The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-11
NIGHT SPORT IN THE WOODS.
Fun and Pront OF Young Pcnnsylvauia Hunt.
ers In the Mountairs.

READING Pa. Nov. iO.-"Coon and possum
| furnished 10 order" i the sign displayed at
tie headquarters Of the East Reading Coon and
| Postum Club The fat or po>suns. coons.
| mink. Wildcats and skuuks Is also rendered aud
| sold by the club for various ailments, The skins
are sailed and sold 10 d New York fur dealer.
The dozen members OF tie club are young
hunters who make lorg Journeys over the
mouutaius Of east PENNSYLVANIA in search "
game, They never use any sort Of conveyance.
| but make all their trips on foot and are gons
Il week at a time. doing most Of their hunting
and trapping AT night.
They own Il complete camp outfit with all
cooking utensils and az times they get twenty
miles away in the Blue Ridge and Sharp Mounts
| ain and the high hills and deep ravines between
| Harry J. Kemp Is captain Of The club. All
| members were born and raised in the hills.
| Capt Kemp is only -. but has been for twenty
| wears cat ching possunIs. coons and wildcats, In
his hOmc lie has some 2n sGiEs of skunks. CooIs
and catamoIntS. not for sale. however. but
rs u private collection. Hi wife renders the
| tat OF the many animals trapped. Back oi hs
house are three pens for wild animals caught
alive. The club Of which he T. capt ain vas
organized six ycars ago. IT, members so out
in gang aud take different directions 10 the
mountains. Al have two or three weli-trained
dogs. Kemp finds his two rat terriers about as
good a. ANYTHING for possums and conns,
The leaves are now well down from the
trees, said Capt. Kemp. "and possum and coon
hunting will soon be In full swing. We must
have cold weather. Possum meat 10 be better
than turkey must be served in cold weather.
When the leaves are we'll down we have 10
difficulty in making out where the game IL.
n il il too dark We use bullseyo lanterns. Once
the game is located. our best climbers mount
H.. tr.,= md NJ, -t.,, lav t,t,l M, ,a-..t,,.
wildcat, or whatever il may lie.
The catamounts show fight. of cour~c. but wa
try 10 Win without i~niuriue their skin. II w
can get them alive 50 much the better. If not.
W. club them 10 death.
1t i great sport in III" dense woods al night
10 shake down such game from the tall trees
aud capture il alive. Oir heaviest coon this
season weighed Twelve pounds. Our best fight
vas with a Catamount Oh Welsh Mountain.
After chasing u from tree 10 tree, the animal
loapcd down and fought one of the dogs. To
save the dog VI shot the catainount la tho
head. We think nothing Of coming home
with ny. coons and all the possun We can carry.
" generally take sour nights each weca,
no matter how cold II l., Sometimes we are
caught in bli1lards on the mountain and 10
sleep IN hollow trees or under a big nile 81 leaves
or clos" under a low pine is nothing when YOU
set used TO H. We have members from other
cities who oCcasionally get alons during ths
winter season, blt the tcnderfect usually have
n hard time of II owing va tho long tramps
in oil sorts Of weather. bui il il hardening and
h"althiul. | can assur. YOU. Why. I'm never
IN. We have some 81 the best tree climbers
In the state belonging To our club our old
81 member il Z? He's u good traveller still,
and can do a good turn a. cooking Nothing
IN he world meats a campfire meal IN III" noun
idin-, oven II ~ l. only bacon, roast potatoes.
bread and coffee
Last season No Ragged about three hun
drcd animals of various kind, OF course our
member, don't make q lNiur a. hunting 1hev
laN" other near Of SipIor'. MANY ~ 'em
Just 60 along for the sport there IN ~. Nanv
prominent citizens 'Uguc" pp~suuS ahead
from Us for their private families POS un,
meat j. all Tight, especial, IN IcrSimmon time.
Tlev general ru1>t low OIL trees. ard some
times Nc ind them stretched out on fence rails
or old LOGS. Coons and Wildcats are higher NJ.
] don't know what the Tat Is good for, Nv
wife and the women folks attend 10 al 49,