OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - The Ohio Hunter [Chapter 4] ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Sara Grimes McBeth saramcb@socket.net June 22, 2005 ************************************************************************** 52 THE OHIO HUNTER CHAPTER IV. COMMENCE A SERIES OF HUNTING EXCURSIONS-- START OUT ON THE SABBATH THE UNFORTU- NATE METHODIST--HUNTING WILD HOGS. Is the fall of 1838, I commenced a series of hunting excursions, which proved very successful, and it is my purpose now to give the reader a detail of some of the scenes that followed. I commenced in October, and during the remainder of the autumn and the following winter, I killed thirty-eight deer. One of my first successes was on the Sabbath. I had started with only my gun, and after several hours spent in the woods, I came upon an old buck that I only succeeded in wounding at first. I had no dog with me, and the artful deer was too cunning to be shot again. I followed him about five miles, close to where there lived a devoted Methodist. At this time, I paid no regard to days myself, and did not regard other people's preferences very highly. I told the old gentleman I had wounded a large buck, and I wanted him to go with his dog and help me catch it. When I first addressed him he said, "Heigh! old fellow, I'll return you for hunting on the Sabbath;" but upon being stipulated with by a prom- ADVENTURE WITH A METHODIST. 53 ise of half the spoil, he consented and went. I told him the buck was a very large one, and I was afraid it would hurt the dog. He replied, no danger, that deer did not run the woods that could hurt him. Well, if he was willing to risk the dog. I was the deer, and we proceeded on together until we came in sight of the game. He told his dog to go, and away he went. The poor deer, weak from the loss of blood, could not do much at running; and seeing that he was likely to be overtaken by the dog, turned around and commenced a different kind of warfare. The dog, like his master, was very brave, and made no halt until met, not exactly face to face, but head to head by the deer. The head of the latter being a little the hardest, the poor fellow was soon howling piteously. I was willing to see a little fun, so I told Mr. H. to go and help the dog. He run up with a little brush in his hand, and rather imperatively demanded that the deer should let the dog alone. The deer obeyed the first injunction and took after the man, who proved himself a fine pedestrian, but hardly equal to the occasion. however, before the deer was able to do him any serious injury, he found himself pursued in the rear. The buck was thrown, and I caught him by the horns, and told Mr. H. to cut his throat. Mr. H. walked up before him just as he lay, and commenced cutting at his throat, but he was not the deer that would lay perfectly still 54 THE OHIO HUNTER and have his throat cut without, resistance; but he drew up his legs and sent the aggressor down the hill, making very graceful revolutions, as he went. The infuriated buck made several more jumps, carrying me as an appendage to his horns, but after a little, with the help of the dog, I succeeded in bringing him again to the ground. I called the man to come and cut his throat, but he now said he would not, because it was Sunday. He did not believe it was good luck to hunt on Sunday. I at last succeeded in accomplishing the difficult feat alone. We then divided the deer, between us, and each started for, home, just as the shades of night came on. The weight I had to carry was eighty pounds, and the distance to be gone, over five miles. Not long after this,, I went out and wounded another deer. I had no dogs yet, so I had to follow it alone. I pursued it till it lay down behind a log. I went very close to it, and was taking aim at his head, when suddenly he sprung toward me I found refuge behind a small tree. He jumped against the tree with his head, and I thus caught him by the horns. I was now in quite a dilemma. It required all my strength and both my hands to hold him. So there must be some expedient devised for cutting his throat; after he stopped rearing and plunging, I managed to hold one of the horns with my foot and the other with one hand, and with the other, get my knife out of my pock- A FIGHT WITH A BUCK 55 et and cut his throat. Just as I had finished my work, I heard a loud laugh, and looking round saw some old hunters who had concealed themselves to watch the sport. They now came out of their hiding place and congratulated me on my success. One said, '' Sam, this will spoil you. Some old buck will kill you yet, you will not always find a tree to hide behind." But I have had many more difficult encounters than that since, and am not dead yet. Soon after this, I bought me a dog and trained him especially for hunting. He would stay close by my side, no matter if he saw twenty deer, until I told him to chase them, then he was sure to humble the proudest. On one occasion I wounded one in the foot, it was a cold day, and the ice was frozen about half an inch thick; the deer started on the ice and broke through. He waded on, breaking the ice as he went, the dog followed him, and the deer managed to get Bravo under the ice. As soon as I discovered the condition of my dog, I waded into the water up to my knees and rescued my favorite from drowning. He was large and shaggy, and was soon ornamented with a row of icicles hanging all around his great body. I relieved him of these with my knife, and together we soon overcame the cold by the vigorous exercise we took in catching the deer. I had got my gun wet while rescuing the dog, so I could not shoot, and there now remained no means of' 56 THE OHIO HUNTER capture but the chase. I gave Bravo the word, and he was soon bounding rapidly away in the direction of the deer. I followed after, but if Bravo had not cornered his prey, I think I should have been a long time overtaking them; but I soon knew by the barking, that he had his enemy in close quarters. When I came to them, Bravo was standing at a distance, barking; but did not seem anxious for a closer intimacy until there was some one to share the sport with him. Upon discovering the embarrassing situation of my dog, 1 immediately threw aside my gun and shot pouch, and with tomahawk in hand, proceeded to the contest. I first struck the deer on the horns, but the blow glanced off, and my tomahawk flew far out of my hand. He was about to give me a toss with his horns, when I disappointed his plans by placing a firm grasp about those convenient members, and holding him at a respectful distance. Bravo caught him by the hind leg and held him firmly; between us both, we laid the dextrous animal on the ground. But there was nothing accessible to cut his throat with. I had left my butcher knife in my shot pouch, and my tomahawk was lost. So I ordered Bravo to bite his throat; but the deer was not going to submit to such a tedious process of dying as that, and by means of his floundering and jumping, we at last came upon the tomahawk, when the process was expedited considerably. HUNTING WILD HOGS 67 I will now tell you a story about a hunt for wild hogs, which I took shortly afterward. A man by the name of Ward wanted me to go with him to hunt wild hogs. Well, this was a game well enough understood by him, but not at all understood by myself. I supposed them to be like common hogs, and their capture not much more difficult, and my friend took no pains to enlighten me on the subject. We had a large dog, and his master told him to go, and soon we heard the preliminaries of a fight. We followed them in the direction indicated by the noise, and when we reached the spot, we found quite a number, but they were all small excepting one, that was very large. The dog caught her and held her by the ear, and I caught hold of her legs and threw her down. We did not want to kill her, so Mr. W. said I should hold her while he took the dog where it might not hurt her. When I thought they had retired to a suitable distance, I let go my hold. And the captive, that I had by means of the advantage of my position held with comparative ease, now that her freedom was gained, thought to return the compliment. She came after me with all speed, I ran as fast as I could, calling on the dog for help. He came to my deliverance just in time to save me a more severe struggle than I ever before or since had with any beast of the forest. We downed her again, and when W. wanted to take 58 THE OHIO HUNTER the dog off a. second time, 1 allowed tile hog her liberty while he was still near enough to be her first choice, and I ran in the opposite direction. She knocked him down and there followed some of the loudest vocal sounds I had ever heard. But the faithful dog took her off again, and I went up and held her. We dragged her beside a large log and climbed upon it ourselves out of her reach, and then we let her go. She looked at us maliciously for some time. but seeing she could do no more, she at length left us, and we saw her no more. We still continued our hunt for some time, and then came upon the track of eight very large ones. Said W., "We can never take them with this dog.'' I replied that. I had two dogs at home, but, I could not see the necessity of' going after them to catch a hog while we had a good one with us. "The hogs will kill him in a minute." He replied. Then we will go for mine, said I. "; This had better be done before we commence," said he, '' and if you will risk them, I will give you half the meat." The offer was quite tempting, and the dogs were soon brought. As soon as we came in sight of the hogs, we let our dogs go. W. told me that wild hogs would follow a man as far as they could see him, and the only safe way was to hide behind a tree and shoot as soon as the dogs had stopped them. I followed his advice, stopping on one side of the hogs, and W. on the other. HUNTING WILD HOGS 59 I drew my gun and fired, bringing one to the ground. IV. shot and wounded one, while I was reloading my gun. I soon brought down another, and W. shot again more successfully than at first. I loaded my gun again and saw that the hogs were looking for us. But I was hid behind a tree and W. brought down a third. Just as he got his gun loaded one of them saw him and started for him he ran as fast as possible, but when he saw his best efforts were insufficient, he reversed the unsual of shooting, and fired without aim at the hog, not remitting for one moment the race. He wounded him in the shoulder, so that he could not follow him any further and then returned. There were three left, and I soon discovered that, while I was watching W., the place of my retreat had been discovered, and saw them all coming toward me. My gun was not loaded, and my only defense was my long legs. These never failed me in time of danger, and I was soon mounted upon a large log so high they could not, reach me, and there deliberately loading my gun, the entire number was soon subdued. I had not heard anything from my dogs for some time, and now began to look for them. I found one dead with his entails all torn out, and the other badly wounded. But that one was taken home and carefully tended until he at length recovered. I had by this time learned that a wild hog was more savage and dangerous than any 60 THE OHIO HUNTER other beast of the forest, when cornered; but when at liberty, the wildest: and it is harder to get a shot at them, unless first cornered by the dogs, than it is to shoot a deer. ============Image pics/image002.gif Goes Here============