The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1904-06-15

Bears Killed Before Break
fast.
(Reedsburg Free Press,)
(From Friday 8 Daily.)

have again met with success in
killing bears near their camp on
Rat river.
Last month they caught a very
large bear in their trap, and had a
lively experience in killing it. They
continued to keep the trap well
baited, and one day last week their
efforts again met with success. The
following account is so graphically
given that we publish it for the
benefit of our readers:
1.-THE bear trap was set about
half a mile west of our shanty. At
about 2 o'clock in the night [ was
awakened from sleep by a strange
noise from without. I called the
other two boys and we all arose
and went to the door of our cabin
to listen. It being cloudy and
dark, we could see nothing but the
faintest outline of the nearest
trees; but from the dir ection of the
trap through the dense forest
came a succession of wild cultural
groans and bawling, squalling
rounds which fairly made the woods
tremole with savage and pathetic
melody.
1t was evident that some wild
animal with good pair of lungs
had become caught in the trap.
The uproar continued with slight
intermissions, for about ten minutes,
when it ceased altogether, and the
forest about us relapsed into it's
primitive gloom and solitude.
We did not return to our beds but
dressed ourselves, buckled on our
cartridge belts and proceeded to
put our rifles into trim for action,
meantime eagerly waiting for day.
light to appear.
AS soon as we could see the
sights on our rifles, we all started
out and with some difficulty made
our way through the woods to the
place where the trap was set. Sure
enough, the trap was gone, and
with it, the captive and clcg. The
trail indicated that the procession
had gone in a direction to the
south, so we followed on as best we
could in the wake of it's passage.
Suddenly a bear across at my
right, only few feet away, and I
accordin gly discharged my rifle at
it's head.
It proved to be lucky shot, the
rifle ball piercing the brute's brain
and killing it instantly. Will and AL,
hearing the report of my weapon,
at once joined me, and to our sur
prise we found no trap attached to
the bear.
After sticking and bleeding the
bear, we again took up the trail of
the bear with the trap. After 60
ing a few rods we heard the chain
rattle and Richards ran ahead
rapidly ascending d rise of ground,
where he discovered the captive
bear, making off as fast as it could
with the trap and log to which it
was fastened. Richards soon over
took the bear, when the infuriated
animal reared up on it's launches,
and assumed an attitude of combat,
as shown by defiant growls.
We were fast approaching the
spot when Richards sent rifle ball
into the savage beast and it was
soon lifeless mass at our feet.
AS we were commenting on our
success in having taken two bears
instead of one, I discovered cub
in a tree near by. Will insisted
that it was now his turn. to shoot
bear, so all agreeing, he brought it
tumbling to the ground with a well
direc ted shot from his rifle.
This made the third bear killed
since we started out from the
snanty and we were all in exc client
spirits. In a short time we started
home to improvise facilities for
taking our gam to camp.
AS we arrived at the place where
the first bear had been killed, we
discovered two more cubs in a tree,
and accordingly added them to our
l1Sf This is a rather bio bear story