The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-10-19
A Rabbit Hunt
BY Earl Wyman

AMY settled in a snug little camp in
what is known as the Notch. The
camp which we occupied was a mile
or so south of the main Notch Road
and in deep valley between Foster
Hill on the west and Whittemore Hill
to the east while some two miles down
the valley lay lake George.
The following day, Christmas being
on Sunday, we started out to look over
the country and see where the most
game was. Fifteen inches or so of
snow covered the ground and while
we had brought snowshoes we found
1t really easier walking in the woods
without them. To the east and
south OF the camp lay a large cedar
swamp and this we set out to explore
and hunt in first.
shortly after we had entered the
swamp and separated. | shot the
nrst rabbit and a few minutes later
heard Bill shoot one. Satisfied with
our fifteen minutes hunt Bill and
returned to camp to wait for Buck and
10 begin preparing dinner Sometime
later Buck returned---empty handed
But after dinner he started out again
while Bill and | stayed in camp clean
ing up and reading. Late that after
noon Buck returned with the heart
and liver OF a porcupine which he
had shot At first he made Bill and
think he had killed a bear but fin
ally he confessed it was only a
porcupine. We had that heart and
liver for supper, fried in olive oil
which Bill had brought along to fry
rabbits in and believe me it was good
Next day, Tuesday, we set out to ex-
plore Whitman Hill. After crossing
the cedar swamp and climbing stead
lily for sometime we came out on top
The hill itself is some seven hundred
and twenty feet high and from it we
had an excellent view. On the side
we had assembled the hill dropped
away in perpendicular granite cliffs
fl ON fifty to hundred feet and then
there was long gradual slope to the
valley floor. A mile or so away
across the valley doomed up the tree
clad, snow blanketed top of Foster
Hill, to the north showed the higher
top of Loomis Hill while away to the
south the sun cleaned on the level
white expanse of Lake George, tight
gripped in the icy clutch of winter.
After enjoying the beautiful pan
Drama OF the winter woods spread
out enticingly If one would but look
and after a short hunt on the top we
descended and struck campward
through the gathering gloom and chill
of the swamp. On the way through
Buck shot three rabbits and that
night we had fried rabbit in plenty.
The next morning Buck short an
other rabbit just back of the camp
After breakfast Bill and l started out
down the valley toward Lake George
After a long walk and wide detour
up on Foster Hill we struck the West
ern arm OF the lake. Here headed
across the ice to the Point, around this
and across the eastern arm and we
came to the east shore. In starting
back we followed the wrong valley
and after hour of wandering about we
came out on branch of the Notch
road well over in Canaan and more
than four miles from camp. How
ever we managed by fast hiking to
reach camp at about dusk and glad
we were to see the light cleaning
from the window and to hear the
cheerful whistling of Buck and the
rattle of dishes as he prepared supper.
Our story brought only laughter and
taunts of our being tender feet" from
Buck, but we had our revenge for
next day he got lost even more fool
ishly than we had.
Thursday morning a light snow be-
gan to fall making it very good hunt
ing and during the forenoon Buck got
two rabbits and | got three Bits
luck seemed to have failed him and
hunt as he would not another rabbit
could he get. In fact he only sue
ceeded in laundering into an unfrozen
muck hole down in the swamp and
getting wet up TO his waist. Only his
presence of mind In throwing his shot
gun across the mud hole as he fell
to support himself saved him from a
severe ducking, possibly even worse.
That afternoon | got another rabbit
or four. The next day. Friday, per-
cieving that our food supplies had
disappeared at marvelously rapid
rate we held Council of war and
it was determined to start for home
that afternoon. Accordingly after
great feast in remembrance of our
last day in camp, we set out, in chill
cutting wind and under a dark for
bidding sky on the home trail.
During this trip we bagged in all
nineteen rabbits and. remember, we
had no dog. We had TO depend en-
trely upon our own eyes and trailing
ability. In other words we were match
ing our woodcraft against that Of the
rabbit And while a rabbit may do
foolish thing occasionally, take it
from me, he's no idiot.
While we got less game than we
could have gotten had we used dogs
yet we really believe that we had far
more sport in hunting them in our
own way. To me this seems a far more
sportsman like way of hunting, for in
using a dog, If he is we'll trained and
you are any kind of a shot at all, the
rabbits doom is sealed the instant the
dog runs across his fresh trail.
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