Our ancestor's hunting practices are interesting to read about, but we probably shouldn't include all of them in our "traditional" hunting.
Hunting turkeys at night:
The Pennsylvania Gazette
May 22, 1760
CHARLESTOWN (in South Carolina) April 23.
On the 4th Instant two scouting Parties set out for Long Canes, and that Night four of them going out a Turkey hunting, were attacked within Half a Mile of their Camp by eight Indians;
_A New Voyage to Carolina;_, John Lawson, 1709”¦
“At Night, we lay by a swift Current, where we saw plenty of Turkies, but pearch'd upon such lofty Oaks, that our Guns would not kill them, tho' we shot very often, and our Guns were very good. Some of our Company shot several times, at one Turkey, before he would fly away, the Pieces being loaded with large Goose-shot.
_Westward into Kentucky_, Daniel Trabue, 1779-80
“There was a prety moon light night. After we got things pritty well settled I said,”We have 2 good Dogs. I know mine is an exception for game. Let us go out a hunting.” All of the men refused. I told negro Jo to take his axx. I took my gun and off we went, and in going about 200 yards where some of these men had been out a hunting I saw 5 turkeys in one sycomere tree over the creek. I moved to a place where I got the turkey between me and the moon. Drawed my sight and killed one, and loaded and fired until I killed all 5 of the largest fatest Turkeys that I had ever seen.”
Making use of fire for hunting, in two different ways, pretty well described in the items quoted:
_Dividing Line betwixt Virginia and North Carolina_, Wm. Byrd, 1729
“In a Dearth of Provisions our Chaplin pronounc’d it lawful to make bold with the Sabbath, and send a Party out a-Hunting. They fired the dry leaves in a Ring of five Miles circumference, which, burning inwards, drove all the Game to the Centre, where they were easily killed”¦.This unmerciful Sport is called Fire Hunting, and is much practiced by the Indians and Frontier Inhabitants, who sometimes, in the Eagerness of their Diversion, are Punish’t for their cruelty, and are hurt by one another when they Shoot across at the deer which are in the middle”¦.Our Hunters massacred two Brace of Deer after this unfair way, of which they brought us one Brace whole, and only the Primings of the rest.”
And a failed attempt at the same:
_Running Mad for Kentucky_, ed. Ellen Eslinger
Journal of Mary Coburn Deweese: Nov. 8, 1788
“Had several gentlemen to dine on board the Ark expecting a fire hunt of some deer which keep about 200 yards from our boat, on a very high hill but a Shower of rain in the night disappointed them, rendering the Brush and leaves to wet for that purpose, they passed the day in Squirrel hunting, and fishing for Pike, this being the season for them, I saw one to day weighting 30 weight, the Beautifulist fish I ever saw.”
Using fire in what we would call spotlighting, today:
_Frontier Memories_, ed. Dale Payne, interview of Wm Moseby by Dabney Shane, speaking of late 18th century
“Had fire hunts, the deer would come down at night to get the moss out of the bottom of the river, in the shoals, grew in the bottom and pointed up frequently, a little above water, if not they would reach their nose down and nip it off. A canoe was gotten ready, a piece of green bark was spread over with sand, and on this a fire made of dry Linn, which made a very bright light. The steersman sat in one end and the light was placed in the other, the gunner in between. The deer would gaze at it, till they would come up to it and shoot, and the canoe was then loaded.
“When we lived in the fort, we were often on short rations, had to live on deer, went on fire hunts 2 or 3 times a week.
”˜First fire hunt at night went with my father and older brother, 4 large bucks were killed with the gun called Frank loaded with about 30 buckshot as large as our rifle balls now, and was taken by my father in the Revolution from a British soldier whom he overcome.”
Spence
Hunting turkeys at night:
The Pennsylvania Gazette
May 22, 1760
CHARLESTOWN (in South Carolina) April 23.
On the 4th Instant two scouting Parties set out for Long Canes, and that Night four of them going out a Turkey hunting, were attacked within Half a Mile of their Camp by eight Indians;
_A New Voyage to Carolina;_, John Lawson, 1709”¦
“At Night, we lay by a swift Current, where we saw plenty of Turkies, but pearch'd upon such lofty Oaks, that our Guns would not kill them, tho' we shot very often, and our Guns were very good. Some of our Company shot several times, at one Turkey, before he would fly away, the Pieces being loaded with large Goose-shot.
_Westward into Kentucky_, Daniel Trabue, 1779-80
“There was a prety moon light night. After we got things pritty well settled I said,”We have 2 good Dogs. I know mine is an exception for game. Let us go out a hunting.” All of the men refused. I told negro Jo to take his axx. I took my gun and off we went, and in going about 200 yards where some of these men had been out a hunting I saw 5 turkeys in one sycomere tree over the creek. I moved to a place where I got the turkey between me and the moon. Drawed my sight and killed one, and loaded and fired until I killed all 5 of the largest fatest Turkeys that I had ever seen.”
Making use of fire for hunting, in two different ways, pretty well described in the items quoted:
_Dividing Line betwixt Virginia and North Carolina_, Wm. Byrd, 1729
“In a Dearth of Provisions our Chaplin pronounc’d it lawful to make bold with the Sabbath, and send a Party out a-Hunting. They fired the dry leaves in a Ring of five Miles circumference, which, burning inwards, drove all the Game to the Centre, where they were easily killed”¦.This unmerciful Sport is called Fire Hunting, and is much practiced by the Indians and Frontier Inhabitants, who sometimes, in the Eagerness of their Diversion, are Punish’t for their cruelty, and are hurt by one another when they Shoot across at the deer which are in the middle”¦.Our Hunters massacred two Brace of Deer after this unfair way, of which they brought us one Brace whole, and only the Primings of the rest.”
And a failed attempt at the same:
_Running Mad for Kentucky_, ed. Ellen Eslinger
Journal of Mary Coburn Deweese: Nov. 8, 1788
“Had several gentlemen to dine on board the Ark expecting a fire hunt of some deer which keep about 200 yards from our boat, on a very high hill but a Shower of rain in the night disappointed them, rendering the Brush and leaves to wet for that purpose, they passed the day in Squirrel hunting, and fishing for Pike, this being the season for them, I saw one to day weighting 30 weight, the Beautifulist fish I ever saw.”
Using fire in what we would call spotlighting, today:
_Frontier Memories_, ed. Dale Payne, interview of Wm Moseby by Dabney Shane, speaking of late 18th century
“Had fire hunts, the deer would come down at night to get the moss out of the bottom of the river, in the shoals, grew in the bottom and pointed up frequently, a little above water, if not they would reach their nose down and nip it off. A canoe was gotten ready, a piece of green bark was spread over with sand, and on this a fire made of dry Linn, which made a very bright light. The steersman sat in one end and the light was placed in the other, the gunner in between. The deer would gaze at it, till they would come up to it and shoot, and the canoe was then loaded.
“When we lived in the fort, we were often on short rations, had to live on deer, went on fire hunts 2 or 3 times a week.
”˜First fire hunt at night went with my father and older brother, 4 large bucks were killed with the gun called Frank loaded with about 30 buckshot as large as our rifle balls now, and was taken by my father in the Revolution from a British soldier whom he overcome.”
Spence
