The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-01-03
DEER IN TEXAS.
In the Mesquite Flats, Where RoOse-
welt Once Hunted.


southwest portion Of Texas which is
an ideal deer range, and especially so
on Uvalde. Kinney and Zavala coun-
ties. The mosquito flats interspered
with gaujilla ridges, are the natural
home of the deer The country is also
well watered. The live oak furnishes
mast; the prickly pear apples, and the
mesquite flats the rich, curly MESQUITE
grass that the deer delight to feed
upon.
IN the early morning U late in the
evening" the deer come in from the
thickets or hills where they have been,
lying up during the day, and Craze on
the grass in the openings. They are
very cautions and generally remain by
the side of some clump Of bushes and
are not easily detected. Being assured
of their safety and of the approaching
night they become holder and advance
into the opening. The doe snatches a
few nibbles and then looks for an
enemy, while the spotted fawn gam
bols about The cautious hunter does
not then have long to wait before the
buck appears.
Deer hunting. as the old hunter
knows. is not what 1t is cracked up
to be, It takes hard work and lots of
patience, as we'll as experience to get
the game. It is no easy matter to de-
tect a bucks head at 100 or 200 yards
amid a wilderness of cactus and p-o-
fusion of brush and scrub. The
,1, Ioof
like the genuine article than the deer
who is observing the hunters motions
and ready to take instant fight If dis
covered A waving signal of white is
about all that rewards many a tired
hunter as he stumbles through the
catclaw and mesquite brush.
There are not many hunters who
can claim six bucks to their credit
during the seacon, as the law allows,
B. F. Mcdaniel claims to have killed
his six in one day last season.
"Will" Meachan, who was one of the
successful hunters, is of the opinion
that the greatest benefit Of the pres
ent hunting law Is the stopping Of
peddling out venison. While the emat
could be sold there were many who did
nothing else but hunt deer for living
Now this has stopped. 1t is a mat
ter of s9ort.
The javeline, or peccary, is another
wild animal peculiar to this section,
the hunting Of which affords excel
lent sport. The 1aveline has many
characteristics of the wild hog, but is
quite a different animal in many re-
spects. It inhabits the dense th!ckets
which are commo In many parts of
this country. The tangled, thorny
brush and cactus are im2entrable In
many places for anything unless it be
taveline Its tough skin, covered
with long. sharp bristles, is proof
against any of the thorns it comes in
contact with The javeline lives on
pears. apples roots, mesquite beans
and other vegetables of diet. 1t has
long keen tusks which cut like razors,
and 1t strikes with a, downward stroke,
unlike the common hog, whose stroke
Is inward It's hoofs are small and
sharp. and 1t is said to be the sworn
enemy to the rattlesnake. One after
the other these ferocous little beasts
win leap upon the coiled snakes and
i literally grind 1t to pieces.
The iaveline is usually hunted with
dogs and it takes an old warrior Of the
canine tribe to hold his own. The ia
veline can whirl with almost lightning
like rapidity, and woe betide the doc
hf Vt is not beyond the reach of the
! popping tusks. The call Of the wound
\ ed iaveline serves as a rallying cry
I for the bunch. and they have beer
known to return and compel the hunt
er to seek safety in a tree where t@ey
have kept him for hours.
President Roosevelt, when Governor
lof New York, visited Uvalde for the
sole purpose Of hunting the javeline
which was then one of the cnymytoocS
whlch was then one animal he hac
never hunted. He spent several days
on the I'D ranch, owned by IKE" t
Pryor and succeeded in killing a mum
Der.
When taken as pig the iavelin
show attachment for their master
They will follow him like dog. They
also make good watch '"dogs" abou
house. and with their fierce ASPECT
popping tusks and elevated bristle
are calculated to make the intruder
pauae,
There are still a few bears enC
panthers in this seceteeieoeneeeeeeee
panthers in this section. Not long agt
an old she bear and two cubs wer
seen on this Dodson ranch, abou
twenty miles north of Uvalde. Their
are also some bears at the head 0
Camp Wood Creek and among the ee
dar brakes in the hills of the UDpe
Nueces Canon.
The most prominent bear hunter i
this territory is William Wells, VIII
lives at the head Of Montell Greek
near Montell He has lived among
the mountains since 1880. and know
every trail within a radius of man
miles of his mountain home. The ak
periences he has undergone read Xix
a chapter from 1.-THE Deerslayer." MI
Wells is a dead shot with a rife, an
J is utterly fearless. He has followe
bears into the recesses of dark cave
and has been let down by ropes wher
the incline was too step for man to de
scend, and thus buried in the bowel
! of the earth shot the growing bear b
r the ligth of the torch he carried.
He has some gigantic traps wit
} which he has caught mauy large bear
in the days gone by. These would
anchored to some heavy log, but s
great was the strenth of the capture