by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
SQUIRREL-SHOOTING.
We were now travelling among the spurs of the "Ozark hills," and ourroad was a more difficult one. The ravines were deeper, and as ourcourse obliged us to cross the direction in which most of them ran, wewere constantly climbing or descending the sides of steep ridges. Therewas no road except a faint Indian trail, used by the Kansas in theiroccasional excursions to the borders of the settlements. At times wewere compelled to cut away the underwood, and ply the axe lustily uponsome huge trunk that had fallen across the path and obstructed thepassage of our waggon. This rendered our progress but slow.
During such halt most of the party strayed off into the woods in searchof game. Squirrels were the only four-footed creatures found, andenough of these were shot to make a good-sized "pot-pie;" and it may behere remarked, that no sort of flesh is better for this purpose thanthat of the squirrel.
The species found in these woods was the large "cat-squirrel" (_Sciuruscinereus_), one of the noblest of its kind. Of course at that season,amid the plenitude of seeds, nuts, and berries, they were as plump aspartridges. This species is usually in good condition, and its fleshthe best flavoured of all. In the markets of New York they bring threetimes the price of the common grey squirrel.
As we rode along, the naturalist stated many facts in relation to thesquirrel tribe, that were new to most of us. He said that in NorthAmerica there were not less than twenty species of true squirrels, allof them dwellers in the trees, and by including the "ground" and"flying" squirrels (_tamias_ and _pteromys_), the number of speciesmight be more than forty. Of course there are still new species yetundescribed, inhabiting the half-explored regions of the westernterritory.
The best-known of the squirrels is the common "grey squirrel," as it isin most parts of the United States the most plentiful. Indeed it isasserted that some of the other species, as the "black squirrel"(_Sciurus niger_), disappear from districts where the grey squirrelsbecome numerous--as the native rat gives place to the fierce "Norway."
The true fox squirrel (_Sciurus vulpinus_) differs essentially from the"cat," which is also known in many States by the name of fox squirrel.The former is larger, and altogether a more active animal, dashing up tothe top of a pine-tree in a single run. The cat-squirrel, on thecontrary, is slow and timid among the branches, and rarely mounts abovethe first fork, unless when forced higher by the near approach of itsenemy. It prefers concealing itself behind the trunk, dodging round thetree as the hunter advances upon it. It has one peculiarity, however,in its mode of escape that often saves it, and disappoints its pursuer.Unless very hotly pursued by a dog, or other swift enemy, it will not betreed until it has reached the tree that contains its nest, and, ofcourse, it drops securely into its hole, bidding defiance to whateverenemy--unless, indeed, that enemy chance to be the pine-martin, which iscapable of following it even to the bottom of its dark tree-cave.
Now most of the other squirrels make a temporary retreat to the nearestlarge tree that offers. This is often without a hole where they canconceal themselves, and they are therefore exposed to the small shot orrifle-bullet from below.
It does not always follow, however, that they are brought down fromtheir perch. In very heavy bottom timber the squirrel often escapesamong the high twigs, even where there are no leaves to conceal it, norany hole in the tree. Twenty shots, and from good marksmen too, havebeen fired at a single squirrel in such situations, without bringing itto the ground, or seriously wounding it! A party of hunters have oftenretired without getting such game, and yet the squirrel has beenconstantly changing place, and offering itself to be sighted in newpositions and attitudes!
The craft of the squirrel on these occasions is remarkable. Itstretches its body along the upper part of a branch, elongating it insuch a manner, that the branch, not thicker than the body itself, formsalmost a complete shield against the shot. The head, too, is laidclose, and the tail no longer erect, but flattened along the branch, soas not to betray the whereabouts of the animal.
Squirrel-shooting is by no means poor sport. It is the most common kindpractised in the United States, because the squirrel is the most commongame. In that country it takes the place that snipe or partridgeshooting holds in England. In my opinion it is a sport superior toeither of these last, and the game, when killed, is not much less invalue. Good fat squirrel can be cooked in a variety of ways, and manypeople prefer it to feathered game of any kind. It is true the squirrelhas a rat-like physiognomy, but that is only in the eyes of strangers tohim. A residence in the backwoods, and a short practice in the eatingof squirrel pot-pie, soon removes any impression of that kind. A hare,as brought upon the table-cloth in England, is far more likely toproduce _degout_--from its very striking likeness to "puss," that ispurring upon the hearth-rug.
In almost all parts of the United States, a day's squirrel-shooting maybe had without the necessity of making a very long journey. There arestill tracts of woodland left untouched, where these animals find ahome. In the Western States a squirrel-hunt may be had simply bywalking a couple of hundred yards from your house, and in some placesyou may shoot the creatures out of the very door.
To make a successful squirrel-hunt two persons at least are necessary.If only one goes out, the squirrel can avoid him simply by "dodging"round the trunk, or any large limb of the tree. When there are two, oneremains stationary, while the other makes a circuit, and drives the gamefrom the opposite side. It is still better when three or four personsmake up the party, as then the squirrel is assailed on all sides, andcan find no resting-place, without seeing a black tube levelled uponhim, and ready to send forth its deadly missile.
Some hunt the squirrel with shot-guns. These are chiefly young hands.The old hunter prefers the rifle; and in the hands of practised marksmenthis is the better weapon. The rifle-bullet, be it ever so small, killsthe game at once; whereas a squirrel severely peppered with shot willoften escape to the tree where its hole is, and drop in, often to die ofits wounds. No creature can be more tenacious of life--not even a cat.When badly wounded it will cling to the twigs to its last breath, andeven after death its claws sometimes retain their hold, and its deadbody hangs suspended to the branch!
The height from which a squirrel will leap to the ground withoutsustaining injury, is one of those marvels witnessed by everysquirrel-hunter. When a tree in which it has taken refuge is found notto afford sufficient shelter, and a neighbouring tree is not near enoughfor it to leap to, it then perceives the necessity of returning to theground, to get to some other part of the woods. Some species, as thecat-squirrel, fearing to take the dreadful leap (often nearly a hundredfeet), rush down by the trunk. Not so the more active squirrels, as thecommon grey kind. These run to the extremity of a branch, and springboldly down in a diagonal direction. The hunter--if a stranger to thefeat--would expect to see the creature crushed or crippled by the fall.No danger of that. Even the watchful dog that is waiting for such anevent, and standing close to the spot, has not time to spring upon it,until it is off again like a flying bird, and, almost as quick as sightcan follow, is seen ascending some other tree.
There is an explanation required about this precipitous leap. Thesquirrel is endowed with the capability of spreading out its body to agreat extent, and this in the downward rush it takes care to do--thusbreaking its fall by the resistance of the air. This alone accounts forits not killing itself.
Nearly all squirrels possess this power, but in different degrees. Inthe flying squirrels it is so strongly developed, as to enable them tomake a flight resembling that of the birds themselves.
The squirrel-hunter is often accompanied by a dog--not that the dog everby any chance catches one of these creatures. Of him the squirrel hasbut little fear, well knowing that he cannot climb a tree. The officeof the dog is of a different kind. It is to "tree" the squirrel, and,by remaining at the root, point out the particular tree to his master.
The advantage of the dog is
obvious. In fact, he is almost as necessaryas the pointer to the sportsman. First, by ranging widely, he beats agreater breadth of the forest. Secondly, when a squirrel is seen byhim, his swiftness enables him to hurry it up some tree _not its own_.This second advantage is of the greatest importance. When the game hastime enough allowed it, it either makes to its own tree (with a hole init of course), or selects one of the tallest near the spot. In theformer case it is impossible, and in the latter difficult, to have afair shot at it.
If there be no dog, and the hunter trusts to his own eyes, he is oftenunable to find the exact tree which the squirrel has climbed, and ofcourse loses it.
A good squirrel-dog is a useful animal. The breed is not important.The best are usually half-bred pointers. They should have good sight aswell as scent; should range widely, and run fast. When well trainedthey will not take after rabbits, or any other game. They will barkonly when a squirrel is treed, and remain staunchly by the root of thetree. The barking is necessary, otherwise the hunter, often separatedfrom them by the underwood, would not know when they had succeeded in"treeing."
The squirrel seems to have little fear of the dog, and rarely ascends toa great height. It is often seen only a few feet above him, jerking itstail about, and apparently mocking its savage enemy below.
The coming up of the hunter changes the scene. The squirrel then takesthe alarm, and shooting up, conceals itself among the higher branches.
Taking it all in all, we know none of the smaller class of field sportsthat requires greater skill, and yields more real amusement, thanhunting the squirrel.
Our Kentuckian comrade gave us an account of a grand squirrel-hunt gotup by himself and some neighbours, which is not an uncommon sort ofthing in the Western States. The hunters divided themselves into twoparties of equal numbers, each taking its own direction through thewoods. A large wager was laid upon the result, to be won by that partythat could bring in the greatest number of squirrels. There were sixguns on each side, and the numbers obtained at the end of a week--forthe hunt lasted so long--were respectively 5000, and 4780! Of coursethe sport came off in a tract of country where squirrels were but littlehunted, and were both tame and plenty.
Such hunts upon a grand scale are, as already stated, not uncommon insome parts of the United States. They have another object besides thesport--that of thinning off the squirrels for the protection of theplanter's corn-field. So destructive are these little animals to thecorn and other grains, that in some States there has been at times abounty granted, for killing them. In early times such a law existed inPennsylvania, and there is a registry that in one year the sum of 8000pounds was paid out of the treasury of this bounty-money, which atthreepence a head--the premium--would make 640,000, the number of thesquirrels killed in that year!
The "migration of the squirrels" is still an unexplained fact. It isamong the grey squirrels it takes place; hence the name given to thatspecies, _Sciurus migratorius_. There is no regularity about thesemigrations, and their motive is not known. Immense bands of thesquirrels are observed in a particular neighbourhood, proceeding throughthe woods or across tracts of open ground, all in one direction.Nothing stays their course. Narrow streams and broad rivers are crossedby them by swimming, and many are drowned in the attempt.
Under ordinary circumstances, these little creatures are as much afraidof water as cats, yet when moving along their track of migration theyplunge boldly into a river, without calculating whether they will everreach the other side. When found upon the opposite bank, they are oftenso tired with the effort, that one may overtake them with a stick; andthousands are killed in this way when a migration has been discovered.
It is stated that they roll pieces of dry wood, or bark, into the water,and, seating themselves on these, are wafted across, their tailssupplying them with a sail: of course this account must be held asapocryphal.
But the question is, what motive impels them to undertake these long andperilous wanderings, from which it is thought they never return to theiroriginal place of abode? It cannot be the search of food, nor thedesire to change from a colder to a warmer climate. The direction ofthe wanderings forbids us to receive either of these as the correctreason. No light has been yet thrown upon this curious habit. It wouldseem as if some strange instinct propelled them, but for what purpose,and to what end, no one can tell.