Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1907-07-26
TRAPPED A BEAR.
An Exciting Experience of Hunting
Party at Bear River.

|
vicinity of Bear river got back from
their trip last Saturday. They report
one of the most exciting times in the
history of hunting in that region.
There we're six in the party: John
Garbarini, Frank VOORHEES,, Jack Bar
ton, all of Jackson, h. q. Amick of
lone, Jas. lIangdon of Suffer Greek,
and Fred johnson of New Hope.
The spot selected for their camp
was at the Bear river dam of the
Standard Electric Company-an ideal
place for angling and hunting 1t is
between forty and fifty miles from
jackson. Two men Fred Otis and
Whiteman, are keepers of the dam,
remaining winter and summer to look
after the company's interests.
/ When the jackson party reached
there the snow in places was piled up
six or seven feet deep, but the wal m
weather since has reduced it to the
liquid state.
Fishing was not as good as it might
be, although the boys caught plenty
for their own consumption. Some of
the trout captured weighed over two
pounds.
Amick. the lone representative,
carried off the honors of the trip.
He succeeded in shooting a couple of
deer, and the monarch of the forest
| cinnamon bear-was corraIed In his
| trap, with the bait of his furnishing.
The method adopted in capturing this
brute alive is worthy of extended ex-
PLANTATION.
In preparing for this excursion,
Amick took the precaution of taking
with him an old horse. Arriving at
the hunting grounds, this animal
was shot at spot selected. Then a
powerful steel trap was brought into
play. 1t was fastened by means of a
| chain to long loose sapIing, some
twenty feet in length. The trap itself
weighed sixty pounds, and with log
and chain fully two hundred pounds.
1t was provided with teeth, so that
when its Jaws came together with a
snap, the spikes would hold with the
grip of a wise anything that came
within Its grasp. The approach was
fixed up by means of logs placed in a
slanting position, so that bruin could
univ oat to tho fooct praporod for n Il N,
by stepping across the narrowest part
of the V formed by these logs. On the
other side of the sticks was secreted
the trap, carefully covered up with
brush and earth. 1t was designed
that the first paw that Mr. Bear placed
over the dead Iiue would spring the
trap and cause the foot to be clamped
tightly by the trap, the attachments
OF chain and log being intended to
impede his movements after capture.
On Saturday, July Ii. four or five
days after arranging the trap, Amick
and Garbarini repaired to the spot to
see how matters were progressing. 1t
was mile and half distant from
the camp by the dam. Before reach
ing the place, they heard the distress
ed cries of bruin, believing like
calf, and they were satisfied that the
decoy had worked to a charm. 1t
was shortly after day light that they
came up to him. He had evidently
only been trapped a short time,
although considerably tagged out by
his efforts to release himself from his
novel attachments.
AS soon as they realized the situa-
ton, the two men fastened back to
camp to get ropes and further help,
with the view of taking him alive to
camp. The bows at camp were all
astir when told the news, and repair
ed en- masse to the scene to assist in
The capture.
The animal had not Travelled more
than hundred feet from the point of
capture. The long stick had become
damned against the trunk of tree
so the brute was pretty we'll tied up
and exhausted By his efforts to
escape. After several attempts, two
ropes were attached-one 10 a fore
foot, the other to one of the hind
legs. A strong man was assigned to
the charge of each rope. Fred John.
son assumed the front place, and
johnnie Garbarini took the hind
tether. BY teasing him and other
devices he was finally led into camp
alive and we'll. Occasionally he
would make vicious lounge to reach
his tormentors. but the men at the
ropes, together with the trap and log
him kept under fair control.
He was big specimen of his tribe,
weighing about $50 pounds. He was
not in plump condition, having but
recently emerged from his winter
torpor. What to do with him after
getting him safely in camp was the
next question. 1t was useless to
think of bringing him to town. 1t
was too big an undertaking, and be-
sides he would be only soruce OF
trouble here as elsewhere. So it was
wisely determined to kill him. On
Wednesday of last week he was shot
at the camp on Bear river. The boys
had lots of bear meat, and brought
plenty to distribute among their
friends. Amick, as the owner of the