The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-12-27
CHIP1iUNN HUNTING BY INDIAN
ROTE.

Il was part If the Indian boys
hunting To find new and strange things
in the woods They examined the
sighted sign Of lifai and if bird had
scratched the leaves off the ground, or
a bear dragged up a loot for his morn
ing meal. they STOPPED to speculate on
the time when it Was dCn- In Indian
Ioyhood" Dr.. Charles A Eastman,
himself un indian, tells Of the way in
which l2a and his companions caught
the animals Of the wood.
Our devices for trapping small ami
mails, he says, were rude, but they were
often successful. For instance we used
10 gather up a pack or So of large.
sharp-pointed burs and scatter them in
the rabbits burrow-lke path. In the
morning We would find the little fellow
sitting quietly in mis- tracks, unable to
move, for the burs stuck to his feet.
Perhaps the most enjoyable of all
was the chirmunk- hunt. After the first
thaW the chipmunk burrOW hole
tnrounh the snowy crust and make
TIKI" first appearance for the season.
Sometimes as many as fifty will come
together and hold a social reunion.
These GATHERINGS occur early in the
morning fyCm daybreak to about 8
o'clock. We boys learned this, among
other secrets CT nature, and got our
blunt-hcaded arrows together in good
season for the chipmurk expedition.
We generally went in groups of six
to a dozen or IS, to which would get
+lo ,,,,r+ ~, Thor, .,oco5i,u a3,apiro yVa
selected several boys who could initiate
the chipmunk's call with wildcat
straWs, and each of these provided
himself with a supply of straws
My first experience Of this kind I still
remember we'll 1t was a fine crisp
March morning, and the sun had not
yet shown himself as we hurried along
through the ghostly wood. Presently
We arrived at a place where there were
many signs of the animals. Then each
of us selected a tree, and took up his
position behind it. The chipmunk-call-
or sat upon a log. as motionless as pos
sible, and began to call.
Soon we heard the rustic of little feet
on the hard snow; then We saw the
cIipmunks approaching from all di-
rectiOns. In few minutes the chip
munk-cailer was besieged with them.
Some ran all over his person, others I'M
der him, and still others ran up the
tree against which he was sitting Each
hoy remained immovable until the
leader gave the signal then a great
shout arose, and the chipmunks in
their fright all ran up the different
trees.
Now the shooting match began. The
little creatures seemed to realize their
hopeless position; they would try again
and again to come down the trees and
escape from the deadly arrows. When
ever several Of them rushed toward
the ground together, we all Rugged the
tree and yelled frantically to scarce
them up again.
Each boy shoots always against the
trunk of the tree, so that the arrow
may bound back to him every time;
otherwise when he had shot away all
of his arrows, he would be helpless.
and another, who had cleared his own
tree. would come and take away his
game: so there was warm competition.
At last all the chprunks were killed
or gone, and then we went on to an
other place, keeping up the sport until
the sun came out and the chipmunks
refused to answer to the call.