The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-12-02
HUNTING IN The WEST.
LAWS THAT PROTECT THE GAME.

Chasing Bruin In the Canebrakes
Around Wynne the Chief sport Now.
sharp Demand For Hides-Mannsr
of Hunting Bears-Deer and wild
Turkeys Abound.
The lawmakers of Arkansas have ef-
fectually put stop to the wholesale
slaughter of game within its borders,
and the sportsmen and others are In
hopes that at no far distant day it will
again become plentiful, says the Little
Rock correspondent Of the Chicago
Record. One of the officials OF the
land department of the Iron Mountain
road says no person not living in Ar
kansas has any idea of the fearful de-
struction of all kinds of game only q
few years ago. Hunters who shot Tor
the markets would come down here
and kill deer by the hundreds. They
would cut off only a portion OF the
carcass, strip the dead animal or Its
hide and allow the remainder to decay
in the forest. Arkansas people having
occasion to explore the forests and 9TH
er haunts of game would come on the
remnants of a herd of deer and thus be
brought face to face with the facts or
wholesale destruction. 1t is said that
choice portions of game would be
shipped out OF the state by the car
load. What was true of one kind Of
game was true Of nearly all other
kinds.
The state of affairs was brought to
the notice of the state legislature In the
most forceful manner, and the result
was that stringent laws have been
passed and are now being enforced.
Under these laws a foreign hunter is
limited as to his privileges. and no one
Is allowed under any circumstances to
ship any game of any kind out of the
state Express companies found trans
porting game are heavily fined They
have been absolutely prohibited from
carrying prairie chickens In any guam
tity prior to April II, 1901, and this law
has been in effect since 1893. The
shooting of aquatic fowl between the
hours of sunset and sunrise is abso-
lutely prohibited In three counties, and
hunters with camps are forbidden to
| enter three other counties.
Chasing black bear in the cane
brakes is now engaging the huntsmen
| of the section in the neighborhood Of
Wynne. From four to five fat men,
bers Of the bruIn family is the average
catch of a weeks chase. No less than
40 trained bear dogs are owned In or
near Wynne. and there Is a run or two
every week. The hunting is mostly
done In strip of land lying between
the bay and the st. Francis river. At
the point where the bay runs into the
| river is the eight acre cane ridge, and
this is favorite lair OF the black bear.
NJ. l.. Morris of Wynne. who Is au-
| thority on hunting matters. says that
| the sport is better this season than for
years back. There is au abundance of
deer between the bay and the st. Fran
els, and wild turkeys are abundant.
| Taking the bear. however. is the leading
sport, not only because of the interest
in the sport or the chase. but because
of the luscious character OF the meat at
this season, There has been an abun-
dance of food on which bruin feeds,
and in consequence he is rolling in fat.
Besides, there is a sharp demand for
the hide, which usually sells for S25.
The hunter rides horse and carries a
| .45 caliber revolver and a hunting
knife. The bear is brought to bay by
the dogs in the brake, at the edge of
which the horse Is turned loose. The
hunter must now creep through the
brush until the game is In sight, when
II is dispatched by a shot from the re-
| volvqr or n thrust of fha hunting kuifo
A well trained pack OF dogs will keep
out Of reach Of bruins claws, but keep
him at bay until the hunters get up to
the game. Bears are now so fat that
there is but slight chance Of them run
ming away. They will outrun the best
dogs when they are lean.
| There are frequent fox chases in the
section about Wynne. which Is a juno
ton town on the Iron Mountain road.
Ten fine foxes were brought in from a
recent hunt by experts who still stick
to the sport. John William McElroy Is
another hunter who claims that there
are plenty OF bear on White river. and
a chase has been planned for that re-
| gion.
There is now good bunting In Butler
county, Mo. This county is divided by
the, Black river. on which steamboats,
| ply regularly. The river is very deep,
there being no fords from Poplar Bluff,
| viii, as the head of navigation. to the
mouth of the river. Wild turkey and
deer are found short distances back
from the river, and wild duck on the
stream are encountered in great num-