The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-11-27

| and thicksy growing BRANCHES. Inc dex
terity with which horses trained 10 tns
! louisiana bear chase make their way
nc high speed through the dsnAe and
tremchero,i- swamps into which The chAss
leads Is simply WONDERFUL. The rider
need not guide them. He couldnt " he
wanted TO.
The hunter carries In his hand strong
keen blad.-d knife which he II frequently
forced to bring into instant u-e FOR sever
ing NJ a blow some threatening loop OF
win. or stubborn festoon Of moss. The
hor-s will follow the dogs. and when they
have brought the quarry to bay soon
bears it, rider To the spot.
Another psculiarity OF the Louisiana
bear hunt is that the hunter behind q
pack OF hounds carries no gum. The
bear dogs are valuable and require special
training for their work. The necessary
risks of the chase they OF cour NJ must
run and IL one or two or half a dozen
fall before the savage rushes and deadly
hugs Of the bear they have harried and
forced To turn and defend itself their
lo~s. while regretted. il accepted as sotnS-
thing to be expected. The packs OF
hounds are always large, IA many as
twenty five dogs being not an uncommon
number to take the trail. and while the
yelping and snarling pack is surround
ing the hear springing at its throat,
tearing at its flank or leaping up and
swarming about the furious beast on
all sides 50 that il ia at times almost
hidden by the dogs. il the hunter Mould
send a rife bullet at some exposed part
Of the animal and one OF the dogs should
receive il instead that would be the kill
ing Of dog that might have been avoided
and is rega ried a. damper on the chase.
To prevent the possibility OF thus
sacrificing a dog the genuine Louisiana
sportsman never lays his dogs open
to the risk OF it, When the hear is brought
to bay and the hunter arrives At the spot
where Bruin has made his stand he dis
mounts and armed with a long bladed.
sharp pointed knife promptly joins in
the fray He rushes upon the bear and
with a thrust OF the formidable blade
his fatal stab by pushing the knife
bet ween the very ears Of a dog. bur his
aim is so true that while he may shave
u tuft Of hair from a hound with the keen
blade he never wounds the flesh.
One skilful sinking Of the blade into
a bears body ~ usually enough. The
hunter steps aside. The huge brute
fights on. Presently il totters and drops.
Then with a last savage lunge at some too
ventur.aoma or overconfident dog the
bear falls like an uprooted tree in the
midst Of the yeiping pack.
The killing Of the wild hog il another
7 Louisiana pastime. II is peculiar To the
natives Of Caiahoula parish. and the
hog Of that district il unique in canine
facility. The Wild hog Of tataho,ilA In
pugnacious and fierce. and in order to
bag them or get them in shape for the
killing the dogs are trained To he hunted
nv the hogs instead 81 themselves hunt
ing the hogs The object OF the wild hog
hunt in Catahorila il to get the animals
in a corral. This II IL the business of
the Catahoula hog dog 20 accomplish.
The Wild hogs. roaming through the
woods and along the bayous. are ever
ready 10 tackle anything else that hap-
pens 10 come their wsv. and particularly
arr thew eager for n chance at the Cnta-
hOaila dog 4 dog sent into the woods
To excite u drove Of Wild hogs IL never
long there before the hogs get wind Of
him and hunt him up.
They find him and with fierce snorta
rush for him The dog. keeping IN mind
IN" direction of the corral. hariSs a chal
lenge. 20 to speak. and the hogs rush on
;iarrer than ever The dog tucking his
'ail bst ween his legs. runs away. keeping.
however. not more than just a safe dis
lance ahead of the raging drove
Sometimes the hogs ~ II disgu-ted
with the COVE rdic'' Of the dog. will halt
IN their pursuit and griniIng and Snortipg
their opinion OF him return to their feed
ing Then tn. dog turnt and makes a
dp Sh back nj the drove Tn" hogs charge
him again and of he runs 49, before. IN
this WAY the dog lures the hogs on until
in their succession of mad chas's he has
brought them to the gat. II the corral
Tho dog runs into rhe corrai Tn. hogs
follow him hopefully. "a he has siackened
his speed They are almost upon him
when. his master. in ambush nearby. hBv-
ing hurried up and closed the gate OF the
pen. tn. dog agilely leaps the fence He
has done his duty. He has cntrapped the
wild hogs
For this work tho dog IL invariably
rewa rdad with feast of pone and bacon.
a cut from -one wild hog Of q former
corralling Of his perhaps. and the next
day there IL a great hog killing time in
th. corral. which ~ joined IN by all OF
Cataho,ila thst can conveniently he on
hand