Nov. 3, 1893.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



879 



ON THE SUNFLOWER RIVER. 



We three "tenderfeet" had been honing for a bear 

 hunt for some time, so about the first of November wo 

 left Indianapolis bound for the Sunflower River in Boli- 

 var county, Mississippi. We arrived in due time at the 



little station of on the New Orleans R. R., about 110 



mUes south of Memphis. The town consisted of a saloon, 

 two general stores, a saw mill and several small dwell- 

 ings, situated in a heavily timbered country. 



We were strangers in a strange land, but the people 

 were kind and obliging, and in answer to our inquiries 

 informed us that deer, turkey and small game abounded 

 in the immediate neighborhood, but if we wanted bear 

 and panthers the best place to find them was up the Sun- 

 flower some twenty.five miles on Black Bayou. As an 

 evidence of good faith we were shown a half -grown cub 

 at the saloon fastened with a chain, and the stuffed hide 

 of a panther over 9ft. long, both captured on the Sun- 

 flower. 



We were also regaled with some panther stories that 

 were calculated to make us feel a little shy on the pan- 

 ther question. For instance, the boss of the saw mill said 

 he was cutting timber with a gang of men back in the 

 woods a few weeks before, when one morning early one 

 of his men had occasion to go out in the cane, when a 

 large male panther sprang from a leaning tree on to the 

 back of the man while the latter was in a equatting pos- 

 liure. The weight of the animal bore the man to the 

 fround, and he cried out for help, but before it arrived 

 the ferocious cat had killed him with one crunch of his 

 powerful jaws, breaking the poor fellow's neck. A col- 

 teed man told us he was hunting squirrels with a ehot- 

 fun, when passing through a heavy piece of timber where 

 he cane was very Kigh and thick, he saw a large panther 

 n the side of a tree, in the act of climbing up it. With- 

 ut waiting to think what the consequences might be he 

 [red both loads into the panther back of its shoulder and 

 Sited it. This was the same panther whose hide we saw 

 .t the saloon. After hearing these stories and many 

 ttore we came to the unanimous conclusion that we 

 ladn't lost any panther, and if they would let us alone 

 i^e would remain strictly neutral on our part. 



But we were determined to have a bear, panther or no 

 janther. So after laying in a supply of provisions we 

 lired a colored man and brother to haul us and our 

 jluuder over to the Sunflower, some six miles away. 

 A.rriving at the river we bought some lumber at a saw- 

 nill and soon built us a flat- bottomed boat 18ft. long, 

 tft. wide and 1ft. deep. We calked it with oakum, bought 

 it Cairo, and pitch from the mill, and made it as dry as 

 1 powder horn, and after fitting it with rowlocks and 

 jeats, and with oars and rudder, we launched her on the 

 jlacid bosom of the river. 



While we were engaged in building the boat two young 

 nen who lived near by, both of whom were "mighty 

 iunters before the Lord," promised to take us with them 

 )n a bear hunt. So one morning bright and early we 

 itarted, the hunters each mounted on a pony, while we 

 )rought up the rear afoot, accompanied by eleven hounds 

 >f all ages, sizes and colors, but each and every one 

 'quipped with a deep bass voice. 



Our route led through the dense timber and heavy 

 '.anebrakes of the river bottom. Every little while one 

 >f the younger dogs would go off on a deer trail — which 

 )e.rformance always called for a great deal of cussing 

 rom the natives — but the old dogs knew their business 

 .nd kept close behind the ponies with preternatural 

 ;ravity depicted on their countenances. 



After a couple of miles we came to a cypress swamp, 

 vhexe bear tracks were plenty and fresh. The cypress 

 aiees were torn by the bears and the great cypress trees 

 Fere raked and scratched by them where they had stood 

 iD their hindlegs and clawed down like a cat. We saw 

 ehere they had torn the bark off the trees ten feet from 

 he ground — unmistakable evidences of a"bigun." AU 

 f these signs made us tenderfeet feel pretty dubious, as 

 re expected the war to begin any minute. Finally one 

 f the old dogs struck oif on a trail, baying at every 

 amp. The natives said it was a bear euie and that old 

 jead — all good hounds are caUed Lead or Drum — would 

 5on overtake the bear. After a chase of perhaps twenty 

 linutes we could tell by the sound that the bear was 

 rought to a stand , and we set out with the himters to 

 I'here they said the bear was. Sure enough, when we 

 ame up there stood the bear with his back to a large 

 ^ee fighting off the dogs, when one of the natives killed 

 im vrith his rifle. 



After skinning the bear they put the meat in large 

 icks made for the purpose and hung to the saddles and 

 36 hunt was over. 



The next morning we started on our twenty-five mile 

 ail up the river. The water in the stream was quite 

 )w and clear and about 100ft. wide. The banks were 

 .x>m 15 to 25ft. high, and the cane grew to the very edge 

 F the bank. Doc and I each pulled an oar, while George 

 ieered. Our progress was slow, as the current in some 

 laces was quite swift, but the greater part of the way 

 •as dead water. 



Five miles from the mill we left the last cabin behind 

 3 and were in a dense wilderness. It was our first in- 

 ■oduction to a country where for twenty-five miles on 

 Ither side no human being lived, where no stock was 

 inning, and where every track was that of some wild 

 aimal. 



The first day we saw no game except ducks and 

 luirrels, but in the afternoon of the next day, and only 

 mile or two from where we intended going into camp, 

 e saw a bear in the river getting a drink, but before we 

 luld get our guns he had scampered up the bank and 

 Ito the cane. We had the pleasure of gazing on his 

 ■acks wet with water that had dripped off of him. We 

 kw two more bear swimming the river some 300yds. 

 w-ay, and looking for all the world like big Newfound- 

 r ' dogs with just their heads out of water. We fired 



il shots, some coming pretty close, but didn't hit 

 The river bank was literally clawed down where 



ears climbing up the banks would leave the marks 

 leir sharp claws in the soft clay. 



e finally came to where a small stream ran into the 

 \ er, and knew from the description we had received 

 at we l\ad reached our destination, and began looking 

 u for level ground enough to put up our tent. This 



uo easy matter, as the banks generally rose direct 

 - the river 25 to 30ft. But fortunately we did find 



el place just large enough for our purposes, and, 



I yet, close by a spring of clear water strong with 

 ju and sulphur. 



Our tent came so near occupying all the level ground 

 that we could almost step from the front door on to our 

 boat. 



After putting up the tent, getting a lot of firewood 

 and cutting enough cane, from which we stripped the 

 leaves to make our beds, and then getting supper, we 

 were so tired that we went to bed as soon as it was dark. 



We were awakened the first night by hearing some 

 large animal falling or rolling down the steep bluff just 

 back of the tent. It was too dark to make any inves- 

 tigation till morniog, even if we had cared to do so, 

 but as soon as daylight appeared we could see the tracks 

 of a large bear where he had scrambled back up the 

 hill. For the life of us we couldn't see how the bear 

 came to fall down the bluff, but he had fallen, for we 

 could see where he had torn up the dewbeny vines in 

 trying to catch himself as he came tumbling down. 



We had been told that there was a lake back from the 

 river about three-fourths of a mile where we would be 

 sure to find game, so we determined to cut a path through 

 the cane to it. The cane was very thick and from ten to 

 twenty feet high and impassable for anything in the shape 

 of a man, but several years before there had been an 

 attempt made to drain the ditch, and by crawling on 

 your hands and knees up the old ditch bed it was thought 

 possible to get to the lake. After several hours hard 

 work the writer succeeded in reaching the lake, which he 

 found to be a bayou about a mile long and a hundred 

 yards wide. The water was clear and deep. Large 

 cypress and oak trees grew on the margin of the lake, 

 and a strip of tolerably clear timber some fifty yards wide 

 extended around it between the cane and the water. I 

 began cutting a path with my hatchet in the direction of 

 the camp while George cut toward me. By hallooing 

 occasionally we could tell just where each of us "was at" 

 and finally came together about half way between the 

 lake and camp. We now had a good path direct to the 

 hunting ground, and felt like we had done a good day's 

 work. 



The next day we set out to explore the lake. "We found 

 plenty of bear signs. They had a beaten path around 

 the lake and in soft places we could see fresh tracks, 

 made that morning, as large as my hat, while the ground 

 under the persimmon trees looked like a lot of hogs had 

 been there. This began to look interesting to us, and we 

 expected to have a bear fight in about a minute. Doc and 

 George went up, while the writer went down the lake. 

 The wind was favorable and I kept my eyes peeled, ex- 

 pecting every minute to run foul of a bear, and sure 

 enough, just beyond a thicket I heard one walking in the 

 edge of the water. The brush was so thick I couldn't 

 see him, but I heard him come out of the water and begin 

 turning over logs hunting for worms and rooting around 

 like a hog. About this time I became pretty nervous 

 and thought the track was getting pretty fresh, but knew 

 it would never do to back out now, so I began crawling 

 through the thicket toward the bear. I must have got 

 within 50yds. of him when he heard me and went gallop- 

 ing off into the cane, making as much noise as a yoke of 

 cattle and beating down cane as thick as my wrist with 

 his heavy body. 



My experience convinced me that the only way to get 

 a shot at a bear would be to find a good place where they 

 would be likely to come for water and wait for them. 

 So I found where a large tree had been blown down into 

 the lake, with its body some 10ft. above the water, and 

 crawling out as far as I could get. found I had a good view 

 of both sides of the lake for 100yds. I could see great 

 numbers of fish in the clear water directly under me, 

 while flocks of ducks swam up and down within 10yds. 

 of me, unconscious of my presence. Gray squirrels were 

 very numerous and tame; they would come close to me, 

 and didn't seem to care who or what I was, but on the 

 other side of the lake a large fox squirrel (something rare 

 in that country) in hunting for grapes spied me out and 

 began making a terrible fuss about it. I thought sure 

 that squirrel would kill himself barking. He would bark 

 till he turned black in the face and would run up and 

 down a large grape vine, jerking his tail and cussing 

 me for everything he could think of. 



I have sat perfectly still at the root of a tree and had 

 deer walk up in plain view within 20ft. without seeing 

 me, but you can't hide so the sharp eyes of a squirrel 

 won't find you out. 



While seated in my treetop a large otter came swim- 

 ming by. I could have shot him easy as not, but didn't 

 want to lose a chance at a bear. I waited till it began to 

 grow dusk and went back to camp, where I found the 

 boys. They had had no better luck than I— saw plenty 

 of sign, but no bear. 



About a hundred yards above the tent a large drift 

 had formed in the river, and George said he believed he 

 would go there and try for a channel cat. He cut a dry 

 cane about loft, long and baited his hook with a piece of 

 squirrel liver. In a few minutes I heard him calling for 

 help; and running up to the drift found he had hooked 

 some kind of large fish and couldn't get him out without 

 help. We finally landed it, when it proved to be a beau- 

 tiful channel cat of at least 121bs. weight. We found it 

 no trouble to catch all the bass and salmon we wanted; 

 in fact, the river seemed to be full of fine fish. 



While George and I were fishing, Doc went back to the 

 lake to kill some ducks. About sundown we heard him 

 calling for help and filing his gun. When going to his 

 relief we found him wandering up and down the lake 

 oom]pletely lost. The wind had blown the cane down 

 over the path where it left the lake, and Doc would go 

 past it every time. He finally got scared and thought he 

 would have to climb a tree and wait for morning or else 

 make bait for bears. 



One day George took his stand near the edge of the 

 lake, and after waiting patiently a while a large bear 

 came out of the cane and began drinking at the lake, 

 not over 7oyds. away. George was a good shot and could 

 plug a squirrel in the head nearly every time; but the 

 sight of the bear rattled him so that he fired too low, and 

 the bullet struck the ground just under the bear. This 

 scared the bear worse than the bear scared George, and 

 he jumped several feet in the air and was soon out of 

 sight in the cane. 



After this none of us could get a shot at a bear, although 

 we had no trouble to get all the deer and turkey we 

 wanted. 



We watched the lake and the river patiently for a week 

 and finally gave it up, loaded our baggage in the boat 

 and floating dovm the river to the mill, shipped it to the 

 railroad and came home. 



We give it as the result of our experience that the only 

 successful way to hunt bear is to hunt them wdth dogs 

 trained for the purpose. One can still-hunt for deer and 

 tm-key (and in our opinion that is the true and most 

 sportsmanlike way toj hunt deer), but he can't do much 

 good in hunting bear that way. Their sense of smeU, 

 sight and hearing ia so acute that the chances are ten to 

 one that the bear wiU discover you before you do him 

 and make his escape. 



On our return home I had the pleasure of meeting and 

 dining with Mr, R. E. Bobo, who owns a large plantation 

 near the small station on the railroad named for him, 

 Mr. Bobo has a large pack of the very best bear dogs and 

 ia an enthusiastic hunter. In 1879 he personally killed 

 304 bears, 52 wildcats, 47 panthers and 66 deer. Who can 

 beat this record? 0. 0. 



RuSHViLiiE, Indiana. 



AGAIN THE HUNTING RIFLE. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Mr. A_ztec objects to large bores in hunting rifles "on 

 account of weight, of the tearing of game, danger to 

 stock, etc.," but does not object to 8 or 91b§. in weight of 

 rifles. His reference to the bloodshot condition of haunch 

 and other parts should be left out of a discussion relating 

 to the use of rifles by sportsmen, as I think "the haunch 

 or other parts" should not be shot at, excepting, perhaps, 

 bears. And it is of no account whether they are "blood- 

 shot" or otherwise (large bores preferred). The principal 

 thing to bear in mind in hunting with a rifle is getting a 

 correct aim and selecting a deadly spot to hit when one 

 shoots. As my old guide used to say when instructing 

 the inexperienced, "Pick out the spot you want to hit 

 and kill him." In a majority of instances the range is 

 point blank and all shots shoxild be made forward of "the 

 midrib." Therefore the question of caliber in rifles should 

 be confined to that which is most effectual up to, say, 

 twenty-five rods. 



A large hole will let out more blood than a small one in 

 a given time and I contend that the large will produce 

 better results than the small bores. As to the condition 

 of meat, whether the animal is "dropped" or otherwise 

 killed, "Aztec" should know that where a bullet traverses 

 meat which is ordinarily eaten the blood will settle even 

 though the animal "dropped" to a shot eventually pene- 

 trating to a point that paralyzes. And he might conceive 

 the idea that an express bullet would do more harm to 

 meat so penetrated than the ordinary solid shot. "The 

 danger to stock, etc.," need hardly come into the discus- 

 sion, for a rifle of any caliber shot near settled regions is 

 dangerous to stock, etc. Wallot. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Many of your correspondents that favor large calibers 

 have told of the killing power of their favorite weapon, 

 claiming the shock is great enough to kill some of the 

 larger game in their tracks, while the smaller calibers 

 striking in the same spot would only wound, or at best 

 cause slow death and perhaps loss of meat. My first ex- 

 perience in shooting deer was with a Sharp's old reliable, 

 the game a large buck standing rear end to, looking over 

 his shoulder. As I could get no better chance I took 

 careful aim and fired. The bullet of .o6cal. entered 

 the hindquarter a little to the left, ranged through, break- 

 ing the bone, entered the bowels and so on to the heart, 

 lodging in the brisket. As your correspondent "Aztec" 

 says, in theory he ought to have dropped, but he did not; 

 he ran at least 75 or lOOyds. before giving up. On another 

 occasion I shot a medium-sized buck coming full tilt, head 

 on, the bullet of .44cal. striking him in the breast, smash- 

 ing his heart to fragments. He still continued to run for 

 some distance and not a drop of blood could be discovered 

 on the yellow leaves far at least 40yds. of the distance 

 covered. 



In all my experience I have never knowm but one deer 

 to drop in his tracks, he being shot through the neck, 

 high up, the bullet striking the spine. From the first I 

 have contrived to reduce my calibers from .56 to .44-40, 

 then .40-65, from that to .40-60; my next love was a. 38-55, 

 which has given me the best satisfaction, being not too 

 heavy, at the same time the powder charge being great 

 enough to drive the bullet home. In my opinion it all 

 depends on where the animal is struck. If shot too far 

 back he will give the hunter a long chase, though the bul- 

 let be shot from a small cannon. If I had lost any griz- 

 zlies I should probably use as large caliber as I could get, 

 but for all game found in the Maine woods the little .38-55 

 does the business in grand style. As I said before, it all 

 depends. A. N. B, 



Jamaica Plain, Ma^s. 



Wild Goats in British Columbia. 



Edgar, Neb., Oct. 26.— I returned from a trip to British 

 Columbia last month (along the east shore of the Gulf of 

 Georgia), where we had a royal good trip. We were 

 about 150 miles north of Vancouver, and from 35 to 50 

 miles inland. Owing to the difficult nature of the 

 country to travel about in I decided at the last moment 

 not to take my camera along, and very much regretted it 

 when too late, as I had several fine opportunities to pho- 

 tograph the white goat, as we saw quite a number of 

 them, and they were not very wild; in fact, I was at one 

 time within 30ft. of an old goat and her young kid, and 

 think that owing to the nature of the ground I could 

 have got within 20ft. of where she was quietly standing 

 chewing her cud, with the kid lying at her feet. They 

 were up on a rock and in good position to have made a 

 good picture of. We saw several bunches of them, but 

 did not molest them much as we only kflled what we 

 wanted for eating. The goats up in these mountains do 

 not seem to be afraid of a man at all. We also had some 

 fine fishing. E. E. H. 



Killed Four, Wounded Six. 



FEEiioxT, Jnd.— Editor Forest and Stream: The Steu- 

 ben Rejmblican notes that "Eli Rinehart, one of the 

 hunters who recently went to northern Michigan, has 

 written Wm. G. Croxton under date of Oct. 9 as follows: 

 'We began to hunt Friday morning and have hunted two 

 days; have killed four deer and wounded six more. Game 

 is plenty.'" Thif5 speaks for itself. If their luck con- 

 tinued until the 35th there must be nothing but cripples 

 left in Michigan to keep up the supijly for another sea- 

 son. Such men should come out of the woods and use 

 their shotguns for small game only. Mc. 



