Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-02-12
BEAR HUNTS IN THE SOUTH.
Ancient Function to Which President
eVeIt Was introduced in
the Mississippi LOw1ands.


The recent trip of President Roose-
welt to the Mississippi lowlands shows
that the method of hunting black
bears in southern swamps has not
altered a particle in a hundred years.
Somebody living down there once
found out the best way in which to
get them, and the southerner is wise
enough to know that there is no
sense in trying to improve the best.
Then, as now bear was hunted
with Il huge pack of nondescript dogs,
containing pretty nearly every
known breed, mixtures of all the
breeds and some breeds unknown.
The planters and other Mississippi
residents did their best for the pres
tdent, and that he did not get any,
thing was due. wholly to bad luck.
The bears are there, the horses, the
men, the swamps and several hun
bred thousands of the dogs.
When a lot of men in Mississippi
or Louisiana or lower Alabama, says
the New York Sun, want to go bear
hunting they begin, as a general
thing, to talk about it six weeks be-
forehand--the southerner always
likes to talk a hunting trip owe be-
fore he starts; he gets almost as
much enjoyment out of the prelinl-
mary talk as out of the hunt; and
as he is never in a hurry about any
thing, he talks slowly and at length
The long talk ended, arrangements
for the chase begin with the parties
to it stealing every stray dog they
can lay their hands on within a
month. These dogs are shut up in n
pen on some plantation and get well
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 little flee which runs
along inside of the dooryard fence
and barks at small boys to the heavy
headed, heavy-lidded cross between a
mastiff and a deerhound. Sometimes
a lucky man picks up the product of
a Newfoundland sire and a dachs-
hund mother, and the product is well
coined by all as a mascot.
Southerners preparing for a bear
hunt will steal any kind of a dog ex-
cept a hound which shows blood or
a bird dog, Those two varieties are
sacred and not to be sent against a
bear to be smashed up.
Dog appearances are deceitful. Oc-
casionally a splendid specimen, with
a bull or terrier strain, will turn tail
and run like a streak at first sight Of
a bear; while a miserable, half
starved, droop-tailed, sinking brute,
a mixture between a cur and a spitz
poodle, will fight like a drunken devil,
sailing straight in, with abiect tail
defantly rigid and ears laid back,
fastening a hold on the bear and en-
during a death hug without a whim-
per.
Almost all these dogs have nose
enough to follow a bear scent, which
in the slushy, watery soil of the
swamp is strong. They are taken
from a big wagon when camp is
reached and they stay there becal.se
they know that is the only place
within 20 miles where they are like
ly to get anything to eat.
1t is their business when the trail
is found the next day to stay on it
and run it out and bring the bear to
bay, and they must be good enough
fighters to keep the bear at 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
it must be said that, while every pack
contains a few defaulters, most Of
them go in as il they liked it, and are
knocked right. and left with smashed
ribs or ripped sides, rolling over and
owe in the ooze and bloody from
nose to tail root, but getting up and
going in again if they are strong
enough. Some great fights happen
under these circumstances-fghts
wild enough and savage enough to
make the men with the guns stand
still and watch with staring eyes I'M
til pity for the dogs compels them
to shoot.
There are plenty of bears in the
southern swamps, and a hunt down
there is probably the noisiest thing
In the world except a socialist-labor
convention. 1t is full of hard riding
and hilarity, mud and blood, strange
scenes and sounds and healthy Ia
tigue.
II you want 4 WASH blueing that will
give entire Subtraction, buy Lashly's