Hamilton County IN Archives History - Books .....Chapter IV - Hunting 1901
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Book Title: A History Pf The Formation, Settlement And Development Of Hamilton County, Indiana

CHAPTER IV.
Hunting.

   In the early days of which I am writing there was plenty of hard work for all
to do. There was, however, but little immediate reward, and there was but little
money in the country to be had. Beeswax, ginseng, deer hams, deer and coon skins
being the only articles of trade. The children of the pioneers large enough to
go from home were found in the woods with their "sang hoes," looking into every
corner for the plant at the proper season in the year. The ginseng was carried
home, washed clean and dried. It was then ready for market. The ginseng root was
then, and is now, quite valuable, but we did not then know its full value. A
very valuable medicine is now manufactured from it.

   Bees were very plentiful in the woods in those early days. Many of them had
not been disturbed in the trees where they had made their home for years, and
when found they were very rich. The honey was taken in the comb. The honey was
pressed out and the comb made into wax: This was quite an industry. Bees were
sometimes found by means of bear scratches made by the bears in climbing the
trees in search of honey. The most usual way was to put out bait, and when the
bees came to the bait their course, when they left, was taken and an experienced
bee hunter had but little difficulty in finding their tree.

   The raccoon was taken as a rule at the proper season (that is, when the fur
was good) by means of a pole trap. These traps were made by securing two poles
from twelve to fifteen feet long and trimmed to near the top. A log was found
leading into a pond where frogs were usually found and the poles were then laid
across the top of the log, one on top of the other. Two stakes were then driven
into the ground near the log and near the poles. The stakes were then tied
together at the top so as to prevent the top pole from slipping from its
position. A sufficient weight was placed upon the bushy tops of the poles to
keep them from turning. Then a set of triggers were prepared and a string tied
to one of the stakes. The other end of the string was attached to the trigger
holding up the top pole. Then a weight was placed on the top pole sufficient to
hold a coon if one should be caught. The string attached to the trigger, when
the trap was set, would cover the entire log. So the 'coon, when undertaking to
get to the frogs in the pond by using the log, would be compelled to cross over
this string, and in so doing the trap would be thrown and the 'coon would be
caught between the poles and thus fall into the hands of the trapper.

   The process of capturing the deer was much more laborious and difficult. In
the pioneer days the woods were full of deer. They had their haunts, their
feeding ground and their trails. They usually passed from point to point in
large droves and when pursued ran in a circle, coming back to the same point.
The hunter had more than one mode of taking or capturing the deer. One mode was
by fire hunting on water at night; one method was by salt lick; still another
was by the use of trained ponies, and another by running them down with men and
dogs.

   My father had a pony named Dick trained to assist in taking the deer. A bell
was buckled or fastened around Dick's neck before starting for the woods. The
bowl of this bell was stuffed with dry grass to keep the bell from rattling
until the proper time came. My father would then mount the pony, with gun,
shot-pouch, powder-horn, tomahawk and hunting knife. Then they would pass into
the woods and my father, knowing the haunts of the deer, would ride directly
toward them until he would come upon them. He would then dismount, pull the
grass from the bowl of the bell, and Dick, as he had been trained to do, would
commence shaking his head and thereby ring the bell. The deer on hearing the
bell would invariably stop and stare at the pony, and whilst this was going on
my father was seeking a point from which he could make a sure shot. When this
was found he would shoot. If his shot proved fatal the dead deer would be hung
upon a limb of a sapling and the chase after the drove would be continued. When
the deer were overtaken or headed off the pony was there to ring the bell, and
thus enable the hunter to get another shot. This process was continued during
the day and it frequently happened that at the end of the day's work the hunter
would have as many as five deer hanging up to be brought home the next day.

   The deer lick process was as follows: The hunter deposited salt in a suitable
spot where the deer would be sure to find it. The hunter continued this deposit
of salt until the deer became accustomed to visiting the spot, which they
usually did after night. Then the hunter would build a scaffold and platform in
a tree near by, so that when he wished to "stalk" the deer, as it was called, he
would build a fire so as to put the lick between the fire and the platform in
the near by tree. Then the hunter would seat himself on the platform in the tree
and await the coming of the deer. When the deer came to the lick it would be
directly in line with the fire, so the hunter would be able to shoot with as
much accuracy as though it had been daylight, and he usually brought down his
game. Unlike the panther, the deer was not afraid of the fire, and was not
disturbed by it.

   The fire hunt was as follows: The hunter secured a large-sized canoe made
from a tree, with solid front and rear. In the front a large hole was bored and
a stout upright about two feet long inserted, upon which a frame or network of
iron ribs was fastened and upon this frame a bright fire was kept burning during
the hunt. Thus prepared, and with plenty of fuel in the canoe, a good pole and
paddle, a trusty rifle and, two trained dogs, the hunter was ready for a start.
Usually the canoe was paddled or poled up the stream as far as the hunter wished
to go, then the dogs were sent into the woods and the canoe was turned so that
the light would be in advance and the canoe was then allowed to drift with the
current. The business of the dogs was to scare up the deer. The deer when scared
up in the night almost invariably made for the river, there to be shot down by
the hunter. The hunter was very quiet after his canoe was turned, listening
intently for the barking of the dogs. Finally he would hear the welcome sound
and would prepare himself for the onset. When the deer drew near enough to the
river to see the light it would almost always proceed directly toward it, and
this was the hunter's opportunity. These hunts occurred in the fall of the year.
Deer were sometimes found in the river at night eating moss. As a rule this kind
of hunting was a success.

   The next and last usual way of hunting deer was as follows: The hunter, with
one or two trained dogs, made his way into the forest in the direction of the
haunts of the deer. When a deer or drove of deer was found, the first
opportunity was taken to shoot. When a gun was fired the dogs, although excited
and eager for the chase, remained at the heels of the hunter. If the shot was a
success the deer was hung up as heretofore stated. If the shot was only a
partial success and the deer only wounded, then the dogs were told to go, and
the hunter followed the dogs. It was the business of the dogs to overtake the
wounded deer and hold it at bay until the hunter could overtake them, when a
second shot was fired.

   In the pioneer days success in deer hunting was important for many reasons.
Before hog culture became a' success the meat was necessary to supply the table.
The hams were hung in the rude smoke-house, after being salted, and then smoked
just as our hams are smoked now. Sometimes these hams were sold to tavern
keepers for a good price. The skins were used and utilized in many ways.
Moccasins, leather breeches, vests and hunting shirts were made from them, as
well as mats of different kinds. Properly dressed and stretched, they were
always ready sale to the traders. I have seen in early spring, on many
occasions, the smoke-houses of the pioneers filled with hams. 'Coon skins, as a
rule, were dressed, stretched and properly cured and then sold to the traders.
Caps for men and boys were sometimes made from 'coon skins. It was said in those
days that 'coon and deer skins were a legal tender for all debts. The mink and
muskrat came in for their share, but the muskrat was not so valuable as the
mink. Mink were taken in steel traps and what was called deadfalls. These traps
were baited with some kind of fresh meat, birds being the best.

   The rule governing the ownership of wild hogs was this: The pioneer,
fortunate enough to own hogs, marked his hogs and turned them into the woods. It
was not safe for any one who purposely killed a hog that did not bear his mark
without the consent of the owner. A man by the name of Smith, in this early day,
claimed to be the owner of hogs running at large in the woods. A good snow had
fallen in the winter and Smith approached a man by the name of Brook, who was a
good hunter, and proposed hiring him to hunt and kill his (Smith's) hogs. A
price was agreed upon, but Brooks had one provision in the contract, which was
that Smith was to give Brooks his mark. The preliminaries being arranged, these
parties made their way into the timber in search of hogs. They had passed two or
three droves when they came to one that Smith claimed was his. Brooks made an
earnest effort to find Smith's mark, but failed to find it, and refused to
shoot. So they passed on. They came across several droves during the day, but as
Brook could not discover the proper mark, he refused to shoot, and at about dark
they ran across another drove with the same result. Smith, by this time, was
thoroughly out of humor, and with an oath told Brook if he was going to be so
particular as all that they would get no hogs. Brook then said to Smith: "I
don't believe you have any hogs in the woods, and you will pay me now for my
day's work or take a thrashing." The money for the day's work was paid over and
Brook refused to hunt for Smith thereafter.

   As a rule the pioneers were honest. Their smokehouses were left unlocked, and
if a bee hunter found a bee tree and cut his initials on the tree it was, as a
rule, safe. If a 'coon hunter treed a 'coon in the night time and would take the
precaution of tying his hunting shirt, a handkerchief or any other token around
it and leave his dogs at the foot of the tree, he was almost certain to find the
tree and 'coon undisturbed in the morning. If a hunter killed a deer and hung it
up in the woods he would find it there when he went after it. In a few
instances, of course, these rules were violated, but if the violator were found
out it was not safe for him to remain in the community. Sometimes a sound
thrashing was considered the proper punishment for the offender.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF THE FORMATION, SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF
HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA,
FROM THE YEAR 1818 TO THE CLOSE OF THE CIVIL WAR.
BY
AUGUSTUS PINCH SHIRTS.
1901.

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