il he win he will bt
ant TO Garry souvenirs of the encounter
In the shape of bites and scratches fol
many a day.
with all their savage pugnaoity ioup
oerviers are sociable, playful creatures
among themselves, and often have beer
observed on moonlight nights. In 6peI
snaces of the forest, OF on the Ice o
lakes. fro1ioking in groups, like kit
tens 's-Bangor Commercial.