Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-09-28
A BOLD BEAR HUNTER
A VERMONTER WHO HAS CAPTURED
FIVE BRUINS IN A YEAR.

His Adventures-Sets Traps for the Var
mints and Collects sig Bounty on Each |
one Captured.
Don b. Celley of Berlin. who lives |
about six miles from MONTPELIER, has |
captured five bears within year. and |
tells some of his experiences to New
ork sun reporter. There are several
old bear hunters and trappers living near
Montpelier and one of them Is credited
with having taken forty bears during his
career; but these men are old timers.
and have not set trap for twenty years.
Mr.. Celley, therefore, describes himself
as the champion active bear trapper of
the state. All Mr.. Celley's bears were
taken within eight miles of the capital
city of Vermont.
There has been in Vermont tendency
on the part of various wild animals to
move southwark within the past few
years. In the case of the bears this may
he accounted for in a measure by the
fact that the second growth forests have
become big enough to afford them pro-
lection, and that the roots on which they
love to feed are again abundant. As
related in The Sun, wolves have been
killed recently only a short distance
from Montpelier. The presence of
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.. Celley's last capture was cub,
which was such cute little fellow that
instead of killing it for the Sl2 bounty
offered by the state he took it home and
caught in the trap came of, but the
wound healed, and in a little while the
cub was getting about in lively fashion
ON three legs. 1t subsequently became a
great pet. Mr.. Celley's girls fed it from
their hands and fondled it as they would
any other pet. \ rainstOrm came up
one afternoon. and as it threatened to
last all night, Mr.. Celley put a dry
goods box into the pen 70 shelter the
cub. The Young bear, instead of lying
inside the box as it had been expected to
do, climbed on top of it, jumped to the
fence, then down on the other side and
made of 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..
Celley explained how he came to set
traps for bears.
ION August }. 1900" he said, ~
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 several days followed its
trail here and there without sighting it
again. gave up the idea of shooting
the animal finally and determined TO set
traps. not only caught the one | was
winter set IN. | set two traps again
this spring as soon as the snow melted.
and again had good luck, catching two
full grown bears and cub
Mr.. Celley exhibited trap in which
last spring he caught she bear, the
mother of the cub that was captured
later. After setting this trap Mr.. Celev
did not visit it for several days. On
going up the mountain one morning he
=
away. The trap itself weighed -
pounds and it was hitched to clog six
feet long and six inches in diameter.
GU can still see the path the wounded
animal made in dragging the trap and
clog after her. She travelled down the
mountain a mile and a half and then
made her way up again to within short
distance of the place where the trap was
set. She was dead when Mr. Cclley
found her. Near her were two cubs
which had followed her throughout that
terrible journey. They made oil before
Mr.. Celley could shoot them. In her
death agony the she bear had gnawed
the trees within reach.
TO prove that bears can climb small
trees Mr.. Celley points out where one
bear went up an oak sapling less than
six inches, though having on one of its
forcpaws the heavy trap from which the
big log was dangling. In the same trap
last autumn a big male bear was cap
tured Mr.. Cellev found it mile away
down the mountain. The bear was full
Of fight when overtaken. When it saw
Mr.. Celley it stood on It's hind legs and
angrily shook the trap that clutched a
forepaw. The heavy clog however,
made 1t impossible for the bear to move
rapidly and Mr.. Celley shot it without
much trouble.
According to Mr.. Celley, the Vermont
bears travel from mountain to mountain
4 foraging for food thoroughly over one
/ before passing on TO another. They dig
wild turnips and squirrel corn, eat black
/ berries and the berries of the mountain
ash, of which they are very fond.
/ Mr.. Celley, before setting trap,
builds sort of wigwam out of small
posts, leaving a good sized opening.
This is to prevent cattle from getting
into the trap which is placed inside. lie
covers the trap with leaves, places a
piece of meat well back from the open
ing, and scatters bread over the ground.