The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-08
BEAR HUNTS N THE SOUTH.
The Ancient Function President RoOse, cit
Was Introduced To.

The recent trip of Presiden, Roosevelt
TO ia" Mississippi lowlaudS shows that the
method Of hunting black bears in Sout hern
swampS has not altered a particle In a hum
dr"d years. Somebody living down there
one. found out the best way in which to
get them and the .>Out herner l. Wise enough
TO know that there l. no sense III trying to
improve Tn" best,
Then a. now the bear was hunted with a
huge pack of noudesCrpt dogs, containing
pretty nearly every >nuWn breed. mixtures
OF all the breeds and some breeds unknown.
The planters and other Mississippi resi-
dents did their best for the President and
that he did Lot get anything was due holly
10 bad luck. The bears are there, the
horses, the men, the swampS and several
hundred thousands of the dogs,
When "a lot of men in Mississippi or
Louisiana or lower Alabama want TO 60
bear hunting they begin a. a general thing
TO talk about II six weeks beforehand
the Southeruer always likes to talk hunt
ing trip over before he starts; he gets al
most as much enjoyment out of the pre-
limiuary talk a. out of the hunt. and, az he
l. never III a hurry about anything. he
talks slowly aud al length
The long talk ended, arrangements for
the chase begin with the parties to II steal
ing every stray dog they can lay their hands
on within IA month These dogs are shut
up In a pen on som" plantat ion and get we'll
acquainted with one another, as torn ears
testify when they are let out
Dogs of every conceivable shape and
color are prisoners, and OF all sizes from
the httl" flee which runs along insid" of the
dooryard fence and barks al small boys tothe
heavy beaded heavy. iddcd cross between
a rnastitf and "A d"erhound Sometimes
a lucky man picks up The product Of IA New
foundlaud sire and dach-hund mother
and the product l. welcomed by all a. a
mascot.
Southeners preparing for bear hunt
will steal any kind of a dog except hound
which shows blood or "A bird dog. Those
two varieties are sacred and not 10 be
sent against bear to be smashed up.
Dog appearances are d"Ceitiul Oc-
cas iOnaliy a splendid specimen, with a
bull or terrier strain, Will turn tail and
run like streak at first sight Of bear;
while a miserable, haf-starved. droop-
tailed, sinking brute. n mix ure between a
cur and spit2 poodle, viii fight like
drunken devil, sailing straight in, with alb
jcCt tail dctiantly rigid aud ears laid back,
fastening a hold on the bear and enduring
u deathhug without a whimper.
Almost all these dogs have nose enough
to follow a bear scent, which in the slushy,
wato.y soil OF the swamp * strong. They
is reached and they stay there because
they know that IL the only place within
twenty miles where they are likely to get
anything TO eat.
u l. their business when the trail IL found
the next day TO stay on II aud run II out
and bring the bear To bay, and they must
lie good enough fighters 10 keep the bear
al bay until the hunters, guided first by
the sounds of their barking and then by
the sounds of conflict, approach near
enough to shoot.
To the credit of these nondescripts II
must be said that, while every pack CON
tains few defaul'ers. most Of them go In
as If they liked 1t and are knocked right
and left with smashed ribs or ripped sides.
rolling over and over in the ooze and bloody
from nose TO tail-root, hut getting up and
going in again If they are strong enough.
Some great fights happen under these
circumstances fights wild enough and
savage enough 10 make the men with the
guns stand still and watch with staring
ewes until pity for the dogs compels them
to shoot
There are plenty OF bears in the Southern
swamps and hunt down there il probably
the noisiest thing in the world except a
SoCiillst-labor convention. 1t IL fun of
hard riding and hilarity, mud and blood,
strange scenes and sounds and healthy
fatigue.