same thing occurred for the third time. 
My guide now began to be seriously 
disturbed, for he is a famous trapper 
and he felt that his reputation was at 
stake. He told me that he sat up 
nearly all night planning what to do. 
So we took some more bait, fastened it 
with heavy wire to the roots of a tree, 
set two traps instead of one and made 
the lay-out very different from what is 
customary. But the bear seemed to 
scent something unusual and did not 
return. 
UR last day at Bluffer came and it 
seemed that after all I would have 
to go home without any bear. But we 
decided to try once more. It was the 
fifth of November. At five o’clock we 
were eating breakfast by lamp light 
and before six we started out. I was 
barely able to see the sights on my rifle. 
When we reached the spot where the 
two traps had been set, we saw plenty 
of signs that a bear had been there 
not long before—and a very mad bear 
he must have been. Bushes were torn 
up, bark was clawed off trees the bear 
had climbed, and huge chunks of wood 
were bitten off the tree trunks. Be- 
sides great holes were dug in the 
ground. Bruin had done all this in his 
effort to get rid of the little steel trap 
that had closed on his toes when he 
tried to take the bait. 
My guide took his track and, after 
traveling cautiously not more than half 
a mile, we came to an old windfall 
upon which I climbed. In a thicket of 
small pines, just beyond I caught a 
flash of something black and fired in- 
stantly. Instead of showing fight, the 
bear simply crumpled up in a furry 
heap and cried just like a baby. The 
bullet had broken his backbone. I felt 
almost sick over it and hardly had the 
heart to fire a second time and put 
him out of his misery. He measured 
five feet two inches from nose to tail 
and was beautifully furred. 7 
On retracing our steps to where the 
bait was, we saw to our amazement the 
track of a smaller bear, which had been 
overlooked at first in our excitement. 
It was then growing late and we had 
breakfasted at 5 A. M., but all thoughts 
of “biling the kittle’ were instantly 
forgotten, and for more than three 
hours we followed this new track. It 
was rather difficult tracking on the 
leaves as the snow had melted. Finally, 
to our disgust, the track led to a small 
brook and the bear had walked down 
the bed of the stream throwing us com- 
pletely off the trail. We then decided 
to cook our lunch, and to return and 
skin the first bear. 
HEN this had been done it was al- 
most dark and we were several 
miles from camp, so we headed for home. 
As we crossed a little marshy place in 
Page 57 
In writing to Acvertisers mention Forest and Stream. 
the trail, my guide caught sight of the 
deep footprint of a bear freshly made 
since we had passed the same spot that 
morning. Almost breathless, we followed 
this track and had not gone far be- 
fore we heard an awful racket in a 
swamp on the right. I ran ahead of my 
guide and in my haste must have broken 
a stick, for the bear evidently heard 
me and the uproar increased. I crawled 
up on a stump with my rifle ready to 
shoot and could see him about 25 yards 
away. I could hardly imagine more 
commotion than the bear was making. 
He was whirling round and round, 
banging the trap which dangled from 
his fore paw against the trees. and 
bushes. He had evidently worked him- 
self into a terrible temper in his efforts 
to get rid of it. 
Remembering the advice of my guide: 
“When you see a bear, shoot—and don’t 
stop giving him the lead till I say he’s 
ready to skin,” I fired into the mass of 
whirling fur. The first shot knocked 
him over, but he was instantly up and 
coming blindly in my direction. A sec- 
ond shot finished him. 





































1 
7 
* 




18th Annual 
Mid-Winter Handicap 
Target Tournament 
Registered by the A.T.A. 
An entirely new program 

cs 3 oak ( 
NORTH CAROLINA 
January 5th to 10th, 1925 
$2500.00 added in cash and trophies 
Weekly trapshooting tournaments thru 
the season. Six Leggett Ideal Traps. 
Dogs: Annual Field Trial, Jan. 26th 
to 3lst, for money and trophies. 
CAROLINA HOTEL NOW OPEN 
HOLLY INN OPENS JAN. 5th 
Special Rates to Mid-Winter shooters 
and Field Trial participants 
For Information address: 
\ ) i General Office, Pinehurst, N.C. 
AN 
or 

E discovered later that the trap 
was hanging to his paw by only 
two toes and with a few more struggles 
would have been off. He was not as 
large as the first bear but I was more 
than satisfied. Two bears for my 
.30-30 in one day! 
This was the climax of my trip and 
the bears brought it to a fitting close. 
I also shot a bob-cat, a red fox, and in 
one of the bear traps caught a very 
fine fisher. Greatly to my guide’s dis- 
gust I lost the opportunity of getting a 
second fox. We were still-hunting for 
deer one morning, when I happened to 
catch sight of a small moving animal 
about 15 yards off. It was a fox play- 
ing with a mouse and acting just like 
a house cat. My guide handed me the 
.22 and whispered “Give it to him.” But 
it made such a pretty picture, the fox 
gleaming in the sunlight, that I just 
stood and watched instead of shooting. 
Our trip out of the woods this year 
was uneventful, the weather being mild 
for late November and the river free 
of ice. This was quite a contrast to 
last year when winter came down from 
the north and surprised us with a deep 
fall of snow and frozen streams. Ca- 
noeing was impossible and horses were 
sent up to us fifty miles through the 
drifts. We came out on a bob sled in 
a blizzard and it was hard work, but 
great sport and I liked it. I am con- 
tinually finding out that what veteran 
sportsmen say is true, that uncertainty 
and variety make sport what it is, and 
that success comes oftenest when you 
have just decided, against your feel- 
ings and maybe against your judgment, 
not to give up. 
BERMUDA— 
Playground of Eternal Springtime 
(Average Yearly Temperature of 70°) 
Only 2 days from New York 
Sailings Twice Weekly 
From New York Wed. and Sat. 
Via New Palatial Twin- 
Screw Oil-Burning 
Steamers. 
“FORT VICTORIA” 
“FORT ST. GEORGE”’ 
Offering passengers the 
ae, comforts and conveniences 
enjoyed on highest class 
transatlantic liners. 
ae Tickets are interchange- 
able on these two steamers, which land their 
passengers directly at Hamilton Dock. 
No Passports Modern Hotels All Sport 
Sailing, Bathing, Horse 


Including Golf, Tennis, 
Racing, Fishing, Riding, Driving, etc. 
ST. GEORGE HOTEL, Bermuda.—Especially at- 
tractive, located in the historic, picturesque and 
quaint part of Bermuda. Excellent cuisine and 
service. Magnificent tiled covered and heated 
swimming pool. 
West Indies 
Delightful Cruises to the Gems of the 
Caribbean Sea 
For illustrated Booklet on Bermuda or 
St. George Hotei, or West Indies, write 
FURNESS BERMUDA LINE 
34 Whitehall St., N. Y., or any Local Tourist Agent 





Dry Fly Fishing Taught 
Accuracy and delicacy in fly cast- 
ing GUARANTEED. For terms apply 
to Mr. F. G. Shaw, The School for 
Salmon and Trout Fly Casting, 
PROSPECT PARK COURT 
147 Ocean Avenue 
Brooklyn, N. Y. 



It will identify you. 
