The Washington herald., 1909-10-24
MICHIGAN BEAR HUNTING.
Fierce Hand tO-hand BattIes-NiGhf
Attacks on sheep Herds.


Attacks on sheep Herds
From the Chicago Tribune.
Common black bear are becoming such z
menace 10 farm stock in the woods Oh
Northern Michigan that hunting parties
are being extensively organized 10 exter-
inmate them. The bountiez which have
from time 10 time been offered by the
various boards of supervisors have
proved Intellectual as a stimulus 10 indi-
vidual hunters, and throughout the ter
ritory lying along the Saginaw Bay and
extending 10 the Straits Of Mackiuaw
farther north along the Lake Huron shore
Br'er Bruin and his family have been
thriving or choice lamb and sheep, pigs,
veal. calves. honey. &c, all summer long.
Il Is the approach Of fall. when a
spark starts a raging forest fire. that has
caused organized effort TO be made TO rid
the countryside Of the beasts. In Arenao
County alone over 400 sheep We're killed
last fan by the bears which had been
driven out Of the swamps and woods by
tin fierce forest fires which swept 50
large portion Of the state.
Their fighting qualities were amply
demonstrated 10 the employees on Brad
ley, Prescott & Co.'S sheep ranch,
overlooking Stiles Lake. during the prev
alence Of the fires which swept all that
territory traversed by the Detroit and
Mackinac Railroad 81 Eastern Michigan
last autumn
This ranch covers thousands OF acres OF
fine grazing lands. partly plains dotted
with lakes. streams. and swamps: but
everywhere the low jack pines interspers-
cd L. In, 4
headquarters are located the long sheep
shed and q big inclosure surrounded by
an eight-foot wire fence. in which from
5000 TO 10.o00 sheep are herded. Near BY
lis the residence Of the superintendent, Tom
French, where the men employed in
caring for the sheep also live
one night early in October French was
awakened by a noise resembling distant
/ thunder. His first thought was that at
last the clouds were about 10 open and
Guench the flames whose smoke had been
coming nearer and nearer day by Gay,
but as he lay awake waiting for the
pleasing patter Of the rain the thunder
changed its keynote and his feelings Of
relief gave way 10 wonder and then 10
anxiety.
Above the thunderous roll came 10 his
ears the bleating Of the lambs. and as il
came nearer he could distinguish the pitt
iul cries Of the sheep and then the grOwl-
ing, hoarse CRY Of bears as they attacked
the animals. Rousing the other men and
bidding them secure their rifles. which
were always loaded for emergencies. the
foreman led the party into the woods
4 The half moon only partially lighted Up
the openings among the trees, the semi
darkness adding 20 the danger OF their
| encounter
! The slaughter was going on at a rapid
rate. for PIT least n dozen bears were
attacking the flock The men opened IRE,
\ but stopped when they realized they wcro
/ liable TO kill many Of their sheep. so
closely were they huddled together
! Drawing their long hunting knives. tho
men plunged into the fray. They were
met half way by one bear much larger
/ than the rest. which had been badly
wounded by a bullet He made a rush
and with one swoop OF his paw ripped
\ the shirt from a mans back and sent the
blood squirting from four long. deep
/ gashes. The foreman himself was imme-
diately engaged in death struggle with
another bear. whose viselike embrace was
only broken after repeated knife thrusts
/ finally succeeded in reaching a vital spot
/ With the exception Of two men who had
/ fed, the others were by this time prac-
| tically surrounded by bears. Four hand
/ TO hand encounters we're going on at once.
Nearly every man had his clothing ripped
/ from him. while their faces were covered
with blood The tide OF battle turned
! just in the nick Of time. for almost on the
Z instant that the foreman and the first
man who had been attacked succeeded IN
killing their bears one OF the other men
had his arm broken by a savage blow
/ from a paw, while the fourth had his
/ hand badly lacerated and crushed in tho
mouth Of the bear he was fighting
BY joining forces the men soon after
I succeeded in dispatching the remaining
animals but were not in the least disap-
pointed at finding that some OF the bears
had disappeared in the darkness. BY the
time they had succeeded in stanching
their wounds and had rested sufficiently
TO make the return trip 20 headquarters
! approaching daylight disclosed the full
extent OF the murderous feast they had
interrupted.
Close at hand were five dead bears and
three dogs which would never again
answer their masters CALL while within
Ia radius covering less than an acre
were over fifty sheep. most of them dead
and others 90 badly wounded they had
TO be killed.