The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25
HUNT FOR A BIG WILDCAT
A DAYS SPORT Nv TANGLED SUI
LITAN COUNTY SWAMPS.
Wandering Propensities of tho Animal and
His Series of Humes-Tricks by which He
Tries to Escape the Huntcr-The Biz wilde
rnt Tint Killed n nccn-A Lucky Shnf.

NN
His Series of Homes-Tricks by which He
Tries to Escape the Huntcr-Thc Big Wild
cat That Killed n Deep-A Lucky Shot.
THE bay lynx. or wildcat" said Judge Crane
OF Port Jervis. lis not a striking example OF
domestic devotion. Unlike the hero OF the
popular ballad. he loves to wander from his
own freside. and he is more fortunate than
most fellows in the ability to indulge his way
ward propensity. Most animals OF Our woods
are extremely local in their habits. The Wild
cat is a tramp. II Is customary for him to have
two airs, a dozen wayslde haunts and perhaps
as many more occasional stopping places. His
two homes are frequently ten or a dozen miles
apart. and mark two points on the circumfer-
ence OF an approximate circle which ~incloses
his stamping ground.
He starts from one of his habitations on his
lonely jaunt, covering in the first twenty four
hours Ave or six miles on the main line OF his
route. while his excursions to the right and left
through thicket and swamp comprise many
more miles. His route seems to be composed
OF innumerable small circles and eccentric fig
ures. When he reaches his second residence
he hunts the adjacent covers until his hayward
fancy again asserts itself. Then he strikes OF
home, which he reaches by an altogether new
route, or rather n series OF routes. He Ia not q
creature OF habit. Occasionally he curls him.
self up like n house cat and sleeps on the
ground, hunting usually by night. and some-
times two weeks may elapse before he regaina
his starting point. Without doubt he keeps this
rowing up all the time. although il Is only
during the winter months. when the snow
holds the record of his wanderings. that wa
can be sure OF his movements. For this reason.
too, the winter is the only time we can hunt
him scientifically. II he is disturbed by man
he will pike off for the more distant home, per-
haps running for eight miles in a perfectly
straight line. If you can set a dog upon his hot
track he will take to the nearest swamp or
patch of briers. and wind and twist and turn
until he almost unseats the reason Of the
calmest and most calculating old hound that
ever followed n trail. He will not take to water
or resort to the other methods of obliter-
ating his trail that a deer adopts. He
simply goes around and around in the
thickest brush he can find. depending all the
time on mere strength and grit and endurance
70 win out and throw of the Fostering hound.
He is not afraid Of the dog. but the latter bores
him by his persistency, and, he resorts to the
YOU SiO. 1t Is very, dimcult to tree a wildcat.
Sometimes, after being hunted for, hours, in the
might make him climb a tree. but this is rare.i
The man who Shoots, a wildcat, without under-'
Last week Lew Boyd, the Presiding genius
Of the hunt at HARDWOOD; telephoned TO mo
way Lew put it1Eden was the second, place OF
tbs fhfsa sidc Of e the e! Moppt aFs,filS'P P6ad daf nova ana he's on
So | telephoncd to Miles Sturtevantto come
5 aown m IRON H me T Sis tne next on I'M morning rr1ndi5g to
miles from town. We bumped our way over
then the turned into Mt the soo old T fali,s" ro GSG.n pick dihs
up Lew Boyd and his hound on the way. Three
t %ile sa further nt ri G9 the Sos Gray H EGsd w stri disn' 81. e
the wagon. chained the hound. and walked on
IN IN the direction Of Gray swamp; { the head
cat pointing toward the swamp, and a few
Yards further on we came upon a similar track
Lew asserted confidently that the two tracks
were made that day. and. by the same animal.
which side OF the road he was at that moment.
He was OF the opinion thqt the cat was in Long
three wd miles along the tor Of q low ridge. q,
fine deer that went dashing OF toward Port
Jervis. and a little later another Jumped
the shape, Of an enormous two-inGered hand,
covering hundreds Of acres. After we gained
even the inst net Of direction possessed by Lew
Boyd. trained woodsman as he is. was at fault.
",on the west edge of the swamp we came
torn and tTraamlpicdi '"yTT ufts 81 hair Il" and GtT pieoe ss az
pelt lay about on the blood stained snow. and
the edge Of the battle-ground lay tie pannch OF
adeer. and a few feet further on wo found its
been done two nights before. and from all signs
tbs had been no running battle Of miles.
> ht iuG'Aiy .it'l al Df'l d'l Wltlil ii IL"
feet; and we both felt ii new respect for the am
lmal that could do away with n nearly FULL
end Of the swamp in quest Of a fresh track. aud
went M Handy Hill in the opposite, d direction
The cat amt here Lew announced def-,
nitcly when we met again. Hes back IN Gray
Gray Swamp is the worst place In Sullivan
S Se%f"ctjv 4 f,t is a I,%G jn ,j i%%PEnettf% +" tic I 1t i
dense lnderbrush IT. is uvcrgrown with
laurel whose branches are interlared, so
to get through, would not cross Gray swamp
Tor money; tor Wildcat, ! might; Unless la
where IN the nctghborhood. and we had re-
duced all likely hiding places TO th. depths of
open a position as | could find while no walked
around the swamp to look for tracks leading
through the brush until i found a weli-worn
deer path, along which came upom several of
than the others, was surrounded by Tie tracks.
not much larger than II copper cent. OF two
siGe IF thai i Ts sw tPT,.G AND '2p I2ms TP IofoTE" "'i'T lad "a a
suitable position | heard the deep bay Of tho
lpon n t i '%I'r'f the b 5r'ST WRIT s2fRE,'i iIfsy feet setE of
mo. couldn't sec 4 thing hut laurclS aud so I
kept sin and cursed my luck, Ny only chance
bring the animal around again. After the dog
PASSED | hunted around until ] found a fallen
yards about mo. The sounds 81 the hunt held
on quite to the further edge of the swamp and
Suddenly something, 1.-the and soft and
graceful made II curvinG leap over tho brush.
caught another glimpse Of the tawny skin .
few feet further on, aimed, at il quickly and
among the. bushes, 1t looked az though it lay
crouching for a spring when | worked my way
not yet dead. A moment later the dog burst
through the brush and buried his teeth In the
That hound is OF the Josh Cole breed. n strain
known throughout this region for honesty,
gameness and grit. Many a good dog will
finch from y wildcat. dead or alive. But this
one went at it MS though he had never known
any other kind OF business"
The dead wi ldcat measured four feet five
and a half inches from tip to tip. and stood
inches high at the shoulder. Tho
hide is being mounted for Judge Crane.
NANTUCKET'S LITTLE RAILROAD.
Oddities of Travel to 'ScOnset Recorded In