Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-12-06
Buckhcld. Ne.
pRoeLsMs OF THE DEEP WOODS.

PROBLEMS Or Ihe OeEt WOOUS.
"Whst becomes OF wild animals that
die 10 the woodss" said q naturalist.
~ mean wild animals that die natural
death. Age and disease must carry
many of them regularly as human beings
are carried of, but what becomes Of their
bodiess have never heard OF anyone
coming across dead bear or deer or fox
or wildcat in the woods that had died
from natural causes. have never heard
Of any one even finding the skeleton OF
wild animal In the woods that did not
show evidence somewhere that the
beast had met its death through violence.
But an unipjured skeleton or BODY OF .
wild animal without . wound, / have
never heard OF.
~ found once In the woods OF Mexican
County, Pa, the skeletons OF two enor-
nous bucks with their antlers locked
together. II was plain that the two
animals had engaged In mortal combat,
during which their horns had become en-
tangled. and IL being Impossible 10 break
the lock thus made, both bucks sue
cumbed TO exhaustion and starvation.
Another time found the body OF . doe
Ia the woods, and near by lay the mutt
lated remains of big rattlesnake. The
story Of the two bodies was plain to me.
The deer, true to It's nature, had attack
ed the snake but the snake had succeeded
In striking the deer with Its fangs before
the sharp hoofs Of the animal bad killed
it. have come upon many other dead
bodies and skeletons OF Wild animals at
different times 10 the woods, but never
one that did not show unquestionsble
evidence that the beast had died from
violence Of some kind. So the mystery
as to what becomes Of the Wild animals
that die from natural causes remains.
Then here Is another mystery OF the
woods. Who ever killed buck that had
no horns, aud who ever found set OF
deer antlers In the wood-antlers that
had been cast to make room for new
set: have rosmed for many years the
woods where deer abound and l never
either killed q hornless buck or found q
pair Of horns. And have never heard
OF any one who did. Yet every woods
man knows, or ought to know, that no
buck has even the sign OF horn until
he Is two years old and that every buck
that has horns casts them ofeach spring
and grows a new set. Now where do all
the bucks under two years old keep
themselves: The cast of antlers, as
every woodsman knows, are eaten BY
field mice and wood mice; but the fact
explains only one OF the mysteries OF
the forests.
~ wish some would tell me also why
1, Is that dog, even the smartest kind OF
a dog, don't seem to be able to let a
hedgehog alone, although the dog may
have had ever so many lessons. There
are no hedgehogs 10 this locality and,
consequently, folks hereabouts don't
know much on the subject Of this passion
OF dogs for tsckling hedgehogs, but up 10
Pennsylvania's hemlock belt people
know all about II and wonder at II cor
respondingly. Some folks would call
the hemlock belt hedgehog porcupine,
but that would make no difference to the
hemlock belt dog. He would let the
habit Of pitching into 1t get the better OF
him just the same.
| have known the best trained deer
hound TO stop suddenly on hot trail to
have fight with one of these porcu-
ptut-, hituouku uc May hhSC Juss 80 ~
shape from his last encounter with one.
or course, the dog usually kills his
game, but II Is always after more or less
wear and tear to himself. He is bound
to have his mouth and nose filed with
the porcuplne's quilts, and 1t 10 this that
seems to egg the dog on with renew
ed spirit. The pain they infict mad
dens him, and he pitches In 6ercer than
ever, only to receive another quiverful OF
the sharp and penetrating little weapons.
Many a valuable hunting dog has been
ruined by these quilts, such numbers
of them entering his nose and month as
to destroy his scenting quality. The
quilts sink so deep into the flesh that 1t
Is almost impossible to remove them
with ones fingers, and the longer they
are left in the deeper they insert them
selves. Any part OF quill left 10 a
dogs flesh will continue It's journey into
the flesh, and will in time result serious
" II not fatally. Yet the dog seems to
have an Unborn prediction for fighting
the hedgehog; In fact it Is almost i'm
possible In q region where that animal
abounds to eradicate that singular In
clination."