Marek 1850s, cats, guest artist, guns, hunting, Keene, NH history, rabbit

Mr. Wheelock Mistakes a Cat for a Rabbit (Keene)

Here's a double-header GUEST POST of a favorite hunting anecdote from Thomas C. Rand's "Sketch of Keene, Gem of the Ashuelot Valley"...

Marek 1700-1799, bear, Chesterfield, hunting, posters, SOURCE=HSCC

Bear Ferry (Chesterfield)

A color splash page based on that old Chesterfield story, "Fishing for Bear":

Marek 1700-1799, bear, colonial, hunting, Richmond, SOURCE=Barrett

The Bear & Boorn’s Buttons (Richmond)

Just when you thought you'd heard every variation on these bear hunting stories... Jacob Bump to the rescue!

Marek 1600-1699, 1800-1899, chicken, colonial, eagle+hawk, hunting, judicial branch, Massachusetts, sabbath, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Sabbath Hawks (Weare)

What a difference a century of Holy Sundays can make!

Marek 1770s, bear, colonial, corn, Henniker, hunting, SOURCE=Cogswell

Mrs. Peters Shoots a Bear (Henniker)

GUN SAFETY IN THE 1770s: If you come to visit, DON'T take that shortcut through the cornfield...

Marek 1700-1799, fox, hunting, Piscataquog, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Fox Chase (Weare)

This snowy tale from Little's history falls somewhere between "hunting story" and "dream"... << BEFORE: Chasing moose NEXT: Nice Bear >> As with so many of his hunting tales, Little supplies no specific date for this anecdote; we'll file it under 1700-1799 because it's included in hunting stories from the "early times". 13 February 1767

Marek 1770s, colonial, Henniker, hunting, moose, Piscataquog, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Moose Chase (Weare)

If I've learned one thing from reading old hunting stories, it's this: These guys were HUNGRY. << BEFORE: Wolves around a fire NEXT: Fox chase >> This has the flavor of a tall tale that grew a bit in the telling, but who can say for certain?  Such are the delights of collecting oral history … Continue reading Moose Chase (Weare)

Marek 1770s, colonial, Henniker, hunting, SOURCE=Cogswell, wolves

Wolves Around a Fire (Henniker)

Early settlers in Henniker come up with an efficient way to reduce a predator population. << BEFORE: Rabbit attack! NEXT: Moose attack! >>

Marek hunting, rabbit, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Bunny Hugs (Weare)

WARNING: It's not as cute as it looks. << BEFORE: "Rabbit" stew ... NEXT: Wolves around a fire >> You can learn a lot from reading the old hunting stories in these town histories. For example, if a bunny ever tries to hug you, keep your distance!

Marek 1800-1899, cats, hunting, rabbit, SOURCE=Little, Weare

“Rabbit” Stew (Weare)

"The boys" cook up a clever plan to secure some cider from (and play a culinary joke on) Mrs. Wadleigh... << BEFORE: Hunting raccoon ... NEXT: Snuggling bunnies >> Great greasy gut-strings, some of these animal tales are downright ghastly!  What an unsatisfying joke; "in bad taste," you might even say... On the other hand, … Continue reading “Rabbit” Stew (Weare)

Marek 1880s, dogs, hunting, raccoon, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Raccoon Hunting (Weare)

What's this secret "fluid bait" ingredient that all the "coon hunters" swear by? NEXT: "The boys" catch a "rabbit" >> In honor of The Dog catching her first weasel this past week, I've been tracking down some old hunting stories from Little's History of Weare, NH (1888)...

Marek 1760s, colonial, deer, hunting, moose, pigs, SOURCE=Little, Weare, weather

Winter of 1761-1762 (Weare)

One settler family receives a surprise visitor during a particularly harsh winter in early Weare...   NEXT: The only way to travel >>  

Marek 1600s, animals, bear, berries, deer, dogs, encounter & exploration, fish, forestry, fox, herbs, hunting, Journal of Martin Pring, medicine, porcupine, seacoast

Pring 12 ~ As The Land is Full

Wherein we can perhaps glimpse the little gold “crownes” in Pring’s eyes as he ogles the natives’ pelts …

Marek 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, death, dogs, hunting, milk, SOURCE=Little, squirrel, Weare

Deaths (Weare)

How folks died in the early days of Weare... 17 October 1816 11 September 1824 NEXT: You know there will be more... >>

Marek 1800-1899, hunting, snakes, SOURCE=Little, Weare

Snakes (Weare)

Let's see what the old timers were up to in Weare, as related in William Little's exhaustive History... (1888):

Marek 1780s, bear, Henniker, hunting, SOURCE=Cogswell

Mr. Barnes & the Bear (Henniker)

In honor of the start of hunting season, we continue with (what else?) another action-packed story of ursine urgency! ... << BEFORE: Fishing for bear in Chesterfield. *"BY THIS TIME, BARNES BEGAN TO REALIZE..." ~ I just love that line. (source = Cogswell) Elisha Barnes was a leading figure in the early days of Henniker; for … Continue reading Mr. Barnes & the Bear (Henniker)

Marek 1750s, bear, Chesterfield, colonial, hunting, Keene, SOURCE=HSCC, stick figures

Fishing for Bear (Chesterfield)

An unusual hunting tale from the Keene area... << BEFORE: Mrs. Huse and the bear NEXT: Mr. Barnes and the bear >> SOURCE: "The Bear in the Boat" from HSCC ALSO SEE: Color splash page from this story...

Marek 1780s, bear, Henniker, hunting, NH history, SOURCE=Cogswell, stick figures

Mrs. Huse & the Bear (Henniker)

A resourceful wife prepares dinner for her hunting husband: