Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-02
GOT HIS ANGORA.
Tenderfoot Massachusetts Hunter
Thrilled With Tale of Maine Wilds.

While of course there are hundreds
of Massachusetts sportsmen, as well
as those from other states, who come
to Maine each year, during the hunt
ing season, in quest of big game, who
are real sportsmen-who know the I'M
marked paths through the wilderness
almost as we'll as the guides who 60
with them, and who also know the
habits and the lurking places of the
denizens of the forest of which they
are in pursuit there will occasionally
drift over the boundary line of Maine
from the states above mentioned,
sportsmen of the would be order, who
have somehow, in obeying the impulse
of a semi formulated desire to become
hunters, but who could not tell Il
spikehorn buck from woodchuck, fol-
lowed in the footsteps of the real arti-
Gle until they find themselves almost
within hailing distance of the hunting
grounds.
1t was a few DAYS ago that one of
this latter class of sportsmen landed
in augusta, on his way to the wilds.
He was about town for a day or two,
curing which time he made the ac-
quaintance of several young men who
have more or less of a reputation for
story telling, and one of whom owns a
cottage on the shore of Cobbosseecon-
tee. and as the Boston man was going
to remain in Augusta over Sunday, he
was invited to go to camp, an invita- :
ton which he accepted with alacrity.
On the arrival of the party at the
cottage, Sunday morning the guests
enthusiasm almost got away from him.
He had never been in camp before,
and the novelty of the situation to-
gether with the beauty of the lake and
it's surrounding hills, the foliage on
which was just showing the first tints
of autumn, for awhile rendered him
speeches.. He just sat there on the
piazza of the cottage, with the others
Fof the party, and drank in, as it were,
the beauties of the scenery.
Finally, as his gaze wandered 10 the
interior of the cottage he caught sight
of a mounted deer's head over the
fireplace. That settled it, Gone in
stantly was the admiration which the
beauties of nature had awakened
within him, and his only thought was
of that deers head hanging on the
chimney. His eyes We're glued to it
with force akin to that with which
a magnet holds horseshoe, and when
at last he was able to turn his head
for moment toward the owner of tho
cottage, who sat beside him, he asked
in hushed tones: Say. do you ever
set those around here?'
he H,-1i oh tl,a
other members of the party had been
waiting. and looking his victim SOL
EMMY in the eye, the owner of the cot
tage began.
Sure" he replied to the Boston
mans question, they're almost as
common in these parts as cattle in the
pasture. I've killed dozens of 'em.
Why, they are SO common round here
that | never think of killing them,
nowadays. l should just as soon
think of going out into the barnyard
and shooting a yearling heifer. l
used to have lots of fun shooting deer,
but / never think of it, now.
Did | ever kill more than one deer
in a day? Well, l guess | have-rve
killed lots of 'em, but we don't do it
now. because the law doesn't allow it.
l remember one hunt in particular that
went on, several years ago. We
had had an awful snowstorm the day
before and the wind blew so hard that
every telegraph pole between here and
Moosehead lake was blown down, and
some of them We're carried so far by
the wind that they never We're found.
1t was quiet enough, however, the
next morning after the storm, and
shouldering my old so caliber army
rifle-we didn't have the 5000 Savage
in those days, started out. The force
of the wind was seen everywhere.
There would be stretches of a mile or
more where the ground would be just
as bare as it is in June. and then you
would come to a drift of snow as high
as a house.
We'll, | was just coming to one of
those drifts when. on looking up, | saw
a deer's head showing above the top
Of the drift. l took a quick aim and
fred, and the head went out of sight. |
knew / must have hit him, for he
wasn't more than 80 feet away and | |
Used to be pretty good shot when |
belonged to old Co. +, of the Maine |
militia, but when had slipped another |
she'll into the gun and CHANGED to look |
Up toward the top of that drift, there |
vas another deer's head in the same i
place where the first had been.
Il took careful aim, the next time,
md as | fired the head went out of |
light. as the first had done, but by the
ime that | had got another shell into
he chamber of my rifle, there was
hat darned head looking at me again
rom the top of the drift. | began to
hink then, that there was something
he matter with my bullets, but every
ime I'd fire the head would go out Of
light, so l banged away until / had
red all the cartridges that l had with
ne, which was only Is.
The last time that / fired, no head
anne up, so l climbed that drift to see
5hat there was on the other side of II,
nd do you know, | was actually
shamed as l stood on top of that
rift and looked down and saw what /
ad done, for lying in the snow below
le were Is deer, and had killed the
hole of EN- while believing that
'as shooting at the same deer every
me. | felt so bad over it that l have