News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-09-26
BEAR HUNTING IN VERMONT.
Five Bears Caught By One Trapper in a
Year Near Montpelier.
Montpelier, VT, Cor. New York SUM-

ing taken 40 bears during his career,
but these men are old timers and
have not set trap for 20 years. Mr..
CelIy, therefore, describes himself as
the champion active bear trapper in
the State. All Mr.. Celly's bears were
taken within eight miles of the capt.
tai city of Vermont.
There has been in Vermont a ten
dency on the part of various Wild an
finals to move southwark within the
past few years. In the case of the
bears this may be accounted for in a
measure by the fact that the second
growth forests have become big
enough to afford them protection,
and that the roots upon which they
love to feed have again become a bun
dant. AS related in The Sun, wolves
have been killed recently only a short
distance from Montpelier. The pres
ence of the wolves in this vicinity is
accounted for by hunters. on the
ground that they are attracted by
the increase of the wild deer that has
taken place under the protection OF
the rigid game laws.
Mr.. Celly's last capture was a cub,
which was such a cute little fellow
that, instead of killing it for the $12
bounty offered by the State, he took
it home and built a pen for it. The
leg of the cub caught in the trap
came off, but the wound healed and
in little while the cub was getting
about in a lively fashion on three
lege. 1t subsequently became a great
pet. Mr.. CeIy's girls fed it from their
hands and f)ndled it "a they would
any other pet. A rainstOrm came
up one afternoon and threatening
to last all night, Mr.. Celley put dry
goods box into the pen to shelter the
cub. The young bear, instead of ly!
ing inside the box as had been ex-
pected, climbed on top of it, jump
ed to the fence then down on the 9TH
er side and made off into the woods.
1t has been seen once or twice this
summer and to all appearances has
thrived.
To a couple of visitors recently Mr..
Celly explained how he came to set
traps for bears.
ION August 5, 1899" be said, 81
caught sight of bear. 1t was the
first one seen in these parts for
long time. AS the farm work was
not pressing just then made up my
mind to get that bear, and for sever
al days followed it's trail here and
there without sighting it again. |
gave up the idea of shooting the ami
NAL finally and determined to set
traps. | not only caught the oBe1
was after but the second one beside,
before winter set in. | set two traps
| again this spring as soon as the snow
melted, and again had good luck,
catching twogrOwn bears and a cub. ="
Mr.. CelIy exhibited a trap in which
last spring he caught a she bear, the
mother of the cub which was captur-
ed later. After setting this trap Mr..
Celley did not visit it for several days.
On going up the mountain one morn
ing he found that the trap had been
dragged away. The trap itself weigh
ed % pounds and it was hitched to a
clog six feet long and six inches in d.
ameter. You can still see the path
the wounded animal made in drag
ging the trap and the clog after her.
She Travelled down the mountain a
mile and a half and then made her
way up again to within a short dis
tance of the place where the trap was
set. Near her were two cubs which
had followed her throughout That
terrible journey. They made off be-
fore Mr.. Celley could shoot them. In
her death agony the bear had gnaw-
ed the trees within reach.
To prove that bears can climb
small trees Mr.. Celly points out where
one bear went up an oak sapling less
than six inches through, having OF
one of it's forepaws the heavy trap
} from which the big clog was dang
ling. In the same trap last autumn
a big male bear was captured. Mr.
Celly found it mile away down thu
mountain. The bear was full of fight
when overtaken. When it saw Mr.
: Celly it stood on it's hind legs anC
angrily shook the trap that clutcheC
a forepaw. The heavy clog, however
r made it impossible for the bear tt
. move rapidly and Mr.. Celly shot i
! without much trouble.
? According to Mr.. Celly, the Yer
mont bears travel from mountain tx
mountain, foraging for food thor
oughly over one before passing on tt
another. They dig wild turnips ant
squirrel corn, eat blackberries ant
} the berries of the mountain ash, o
!, which they are very fond.
9 Mr.. Celly, before setting a trap
t builds sort of wigwam out Of small
8 posts, leaving a good sized opening
: This is to prevent cattle from gettins
] into the trap which is placed inside
g He covers the trap with leaves, place
\ piece of meet we'll back of the open
j, ing and scatters bits of bread owe
/ the ground. The bears enter thes
i pens apparently without fear. Mr.
i Celley has been for long time a ia
nous fox hunter. He intends now
however, to devote his leisure tim
D chiefly to bear The State allow
d $12 bounty for each scalp so that
8 aside from the excitement of th
4 | AA.,u A. NnlIu oznoota - mo l.