Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1877 — A Grand Hunt [ARTICLE]

A Grand Hunt

Bradford is now one of the largest in area and most populous counties in Pennsylvania. The Bucks are a ruling family here. When the Bucks* the grandfathers of the present generation, came here, the place was literally a howling wilderness. Wolves in great droves hunted almost every other living thing. About seventy years ago, said old Mr. Buck, we had a great hunt here—a circular hunt, taking In the country round for thirty miles. It is said that over 600 men were engaged in it, and that was a Ssat many for those times. There was a ptain over every ten men to see that they did not shoot one another in the excitement. The place of meeting, or rather the center of the circular hunt, was a round hill near Le Raysville, on the headwaters of the Wyalusing. The hunt lasted three days, the first to drive in the game, and the next two to kill and divide it. On the morning of the second day the round mountain was covered with all kinds of game, and the growls of bears and howls of wolves, and the rushing of deer in every direction, made the men, many of whom had not hunted much before, nearly crazy. At daylight the firing began. The ring closed in until the men stood eight deep around the circle. The great elk and deer would make a rush ftom the center of this frightened group and leapclear over the heads of men and get away. The panthers bad to be chased from tree to tree ; the wolves would sneak behind with grinning jaws. They were the strong, wiry, Northern kind of wolves, and had claws as long as a man’s fingers and assharp as needles. They could tears dog to pieces inn twinkling, but their great offense had been the killing of sheep and calves. The firing continued ail day. Toward evening it was tremendous; As it grew dark the men gathered together, and, at the word, all fired together. The night was spent in dividing the game. The result was 600 deer, thirteen great wolves, ten bears and three immense panthers. There were no more calves killed by the wolves in that part of the country.—Aseding (Pa.) Hagle.