Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-06-30

IN DESCRIBING the manner of taking G
some Of the fur-bearing animals OF
the Hudson Bay territory, the bear
comes first By its coat being earliest
prime Of all other animals of the north
country.
The Indians, who, since the finishing g
Of their last years hunt in June have be-
come tired of fish diet, are anxiously
looking forward 70 the 25th of Septem-
Der. On and after this date the bear
skins have market value with the
company, and the Indians go into berry
patches and swamps IN quest of bruin,
who has for the past six weeks been fat
tening undisturbed.
Considerable bravery1s shoryn by the
Indian in hunting these strong and fero-
ctous animals at this time of year. Few
Of them have other than d single-bGrrel
nuzzle-loading gun, and If they miss a
fatal shot when firing, the result is to
them serious, If not death.
cannot do better In these series of
hunting Stories than to follow the foot
steps of Wa~Sa-Kejic, who was one Of
our most successful all-around hunters.
lie had liking for the whites in general
and, from his kindness, for me in partic-
ular. At any time when II was conven-
lent for me 70 leave the post he well
coined my company on his shooting and
trapping tours. Still, hunting the bear
in fiat and dry berry patch requires
the greatest care and precaution 10
make 1t q day of profit. Wa-Sa-Kejic
lands from his canoe on the leeuard
eide Of the. patch he is going TO recon
noiter and aScends u large mountain,
whose wooded southern side runs to the
river shorc, from tI.s--G.,,, asA.I---I-.-
scans the burned lands beneath him
with great minuteness for several sec
onds. At last his face lights up with
satisfaction, for his eye rests on large
black bear feeding 20 the windward of
a clump of alder6. Before starting to
stalk the game, he notes the direction
Of the wind, the lay of the country and
the number of points of concealments
between him and his quarry. All these
essentials mentally impressed on his
memory. he loads his gun carefully and
descends the mountain. Wa-Sa-Kejic
makes his way swiftly from the base for
about quarter of u mile; after that
he goes with greater care. At last there
IS only one intervening stack OF willows
between him and the bear. From my
vantage point of view I notice all his
movements and Also that of the bear,
which is lazily feeding on the ripe, full
berries.
At the extreme left-hand point of the
clump stands an immense rock, brought
there, DO doubt, at the glacier period I;
toward this the Indian Is sometimes
crawling, at others crouching; at last
he Is safe IL It's shelter, with heart
beating with excitement.
When he left the mountain top the
bear was feeding toward this very rock.
and had 30 continued. With gun on the
fun cock, Wa-Sa-Kejic carefully adj
yances his head around the base; in an
instant IL 10 brought back TO cover, for
he has caught sight Of bruin not 80
feet away and busy eating the luscious
fruit still toward the rock.
Wa-Sa-Kejic waits five minutes longer
Gt appears hours to me as watch) and
then, with belt-ax well In front and
gun seized firmly in hiH hands, steps
boldly out from his hiding place As
usual with bears when surprised at
close quarters, the animal assumcs an
| erect position, and at the same moment
the gun belches forth its eath-dealin1
bullet, and the monster falls pierced
through the heart.
That night the Indians squaw and
children feast on berry-ed bear meat.
nnd the growing boys listen breathless-
ly 70 their fathers description of how
hs killed Mus -K~a"
The foregoing II one way Of hunting
hear. and the other is by trapping
either deadfa!l or steel traps. This mode
of trapping is only practiced In the
spring. Shortly utter the beEs come
p5t Of their ders they reHOrt to creeks
sDd email tiyera where carp and small
| trout spawn at that season. Bruin In an
| expert fisherman, and Will stand on
Tho low banks and with dash of hls
pow land out one or two fish az stroke,
The Indian hunter knows these.creeks
and rivers, and 4, f. on their banks be
sets bis traps with some tempting bait
| u.ch as rnusuuaah meat or torn with
maple syrup mixed together, neither oi
which is it possible for Mr.. Bear to pass
without making u try for.
| Wooden traps. or deadfalls, are made
In the same shape as the well-known fig
ure-of-four trap for marten and other
ylnall animals, only many times larger
and the crushing weight or load sr
much as two strong men could lift.
The bait Is tied on 10 a loop Of twisted
roots, and the latter is caught over tn,
wooden trigger that supports the load
ed cross bar, and then on the peg at bach
os trap. The bear, nfter drawing IL
strong whiifs Of the tempting morse
from the entrance, ventures boldly In
The depth of the trap is almost equal tc
the length Of his body, SO when he tug
at the bait the middle NJ his body il
directly under the cross bar. The looI
slips of the peg and the weight OF tn,
logs and stones crash down on poor ole
Mus-Kwa
The Indian prefers using the stee
trap, as it is more certain, and the beal
keeping alive for several days, the hunt
er Is not required To visit his traps s.
often.
During the hot spring days bear IL
u deadtan very soon becomes q y blown
and rotten, and the meat useless, anc
very frequently the skin also.
| II IL I'm the spring of the year Wa-Sa