Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-02-12
SHOOTING BLACK SQUIRRELS.

management.
SHOOTING BLACK SQUIRRELS.
Rare Little Animal Found In the Delti
Country of Arkansas.
In the river bottoms of southeastern
Arkansas there is to be found a squir'
rel that Is absolutely as black as coal.
Along the White and Arkansas rivers
near where they empty into the Mis-
sissippi, this squirrel is in abundance
1t Is the widest and the wisest OF II:
kind. and therefore not many OF then
are killed by the average sportsman.
To the hunter who has never me
with one, and very few sportsmen ever
know Of it's existence, the appearance
Of one Of these creatures skipping
along a limb and springing from tree
to tree is q decidedly peculiar sight
At a distance they resemble a mini
more than any other animal. although
on close inspection there is no chance
10 MISTAKE tlcll opCSiSo. h'S' 49,
about the size Of large gray squire
and built on the same graceful lines.
NV first encounter with them, writes
correspondent of the Kansas City
Star. was in the bottoms Of the White
river, a short distance from the mouth
Of the Arkansas, a territory as wile
and desolate and free from clea-ings
and farms as any place in the delta
country. This term delta Is used ad'
visedly, for although popular fancy
recognizes only the fertile, alluvial ter
ritory of Mississippi as "the delta tc
speak more exactly the term comprises
all Of the alluvial territory Of that
state and Of Arkansas and Louisiana
besides.
l was camped on White river with
three companies. spending a vacation
hunting. had never seen black
squirrel outside Of a museum or ZOO
logical garden, and counted those thai
I had met with in these places as
freaks OF nature, rating them along
with white blackbirds and albino AMI
mails, so highly priced by the museums
because Of their rarity.
Late one afternoon / was waiting In
A pretty. open glade for a possible shot
at a deer when the rustling OF twle
attracted my attention. Looking uI
in the tree above me / saw my first
oh W
loaded with buckshot and l drew out
one Of the cartridges and slipped In
charge Of fours, but herein l erred
for no sooner had disclosed my pres
ence than the squirrel vanished and
saw 1t no more. 1t disappeared sc
quickly that had I been more !magi-
native and less advised Of black Hquir-
rels l might have doubted my senses
This Is one of the traits of black squir-
rels. They can hide more quickly ano
effectually than any variety OF theil
kind. I waited half an hour for its re-
appearance, but it's patience was
greater than mine and lengthenine
shadow warmed me that the time had
come to return to camp.
Over the campfire that night 1 told
Of the incident and the most expe-
rienced man in the crowd laughed al
me and said that the only way to Xii
a black squirrel was to shoot 1t before
II discovered that you were in the
neighborhood. This proved to be good
advice. and the next time / saw one
followed instructions and bowled II
over. 1t was a beautiful thing. and ye1
there was something uncanny and sim
lister in its appearance. 1t was per-
fectly made squirrel. and yet 1t cer'
tainly looked strange, its fur a ricf
blue black and as slick and silky as
that Of a mink or marten. There was
not a hair off color or shade about 1t.
The black squirrel breeds with the
gray and fox squirrels, and in oul
hunting in the delta country we me'
with specimens ranging from just 6
black tinge under the stomach anc
along the inner side Of the legs to the
blackest of the black. There were
some of them that had dark brown
fur, tipped with red or light brown,
cross between the fox squirrel and the
black.
There is little chance of killing one
by laundering through the woods, fol
If a glimpse of little black body be
caught far through the trees it viii
have disappeared completely before the
spot where it was seen can be reach
ed. The best chance Is to select q
stand and wait. When one makes Its
appearance. shoot. Don't try to slip or
it, for that is out of the question, and
IL you have buckshot in your gun don't
try 60 change the charge.
Straaqe Story Of Dream.