Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-08-30
Mistellaneous &eading.
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FAMOUS BEAR HUNTERS.
Adventures Of Mountaineers In the
Southwest.

SO0tH"G1Ss' Q
In the primeval forests, high up In
the Arizona mountain ranges, are YET
to be found almost every species OF
wild animal Indigenous to the Rocky
mountain region, bear, elk, antelope
deer. mountain lions Cor cougars)
mountain sheep and a host Of smaller
animals. The bears are of three varie-
ties-silvertip cinnamon and black
Specimens of each have been KILLED
Weighing as much: as 1000 pounds, says
the Los Angeles Times. although COM
monty the silvertip Is the largest, also
the most ferocious; and none but old
hunters have the fortitude to hunt
these animals in their haunts far from
the abodes Of men.
Old hunters there are In the terri.
tory who have hunted bears for the
past twenty-five years. Their favor
lite time of year for hunting hem Is
In the fall, when the first nipping frosts
have caused the mast to fall, and
Bruin, although he Is not averse te
killing beef and mutton on the range
has a particular liking for the most OF
acorns, pinon nuts and juniper berries
abundant on the mountain slopes al
this season. Also the hunter knows
that Bruin Is likely to be very fat and
will furnish a plentiful supply Of meat
for his hungry dogs and bar grease
for his camp cooking.
Old man McCarty Of Camp Verde
Arizona, a grizzled old-timer, was one
of the best known hunters. For TWEEN.
ty years he had hunted bear in the
Mogollon mountains. had killed hun
dreds of them, varying his vocation
by trapping and running down noun.
tain lions, for which he was paid lib
orally by the stockmen. With a paci
of a dozen dogs and armed with
double barrelled shotgun, heavily
charged with buckshot, and Ions
hunting knife, he would pack into the
mountains every fall and return lader
with bear pelts. His method was, after
the dogs had started the bear, to follow
them on horseback across the canons
and ridges until Bruin stopped In
thicket or among the rocks to fight on
his pursuers, when McCarty would dis
mount and, fearlessly advancing, woulo
shoot the bear while he was occupied
with the dogs. If, as sometimes nap
pened, the bear charged him on sight
he would wait until Bruin reared or
his hind feet within a few yards tc
hug" him, and then fire the shotgun
full In the bears face. II there was
any fight left in the bear after this
double discharge of buckshot, the dogs
and hunting knife soon finished him.
Old man McCarty always hunted
alone. Never would he have any one
accompany him, and many Of his ac.
uuaintances prophesied that some Of
his hunts would be his last. But the
old man merely laughed. Killing bears
had become as easy for him as killing
rabbits was to the average sportsman
In the fall Of 1901, McCarty, with MS
dogs, packed into the Clear Creei
country, high up in the Mogollons, fol
his annual bear hunt. A wild, rough
country Is the Clear Creek region, full
Of deep gorges. high ridges and bears
A few days after his departure, some
of his dogs, badly bitten, arrived at
settlement on the Verde river. followed
by his riderless horse. Searching par.
ties at once started out to find the ole
hunter, but light snow fell, covering
all the -trai md sthsE snskusned-wf
Fout nndinE him. Ten weeks later, g
party Of trappers found his remains In
a canon on the headwaters of Clear
Creek. The shotgun, with one barrel
blown off from an oyercharge Of pow
der. his clothing in shreds, and almost
every bone in the upper part Of his
body broken, told the story. At last