488 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



["July 16, 1885 



\nti{t §xg m\A %nt[< 



Address all communications to the Forest and Stream Publish- 

 ing Go. 



BEAR DOGS. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



In your issue of June 25 is an article on bear dogs by 

 "Bruin," asking for the opinion of old bear hunters on the 

 breeding of bear dogs. As 1 am always willing to give 

 sportsmen the benefit of my experience, I will give "Bruin" 

 a few dote on the subject. A bear dog namtur nonfit. 

 There are no breeds peculiarly adapted to bear hunting. 

 "When I kept a bear pack I never refused to add to it any 

 kind of dog that chanced to fall in my way, and often the 

 most "ornary" looking curs turned out the best of bear dogs, 

 while the fi nest specimens of canine elegance proved most 

 worthless. I remember once I succeeded with much diffi 

 culty in procuring the handsomest cur I ever saw, which, 

 when placed in my pack looked a "Hyperion among Satyrs." 

 He was so belligerent I feared he was doomed to fall in the 

 first encounter with a bear, but judge of my surprise when I 

 saw this canine warrior tuck his tail between his legs and 

 strike out for camp without having received a scratch, or 

 having been within thirty yards of the bear, but the sight of 

 Mm was enough tor the valorous dude; and such was his 

 demoralization that at night, while we were all in camp, he 

 chanced to run against a saddle setting on a black stump, 

 which frightened him so when it fell on him he jumped into 

 the lake by which we were encamped and swam off to the 

 opposite shore and never returned. So you see it is as hard 

 to judge dogs as men by appearances. Therefore I tried 

 every dog I got hold of to keep up ray pack. Bear dogs are 

 generally short-lived, for in addition to the casualties of 

 battle, the climate of the swamp is not healthful for dogs. 

 They are subject there to mange, which in that climate 

 assumes a most malignant type. Besides the great exertion 

 of bear fighting seems to break them down early. 



My pack was composed of quite an assortment of dogs. 

 1 mean by assortment every variety of dog 1 could buy, beg, 

 borrow, and. if it wasn't an ugly word, I would say steal. 

 In addition to those I could pick up, I made many experi- 

 ments in breeding; but I can't say breeding experiments ever 

 proved a success for I sometimes got one good bear dog out 

 of a litter of puppies from which I had anticipated better re- 

 sulis, for some wtre almost sure to be worthless. I kept a 

 pet bear to train them with, which did very well, but was 

 by no means infallible; for some who fought a pet bear with 

 a good deal of courage did not show up so well with a wild 

 bear. They seemed to know the difference between a sham 

 fight and a real battle. 



Tracking bear in the snow is something I know little 

 about. They generally den up in bad weather in this State, 

 as the snow seldom lasts very long, and when they do start 

 out to travel in the snow, they are apt to be going somewhere 

 and don't stop until they get there. I never attempted to fol- 

 low but one, and I may say, by way of apology, 1 was quite 

 young then. It might be different up in the mountains of 

 Maine, but to follow a bear through one of the impenetrable 

 canebrakes of a Mississippi swamp, ochl — even on this July 

 day the thought of the ice bath I took in trying to get- 

 through asnow-covered can brake makes the cold chills creep 

 up my spinal column, where the snow ran down in spite of 

 my thick clothing in that winter thirty years ago. I was 

 soon whipped out, and generally I hold on pretty 7 well. Ever 

 since I have selected better weather for hunting bear, and 

 trusted to canine instinct for following trails. 



And while on the subject of canine instinct let me say in 

 the language of an old homespun friend of mine, now passed 

 away to the happy hunting grounds, "There are hoof doogs 

 and claw dogs. " The hoof dogs are those which prefer trail- 

 ing an animal with hoofs, such as deer, antelope, wild bogs, 

 etc. The claw dogs, on the other hand, are more zealousin 

 trailing animals that wear claws, such as bears, wildcats, 

 foxes, "'coons, hares, etc. Most dogs will chase deer, and I 

 have had hounds that would go wdd after a deer, but would 

 scarcely notice a fox trail. I have also had foxhounds 

 which refused to notice deer at all, even to follow a bloodied 

 trail. Such dogs naturally take to bear hunting, and be- 

 come so infatuated with the sport they cease to notice any 

 other kind of game and become specialists on bar. Such 

 dogs soon become valuable as strikes and test dogs, which a 

 hoof dog never attains to. Dogs that are fond of chasing 

 deer are very difficult to break to bear hunting, and nothing 

 is more provoking than to have a pack quit a bear trail and 

 run off after a deer, which are numerous in localities where 

 we look for bear. For this reason but few hounds make 

 good bear dogs, yet I once saw a pack of hounds that would 

 fight a bear as close as one would wish and never notice a 

 deer track. These hounds would chase a man with little 

 training, and such packs are now kept in our State peniten- 

 tiaries for recapturing escaped convicts. Such things are 

 shocking to humanity, but it is an evil which grows out of 

 the system of leasing" out convicts to work on farms; but 

 wherever you find a hound which loves to run a man's track 

 you find a claw dog, and one that will take to bear. 



In selecting a bear pack no one variety is suitable, because 

 doe-s of different sizes aud different temperaments are requi- 

 site. 1 want a half houud or a full hound for trailing, yet 

 do not want a dog with a very cold nose for a start, as it is 

 better to hunt a fresh trail than follow one that has passsed 

 along twenty-four hours before you struck it. I want hang- 

 ou but not hold-fast dogs, I want my pack to cling to a bear 

 fighting close, and nipping his hams at every chance, until 

 he is forced to tree; then to bay until I find them, no mat- 

 ter how long it may be. 1 want dogs that snap, not dogs 

 that hold. Some of the most successful experiments I ever 

 made in breeding for bear dogs were with dogs crossed with 



freyhounds. I "have crossed the greyhound with the bull- 

 og, also the bull terrier and the mastiff; these made fine 

 large, active fighting dogs, I also crossed these with the 

 foxhound, which made some excellent bear dogs. The finest 

 bear dog I ever saw was a cross of a greyhound and a bull- 

 dog on a foxhound bitch. He was far the best of the litter. 

 There were three others that were very good ; but this one 

 that I named Lawyer, and whose memory is still fondly 

 cherished, was uncommonly sagacious, docile and affection- 

 ate. He never was seriously hurt in a fight, and was ever 

 on the watch for a dash, and if a bear ever attempted to 

 cross an open space, Lawyer was almost sure to pickup one 

 of his hind feet, and by an adroit jerk throw him on his 

 hack, and these trips always demoralized a bear and caused 

 him to take a tree. If a bear attempts to jump over a log, 

 a large, active dog. with strength and courage to snatch 

 him back without being dragged over himself, as sometimes 



happens to a small dog, adds greatly to bringing bruin to 

 bay. As 1 said dogs of different sizes are necessary. Larse 

 dogs to fight behind and little rough-coated terriers to swarm 

 about his nose, so active as to keep beyond his claws, but 

 game enough to keep up a din about his ears, and when 

 caught little dogs are more likely to slip through bruin's 

 arms without serious injury than large dogs. The rough- 

 coated terriers are best because they are better protected 

 against the green briers that grow thick in the bottoms, 

 besides their rough coats and loose hides will often slip on 

 their bodies under the pressure of bruin's teeth, leaving 

 them to close down on a bunch of hair and roll of skin in- 

 stead of flesh, and the moment they are loose they are active 

 enough to get out of the way. 



I like a test dog that is too timid for a fighting dog, as it 

 is very inconvenient to have a test dog crippled unless you 

 have a very reliable pack; and a reliable test dog for bear, 

 one that will not start nor open on any other trail, is invalu- 

 able to a bear hunter, and such dogs are always rare; and 

 while a hunter may have a number of good start dogs, I 

 never saw a pack that did not have one more reliable than 

 all the Test. It is well to have a very slow hound, dachs- 

 hund or beagle, with a good mouth, to follow on after the 

 pack to guide the hunters to them. I once trained a little 

 beagle to ride behind on a horse, and when the pack would 

 get almost out of hearing I would turn her loose and she 

 would take me to them. I have more than once been thrown 

 out and lost my pack, and been compelled to camp in a 

 canebrake and hunt them up next day. A well-trained pack 

 will stay by a tree until hunger forces them to leave or their 

 master 'finds them. I never left a pack in the woods; the 

 consequence was that my dogs always had faith in my per- 

 severance, and would almost perish by a bear before they 

 would leave. 



The reason given by "Bruin" for preferring a white dog is 

 why r I object to the color. A bear is afraid of a white dog, 

 and is always trying to get hold of bim; consequently a 

 white dog is almost sure to get killed, especially if he is 

 plucky. "l also like a dog with a long tail, as his tail assists 

 him to turn quickly, besides I have more than once dragged 

 a dog out of a bear's arms by getting hold of his tail. If 

 "Bruin" will get a pack of terriers and half-terriers, with a 

 few medium-sized curs to bark around, and about three large 

 active fellows with a cross of bull, greyhound and foxhound, 

 selecting the most active, and train them to fight behind, 

 he can force any bear on this continent to come to bay, I 

 have never hunted grizzlies, but I am sure I could get up a 

 pack in a little while that would trap any animal that walks 

 the earth, even to a rhinoceros. Why the Western hunters 

 do not use dogs in hunting grizzlies I cannot imagine. 



I always hunt bear on horseback, although I have found 

 places inaccessible to horses, where I would have to leave 

 my horse aud cut my way through the cane with my knife. 

 The country in which "Bruin" hunts may be different, we 

 have no mountains here, but we have densely matted cane 

 brakes, and boggy bayous. Yes, a bear never went before 

 my pack where 1 did not follow. I've seen some rough ad- 

 ventures, and some glorious sport, and must say that bear 

 hunting is the most faciuating sport I ever engaged in. 



"A life of languid years of list'e ss ease 



Is well resigned for cares— for j oys like these." 



And as I look through the kaleidoscope of memory I see 

 again many a happy picture, in scenes so variegated and 

 beautiful, I can scarcely realize that life is not a dream. For 

 pleasures past are but as happy dreams, and over all these 

 comes a darkening shadow, that makes the picture sad. For 

 of the many gay companions who camped with me in the 

 Mississippi" in days "lang syne," I alone am left. Ah! where 

 are those loved ones gone? One word— the grave— covers 

 them all. All have fallen victims to their love of sport The 

 exposures of the chase together with the miasma of the 

 swamps have carried them all away. And why am 1 left? 

 Because I saw my companions falling one by one, and I 

 wisely retired from the sport. The strain on the system from 

 exposure to wet and cold, intense excitement, over heating 

 and cooling suddenly, plunging into bayous, straining every 

 muscle and fibre of the body, until exhausted, in fact under- 

 going every hardship and exposure, until the constitution is 

 shattered, then fall a victim to the first little illness that 

 strikes you, this is why bear hunters and bear dogs die 

 young. I once thought I had muscles of steel aud an iron 

 constitution, so 1 had, but the damp atmosphere of the 

 swamps wall rust such metals, and use and age will wear 

 away the elasticity of Damascus steel. I found that 

 bear hunting was killing my friends and undermining 

 my own constitution. I felt the warning in nervous 

 twinges and sciatic pains, and sought for sport in 

 less arduous fields, only at rare intervals visiting the 

 swamps and indulging my taste in a sport as fascinating to 

 me as the dice to the gambler, or the cup to the inebriate. 

 To follow a pack of bear dogs in a bear fight would even 

 now be as irresistible as the eye of the serpent is to the bird 

 it charms to destruction. I write this to warn young sports- 

 men of its dangers, knowing at the same time I had as well 

 tell the young lover to turn his ear from the beautiful maiden, 

 whose head rests confidingly on his bosom, as she whispers 

 the refrain of the old, old song, which though rung for ages 

 is ever new. Give me back my youth again, and I would 

 be off to the swamps for a bear hunt though I knew the way 

 had been sown with dragons' teeth from which armed men 

 would rise up to oppose me. Farewell, "Bruin." 1 have 

 led a happy life and have no regrets, save the loss of loved 

 ones fallen by the wayside. Would I were a boy again, to 

 spend another life in the enjoyment of woodland sports. 

 Such is my experience, and 1 give it now for what it is 

 worth. May we meet in the happy hunting grounds! 



Pious Jeems. 



Lochtnvab, Mississippi. 



Editor Forest and 8t/rmm: 



"Bruin's" estimate of the hound is an injustice toour stock 

 of foxhounds, for when properly trained on bear, with a 

 judicious leader, they make as brave dogs as ever made 

 Ephraim take a tree. The bear dog must be educated to it, 

 or bred to it first, then educated. The progeny of dogs that 

 have been accustomed to hunting bear take to it more readily 

 than the progeny of those unaccustomed to the smell and 

 sight of bruin. The four best bear dogs I ever owned or 

 saw were of varied blood, but accustomed to the scent of 

 bear from puppyhood, having been reared on a farm border- 

 ing on the great Dismal Swamp of Virginia, in which bears, 

 deer, wildcats, coons, etc., were plenty. They early learned 

 to chase each and all of the varmints named, and seemed to 

 fear none. One of these dogs was a full blood shepherd, 

 two of them were half hound and half bull, while the other 

 was a full blood foxhound. Beaver, Despot, Sam and 



Brutus, ah what would I not give for four such now? Never 

 did I know them to chase a bear but that lie either took a 

 tree or a knoll in a very few minutes after they got within 

 reach of bim. They were educated to it. A neighbor of 

 ours had three full blood black and tan foxhounds that were 

 almost the equals of our owm ; they were trained to it. Since 

 the days of my early youth I have taken much notice of 

 such things, and have arrived at the conclusion that it de- 

 pends much upon the kind of bear dog wanted as to the 

 breed. If you have drives and stands for shooting bear, 

 then the full-blood hound is as good as any, but if it is to be 

 a rough-and-tumble fight in the dense swamp, where (he 

 bear will come to bay, and you must crawl in on hands and 

 knees and shoot him, then you want half hound half bull, 

 from hunting stock, and you have a dog that can endure 

 heat and a long run, and which will, when his blood is up, 

 fight anything from a chipmunk to a circular saw. The too 

 rash, headstrong dog is not the best; he is liable to run in on 

 Ephraim; in other words to be a little "too previous," aud 

 get a hug and kiss that will make him wilt. Here lies the 

 good of having the discretion and good sense of the hound 

 blood ; while when the fight comes, if it comes, the bull in 

 the dog will not let the bear get away without a worry. 

 Many anight have 1 lain awake listening to the baying of my 

 dogs, while they held a bear seated on some knoll with his 

 back to a tree, and held him all night without a word of 

 encouragement from any human being, for it was "war 

 times" (and no men around, they having gone to fight other 

 battles), and I, but a small boy, could not think of venturing 

 alone in that labyriuth of reeds and briers a mile from the 

 shore and unarmed, save with a single barrel shotgun. Yet 

 those faithful dogs would frequently stay on for twenty-four 

 hours, while the tooting horn failed to bring them from their 

 post, the bear afraid to move, except in self-defense. One 

 instance I remember, my brother and I set a gun for an 

 immense bear which was in the habit of coming out in the 

 border of one of our fields and eating green corn. So with 

 the assistance of some of the darkies and an old while man 

 (too old to go into the army), we rigged up an old flint and 

 steel gun (the others being hidden from prying soldiers), 

 loaded it with an ample supply of powder and ball taken 

 from an old musket cartridge, and after properly setting forks 

 and trigger posts and grapevine, we placed the gun in line, 

 properly sighted (we had seen the thing done before), fastened 

 it down and departed. This was about noon. That even- 

 ing, between sunset and dark, while we were out on the 

 piazza talking, the old gun with its army ammunition went 

 off with a horrible roar. We sprang to our feet, aud with 

 a dozen or more darky boys and dugs, started for the gun to 

 see what execution had been made. On arriving at the 

 place the dogs immediately opened, and off they went 

 straight in the direction of Lake Drummond. We ran up 

 breathless to where the old flintlock was and found blood, 

 and plenlyof it. The bear had fallen, but evidently had 

 strength enough left to lead the dogs a lively chase. The 

 barking grew fast and furious, and they soon "treed" the 

 bear. Night having fallen, we Went home to wait until 

 morning, feeling mean at not being able to help the dogs; 

 but they are too far off, and any one who has ever set foot 

 in the Dismal Swamp wdl sympathize with me. The next 

 morning we were up betimes, and taking with us a colored 

 man, we started for the dogs, with our old flint and steel 

 well charged, for the bear might show fight. _ Reaching the 

 swamp, in we plunged and headed for the noise of the dogs, 

 while we gave an occasional allohoop to encourage them 

 and let them know we were coming. We struck an old 

 road and followed for half a mile or more, and then struck 

 off through reeds aud briers so high and thick as to obscure 

 the sun. But we arc nearing the'dogs. and they, hearing us, 

 are perfectly furious, making a terrible uproar Now 

 we are near them, and all at once one of the darkies 

 screamed out, "Look a-dere." We behold a monster beat' 

 seated on the limb of a cypress about fifty feel from the 

 ground. Up goes the flintlock, but alas, the heavy dew has 

 been too much for it, and the powder is damp, aud a click is 

 all the response to the pull of the trigger. Tne bear seeing 

 so many around the tree hesitates about coming down, 

 though he is uneasy and the blood is dripping from him. 

 However, while we are wiping the pan and flint and priming 

 anew, he turns loose and comes down in a heap, The dogs 

 cover him immediately, and the next moment the yells and 

 roars of bear and dogs are enough to make the hairs rise on 

 older heads than mine. The light is soon over, and Sam, 

 my fighter, comes to us and lies down moaning pitifully. 

 Meanwhile the others have gone on fighting their way 

 through the tangled swamp. We examine Sam and find him 

 badly used up, with several ribs broken. Again we come up 

 with dogs and bear, and again the gun misses fire, aud thus 

 we follow on until dogs and boys are worn out, aud we find 

 ourselves near Lake Drummoud, five miles from the shore, 

 and sadly and wearily we call off the badly used up dogs 

 and retrace our steps as best we may, homeward. The. uext 

 week the bear was found, but the buzzards had mined the 

 hide, and nothing remained as a trophy but the teeth. 



In this section of North Carolina we use the same pack 

 for hounding bear, deer and fox. Only last Saturday, the 

 20th inst., a very large black bear was killed while being 

 chased by a portion of the pack, while the others were bay- 

 ing another in a different part of the swamp. My advice to 

 all who want good bear dogs is to get the descendants 

 of old bear hunting stock if possible, let the breed be what 

 it may. There is no special breed for the purpose; but if 

 you can't get such, cross large hounds with bull, in propor- 

 tion of three of houud to one of bull, and hunt them or have 

 them hunted with old bear dogs for a while, There are in- 

 dividuals of all large breeds that will make courageous bear 

 dogs, and there are others of the same breed that are too 

 cowardly and will never hunt bear, however much they are 

 taken ; their place seems to beat their master's heels. Let 

 the houud of hunting stock predominate iu the pack. Three 

 or four good dogs are better than a dozen, as you are not so 

 liable to shoot a dog when only a few are employed as when 

 so many are running around. 



Bill Basnight, the noted bear hunter of East Lake, only 

 uses two or three dogs, and kills quantities of bears. He 

 uses hounds and prefers them white in color, Could you get 

 him to give you points on dogs for bear hunting, 1 think 

 they would be of service. A. F. R. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



"Bruin" has opened a much neglected subject, Bears are 

 scarce and their capture hard, more for want of good dogs 

 than for lack of game. Good hunters claim that well-trained 

 curs are the best. It they are, I want one, and can promise 

 o-ame for him to work on any time with one day's notice. 

 Let us hear from "Bruin" often. Michigan. 



Detroit, Mich, 



