The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-11-17
TRAINING DOGS
TO HUNT BEARS
Their First Work Is Generally
Trailing and freeing
BRuIN is A GOOD BOXER
He Usually Succeeds in Giving the Dogs
6 Good Tussie Before They
Are Whipped OFF by
$3.50 Trainers.
sRulN is a o o x
From the Memphis News-scimitar.

There Is in training almost at the
loors of Memphis what will soon be.
II it is not now, the finest pack of bear
dogs ever seen in this part of the
country. In the days gone by there
sissippi bottoms. but probably none of
these packs was as carefully selected
and as carefully trained, nor We're they
made up of as high class hounds, SO far
as speed is concerned.
This pack belongs to Harry Payne
Whitney and Herman b. Duryea of
New York n j. NJ. Avent of Hickory
Valley. These gentlemen, together with
Hobart Ames of Boston. ave for some
time had a game preserve of 10000 acres
of ground at Hickory Valley. On this
there are 100 hounds and 100 or more
bird dogs. These hounds have been IA
nous for years after foxes and wolves,
With which the preserve has been
stocked.
4 There is also a large pen of deer on
this preserve, and for a time Mr.. Avent
thought of training some of his dogs
for deer. However. deer and bear in
this connection are incompatible, n
last fall Mr.. Avent secured from Sun
flower county, Mississippi, two pet
bear, with the determination of train
ing the pack for the biggest game to
be found in this section. In addition
to this, he secured the Bobo pack of
hounds. Then the real work began.
At the foot of a small sapling Brer
Bear walks to and fro, with the uneasy
restlessness of a man who awaits the
morrow with q note due and no money.
Now and then he pauses and tugs at
his chain.
Away over the little rise of open
ground there comes a musical yelp,
swinging in it's tone with the cadence of
successive leaps.
Another yelp. in a different key,
comes family. The bear turns and
shifts the air Nearer and nearer come
the sounds. The first note has swelled
into a quartet and hen into a chorus.
Over the hill the leaders of the pack
come dashing. The whole pack has OPP
ened with its exciting song. Soprano
dogs that take the nigh notes, baritone
dogs that strike a middle pitch and
deep chested bass dogs that register
the musical background to the melody,
join in an ever swelling volume OF
sound.
Brer Bear hastily measures the dis
tance between himself and the dogs,
and between himself and the tree. With
a bound he has reached the side of the
tree; three quick leaps takes him 20 the
top Of the little sapling. No cat could
have made the trip more quickly.
The leading dogs. far in advance of
the pack, come bounding to the foot of
the tree. They growl. bari and bay.
They leap at the tree, as though try
ing to fly up at the bear. Their fore
feet are sent shooting up Its sides. The
claws make vain efforts to catch the
same sort of hold that made the bears,
escape easy.
snarling. growing. yelping, they tell
the story of a freed bear to the follow
Ing pack. and to the riders VINO are
giving the 5looded horses free rein.
The bear hangs over a limb. his head
lower than his body, and growls at the
dogs. The compliment is returned.
When the Horsemen Dash Up.
All at ono the whole pack breaks
over the hill. Its music is intense in
Its volume. Then a horses head shows.
h animal plunges v e the little rise
and a string of other riders follow.
Here, a city man, preparing to take his
meals from the mantel; there a girl
who sits a horse as part of it. laugh
Ing, swinging along after the dog band
as it sings out it's chase charge.
The riders d%isn1ount. Trained hands,
whip and pole arrayed, take off the
dogs. Brer Bear is pulled from his re-
treat n brought to the ground. He
looks around h ring and sizes up the
dogs that are likely to prove the most
troublesome. With rare instinct he
sorts out the barking dog from the
one with a willing bite.
Apparently watching the barking
host that is turned loose on him, he
keeps q weather eye ON the little Scotch
terrier that comes darting at his flank
from the rear
.Zip!"
He sends an upper cut at the little
dog and turns him over.
Not a yelp comes from the dog. He
rallies and Seeks. cautiously, a new
opening. A white hound, caught up in
4 ~, g mr. ,,oo1y O. ~, ,,,;{LS,, -, II.
of Brer Bears paw. A quick slap, a
dog rolling over and over or the grass
and a turn for a new attack follows.
An OLD red hound Who has been wait
ing for another dog to get the attention
of the bear, shoots in from behind and
bites his trademark on Brer Bears hind
leg. The red dog darts out, before the
bear, turning with cat-like rapidity,
can catch him..
Brer Bear makes his upper lip the in
strument upon which he blows a snort
ing defiance, nj he makes a mad rush,
in a circle, through the attacking pack.
He knocks down a couple of dogs. runs
over h rest and goes chasing around
his circle until the little terrier, ready
to get even for his slap. suddenly drops
in behind the procession and takes a
snap at the hind leg.
Brer Bear pauses suddenly, slaps
right and left and gets in the middle
of the ring, to taxi a new fall out OF
all dogs hat come his way. A big, ole
dog that makes as much fuss as a
campaign orator surrounded by a
friendly crowd. gives evidence of a de-
sire to devour the bear.
Brer Bear takes a fresh running
start and makes his savage annoyel
move back out Of range. With no idea
in the world that he might possibly
use his hind legs for defense. Brel
Bear guards his front with perfect ad.
dress.
The old dogs keep well out of the
bears way, worrying him from the
front, nagging him from behind. leap
ing in when an opening presents itself
and sidestepping when the Dear turns
on them.
MINDED from his encounter, the bea,
is allowed to go to his friendly tree
He leaps up to it with remarkable
speed and leaves the yelping PACK
swarming and scatching at its base.
So this pack Is being prepared fol
the chase.
The trail is followed, the bear found
and the dogs taught what not to d.
when Interviewing his bearship.
HIt nR To- n~AVl~- <L~SA 4--ER- j.