The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-06
WOLVES IN DEER YARD.
MAINE HUNTERS VINO HAD THEIR
KILLING DONE FOR THEM.
A Pursuit or savage Beasts In = Labyrinth
Made In the Deep snow In the Forest-Thrce
Wolf PeiiA ana Plenty NJ venison . cured
In n streak OF L~ncL-Escnpo or Two Wolves.

A Pursuit or savage Beasts IN = Labyrinth
Made In the Deep snow In the Fnrest-Thrcs
WOLF Peiis and Plenty "r venison . cured
In n streak Of L~ucL-Escnpo orTuo Wolves
SEBEc. Me-, March At is more than ffty
years since Dan llemick and Cy Towns had their
famous afternoon with the wolves In n deeI
yard. They were up in the woods north OF the
Katahdin Iron works crust hunting, and had
been having the poorest sor, OF luck-ten days
out and not n moose nor q deer to show for
their pains. On this day they made an early
start to look for a deer yard somewhere about
the foot Of a mountain ten miles from camp
They were anxious to find II rs soon as pos
sible, for on two nights past they had heard
wolf howls, which meant that II the hunters
did not secure the vcnlson In short order the
wolves would get to the yard ahead of them,
1t was late in March and there was fully -four
feet of snow in the woods, with a crust that
froze hard at night and softcned so much at
midday that it was none too easy for a man TO
get about upon II on snowshoes.
AS toward noon the two hunters patted along
the mountains base, their snowshoes slumping
three inches at every step. a deer, very much
frightened, broke out of a thickct ahead, wal
lowing along In the snow. 1t did not try to
avoid the men, or, indeed, seem to notice them
until they were close upon 1t, and they easily
overlook the animal and shot 1t.
This deer has been scared out of a yard"
said Remick as he blew the smoke out Of his
gun barrel before reloading the piece. I'VE
haven't heard any gun, so it wasn't hunters
that did il. 1t looks like wolves work"
They strung the deer up to a tree limb. out Of
reach of skunks and foxes, and followed back
the furrow the creature had made In the snow.
A mile or two's travel brought them to the deer
ward which rnraral Lo,po t,ynnty oproa nf In ri
wood and hemlock trees with n great deal OF
smaller growth among them, such rs deer feed
on in winter. Within this space the snow was
cut in every direction by the deep paths the
deer had trodden in moving about to browse on
bark and twigs. Only one deer could be seen
the head and antlers Of a buck appearing above
the snow as he ran about along the paths.
There's something chasing him-wolves!"'
said Towns. As he spoke the buck stopped and
reared, and as 1t threw back its head they saw
that a wolf was at its throat. Another wolf
sprang on its back from behind; and as the buck
was pulled down In the path they saw other
Tho two hunters looked at each other doubt
fully. There was no telling how many wolves
there were. and the snarling ana swapping the
creatures made, as they fought over the deer
had an ugly and, discouraging sound. On the
softened snow. which would not held up a wolf.
the mon were safr; but II they ventured into the
yard, and the wolves were to show fight, it
they had had hard luck up to here WAS
good venison going to waste; wolf skins were
high in the market, and the State paid "a bounty
Wen risk 1t. Cy, eh 3 said Remick. and the
two men slid down into the nearest path and
enough for one man, wound and curved in all
directions, SO that the hunters had to turn and
double about u great many times before they
could get to where the wolves were. They came
suddenly upon them at about twenty PAGES
SSwsy.hye big, shaggy brutes. al tearing = at the
wolves that they did not notice the hunters
until both fred. Then they yclped and ran,
leaving one dead wolf by the deer. while
mark at the surface of the snow, so as to be able
to find the deer and wolf ngain when they were
the other wolves, II they could drive them out
OF the yard into the deep snow they could oyer.
take and KIN them without trouble. But they
soon round that the cunning beasts would not
leave the yard. but lodging about in the laby-
Einth, kept easily out Of reach and view of the
much us a glimpse OF them.
After playing this sort of hide and seek with
gave up the idea of running them down and be.
gan looking up the deer the boasts had slaugh-
tered. The wolves evidently had broken into
for all the deer found had been killed within a
few hours. Five carcasscs the hunters found
wolves merely had sucked the blood. without
stopping TO eat the flesh. Everywhere were the
signs Of the cruel pursuit OF the deer and
inc struggles OF the poor creatures to es-
cape the wolves. Only one deer had left the
yard, the one the hunters had shot. The two
men spent the afternoon In taking the skins and
launches of the deer to the snow at the edge of
the yard. where they could get 10 them with
the moose sleds at their convenience. As they
worked about the yard they could sometimes
hear the wolves scurrying away ut their APP
proach. but none OF the brutes gave the hunters
Then the hunters got one covered. The teast
made things, serious for Remick for u minute
or two. though.
In searching the paths for deer carcasscs the
men separated, and they CHANGED 10 come into
the same path at the same time. cutting off the
wolr hemmcd In. but Mother man dared fire at
It while 4 was IN the path for fear OF hitting the
path up upon the level Of the snow, and, az il
to get a footing beyond the edge. Re-
mi mi e. mr., fired and wounded 1t; The wolf dropped
barely had time to club his gun and strike once
leaped upon him, striking him with the fore
paws in The chest and knocking him down. The
a nna' the ' wolf g HP bes F the S to PrGI' With hj Is th fsetS:
the creature dropped 1t and tried again to got at
Remick's throat, but the hunter managed to
more. A third snap and the VOLTS teeth drew
blood as they tore coat and shirt from the hunt
hurry up. Whether his comrade would have
got along in time to help II the wolf had stayed
Is a Question; but the creature. hearing Towns's
footsteps ana seeing "A clear path ahead, left the
and ran.
KEEP your head down, Dan, called Towns, |
NV liiCi oN'l bh' u . DOuy. Inc DulIet
struck the wolfin the flank, killing it Just as IL
escaping around II turn in the path. 1t was
moro good luck, for Remick was not hurt TO
speak OF. and the hunters had another wolfskin
to their account.
Six deerskins. the venison, and two wolfskins. |
all taken since noonl The hunters felt happv
as they cut evergreen boughs for a bed and
broiled venison outlets for supper, and
down on the snow. under the winter stars,
to pass the night. There was only on trouble
on their minds. The wind WAS from the south
and the snow did not freeze at all that night.
aud without n hard crust they could not get
their venison and skins to camp. In the morn |
ing, as soon as 1t was light enough to see, they
went to find out If the wolves had Quilted tho
yard. They had, for there were the tracks OF
three. one of them limping. that led off toward
little lake two miles away. 1t was plain that
the wolves were having hard work to get
through the soft snow, and the hunters followed
them, the lame wolf Jagged behind the Others,
and the hunters overlook and killed it. Tho
other two wolves at sight OF them made a squirt
and got to the lake a long gunshot ahead Of the
men, and ran out to the middle OF the Ice. There
stopped and looked at tho hunters. The
snow that had fallen through tho winter. er.
posed as II was to the sun an wind, had packed
down and frozen into snow-iCe, which would
have held up n horse. On this the wolves could
o%utfoot the men five miles to one. Towns and
followed them out to the middle of The
lakc-it wns about half II mile across-to see il
they could drive them into tho woods, but the
had no idea Of quitting the ice. They |
clrClcd about, Keeping Just out OF Runshot untl