The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-10-11

] lHtSe lulllienSe Suurlu1lS DHSklnS III Tue
sun or lazlly lounglng upon the edges
of the slides in the pens at Palm
Beach or Miami, where they are kept
in captivity for exhibition purposes
Neither in captivity do they appear to
be the quick, alert and rapid-movlng
creatures that they really are.
AS is well known, there Is only one
region of the United States where these
animals are found in a native state
and that Is along the lower coast of
Florida, very few being found along
Blscayne Bay, but in large numbers
down among the numerous small ISL
ands or keys further south and in the
vicinity of Flamingo and Cape Sable.
They inhabit the mangrove marshes
and swamps, and are hard to get at
by any one, even a native Florida
Cracker or Seminole Indian. They can,
Of course. be shot especially by fire.
light. but as the dead 'dile" is only
worth so much as his skin will bring
in the market his value when dead is
not near so great as If captured alive,
and very few are ever killed by the
native hunters. There arc numbers,
however, who hunt him to capture him
alive, and the methods adopted for his
capture are securely guarded by the
successful hunter. 1t is said that only
two or three, at most, know of these
methods, and it was only by chance
that the writer obtained the informa-
ton that is here given.
A crocodile in his native haunts is
not only so quick at hearing, seeing,
smelling, and it would seem at feel
ing that the ordinary layman may have
little hope of ever securing q good spec
linen alive unless by the merest Of ac-
cidents. They are swift to dive, run
or swim, sink in the mud and lay so
still that no ripple of water will betray
their presence, whit they will smell a
'tenderfoot' at such distance that
all he will see upon his arrival is n
streak of muddy water, showing that
his "dileship" was there, but at present
is chuckling to himself at the bottom
of some deep marine cave, where he is
going to stay until all intrunders are
gone and rs he only has to eat two or
three times year. and can get on well
and stay fat on less, hunger is not like
ly to drive him forth. He is different
from his first cousin, the alligator, who
is dull, lazy, hungry always and gen
orally fearless and full of curiosity to
see what all strangers look like, and
comes up to see, thus falling an easy
prey to the rifles of his enemies.
To successfully capture the crocodile
good roomy boat is secured that, is
very shallow of draught, so as to en-
able it to easily float among the num-
erous creeks and shadows into which
it is destined to go. This boat is load
ed with a good stock of camping uten-
sils, food and water Qhere is no drink
ing or fresh water to be found among
the lower Florida keys, and a good
supply of ropes, planks, axes and
spades. Thus equipped you arrive at
the grounds and establish your camp
In what looks to be a good locality from
the signs, both old and fresh. These
animals are not migratory, and unless
from good cause rarely ever leave the
locality in which they were hatched,
although they may have a range of
four or five miles in search of food.
The party now separates in small
boats and begins the search for caves
up and down along the muddy banks
of deep, muddy, ill-defned creeks and
inland lakes, and having found cave,
they next ascertain If it is in use, and
il so is the "dile' large enough to cap
ture, and if he is, and the hunters are
professionals, his doom is sealed, for,
although the crocodile may be off on
junketlng expedition in search of food
or on visit to his relatives, the hunter
is not in the least discouraged, for a
patient and secret watch is set and
when he is seen in the vicinity he is
easily frightened and runs to his cave.
This cave is hole about two feet in
circumference on the banks of the
creek or lake, and may extend back
sixty or seventy-fivc feet under the
ground into the woods. but is always
near the earth's surface, and in this
retreat his "dileship" feels secure,
However, his enemies first go to the
mouth of his cave, and secretly fasten
1t up with boards and planks brought
along for that purpose. Next the un.
derbrush is partially cleared away and
soundings are made to ascertain and
locate the cave. Then blocks and tackle
are brought and set up, fastened secure
ly to an adjacent tree and then all be-
ing in readiness, a hole about ten
inches square is dug down so as to strike
the cave and through this hole is in
serted the rope with slip moose at the
end of it, which moose so hangs that
when the crocodile passes along his
ave 1t will catch him around the neck.
A sharp stick is then showed down, and
the animal, receiving the prod, runs
along the cave and right into the trap
set for him. Immediately the man
hauls away on his blocks and tackle
and his head, secured in the moose, is
hauled up in the hole, which is not
large enough to permit his body to pass
through; the end of his nose is pulled
through, however, in spite of the ter
rife struggles of the saurian, and Sc
curely tied with ropes.
Then the hole is enlarged and his
head, neck and forefeet are pulled
through and securely fastened and two
stout scantlings are now drawn along
each side of him, and to these he is Sc
curely tied or wrapped by numerous
a ~