The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-09-16
SQUIRREL HUhllNG
Or. Maekay Of Norfolk Describes This
Sport In Magazine Article.

Sports Aficld". In those days ! went
squirrel hunting in the Choctaw Ma.
ton where the fluctuations of the
Ozarks lose their abrupt angles as
they natten out to blend with the
plains. It is delightful region, with
wonderful variety in the contour of the
country, the soil, trees and game
Hills and valleys, clothed with prime.
val forests of pine and hardwoods;
rocky ridges with sparkling springs;
broad, level, treeless prairies, and jun
giles of swamps give to the country a
pleasing panorama.
The call came to me one exquisite
autumn day when all nature seemed to
repose in the silence and safety of the
summers closing days, and even the
creatures of the wood seemed hypno.
tized by the soporific splendor of ma.
ture. Sun-spangled, glowing and
GREATNESS, the park-lke forest spread
out before me, with windows of
cleaning leaves, untouched by the
frost but seeking Mother Earth be.
cause they had lived their allotted day
and had received the eternal message.
The silent native who introduced me
to this enchanting realm walked a
long ways into the very heart of the
woods before evincing any interest in
squirrels. AS | podded behind him,
had ample opportunity to study the
man and his ancient muzzle loading
shotgun and to speculate on the use or
purpose for the detected looking non
descript cur that slouChed at his heels
The cur had the general markings of
foXhound, but there all resemblance
ended; for he was understood, defec-
tive in conformation and evidently
very much IA mongrel. That he could
have anything to do with the pursuit
OF the day never once entered my
mind and | set down his presence to
the habits of the natives to have dogs
attached to them. | did not reveal to
the reticent native my establishment,
that, with berries and ricks of nuts
and pine cones all around, had not
yet seen squirrel Accustomed to
The habits of the red squirrel of the
Canadian woods, which hastens to
greet the hunter with its insolent chat
ter and to warn all the creatures of
the woods of your presence, or those
of the fox squirrel, that skulks behind
limb and frantically waves his flag
to betoken his location, | was not
aware that one might tramp noiseless-
ly all day through the southern woods
and not see a grey squirrel
On rocky ridge, where grew a
number of large, isolated hickory
trees, the native sat down on a wind
fall and gave signal to the dog. The
latter moved off in his melancholy
dropping manner and began to scent
the ground all around him, moving in
circle and then zig-zagging all over
the ridge until he came to a tree
where he stood up on his hind legs
and nosed its bole as far up as he
could reach. Dropping to the ground
he went around to the other side OF
the tree and repeated the performance
Then he silently started down the
ridge. Cum down agin," was the ma
tive's succinct comment, as he got VI
and followed the dog. A dogs sense
of smell has always seemed to me q
marvellous faculty. How a bird dog
can pick out birds scent in the grass
and differentiate between such subtle
odors as divers vegetables, rotter
wood, weeds, fungi, mammals, insect.
and other birds is incomprehensible
and, besides, how can dog tell wheth
er scent is going or coming? The
natives mongrel was engaged in 8
more perplexing problem: in following
trail over bare rocks and through
dry sand, that absorbs all odor, unit
he came to the broken-off stub of {
tree, when, after going all around i
and nosing the trunk as he had pre-
viously done to the other tree, he CAV,
voice to deep bay. "Holed, | reck
in" was the natives sententious re
mark. The dog, however, appeared t.
be dissatisfied, for he left the stuml
several times and circled but always
returned and bayed. We put GU
shoulders to the rotten stump ant
overthrow it but there was neithe
hole nor squirrel. The native looked
puzzled. Done gone" he present.,
said, and pointed to a creeper suspend
ed from an overhanging tree, and
looking down through the thick wood
toward a ravine, he continued, Hin
sure could go right smart thar" OF
in the woods we heard the dog again
That fool houn' er-chasin er rabbit
How do you know it's a rabbit"
inquired. But before | got a reply
squatty swamp rabbit scurried pas
us.
We lost trace OF the dog and wan
dered around. Diplomatically | in
quired of the native why he hunte,
squirrels with a blunderbus. "Kain'
take no chanst." he replied and pre-
ceeded to explain that there were tuI
keys in the woods and hit takes
powerful shootin' gun to kill em."
afterwards learned, but not from tn
native, that he had purposely left hi
squirrel gun at home so as to give m