Vintage Hunting Photos (Good Old Days)

[Lawdwaz]

On 2/18/2024 at 9:28 AM, Grouse said:

Moose hunters pose with their rifles & bull. Ontario, Canada circa 1930.

Had to be quite a job hanging that beast.    

[Grouse]

circa 1920s

[Steve D]

[Grouse]

Frozen whitetails on a wagon near Trout Lake, NY circa 1909

[Grouse]

A pair for the pot (1942)

Edited March 17 by Grouse

[Grouse]

Adirondack hunting camps were log cabins, however this Tupper Lake camp was more primitive, used during deer season and probably spring trout fishing. Bark was stripped from large spruce trees in the spring and used to cover a skeleton of smaller spruce poles. Posing in front of the camp are two guides, John Burton and Henry Courtney, with their hunters George and Hobe Casler. Circa 1890

[Farflung]

looks like that may be a jacklight in front of the guy standing with the bank blade

[airedale]

The primitive camp above is very similar to the long houses built by native Americans. On the state fair grounds in the Indian Village they have a Iroquois long house on display, basically poles frame covered by sheets of bark.

Al

[Grouse]

1900

Edited March 21 by Grouse

[Farflung]

don't know what they used in the indian village, but I read that the Iroquois mainly used elm bark. years ago, for some mills,  a lot of the spruce had the bark peeled before being processed into pulp. They peeled some of it in the woods, leaving piles of bark. 

[Grouse]

Circa 1950

[Grouse]

Fred Bear's first moose hunt.  Year 1953 or so.

Edited April 9 by Grouse

[Grouse]

Hunting party posing at the Rod & Gun Club with whitetails and bear. Logan State Forest, Pennsylvania Circa 1925.  Looks like 3 coon on the right as well.

[Grouse]

Hunt club pose on a snowy day in Ticonderoga, NY - 1905.

[Grouse]

Huge boar taken in the Adirondacks at the turn of the century. Circa 1900

[Grouse]

Boat landing Lake Pleasant, New York, Circa 1890

Edited April 18 by Grouse

[Grouse]

Large hunting party and stagecoach in front of the Northville hotel, Northville, NY... Adirondacks circa 1880.

[Grouse]

Adirondacks circa 1890

[Farflung]

Grouse, do you have a more exact location on the wild boar taken in  the Adirondacks. Some of the large estates/great camps stocked large enclosuers with exotic game (elk, other deer species). wonder if this was at one of them.

[Grouse]

Sorry, I don't have any more info on it.

[airedale]

In 1901, Edward Litchfield, an ultra-wealthy attorney and financier, released 13 wild boars in an enclosure at his sprawling preserve located just south of Tupper Lake. Because of the difficulty in maintaining the integrity of the fence around the more than one square mile tract of land in which the wild boars were placed, some, or all, of them escaped into the surrounding forest. Reports of wild boars from the many loggers that worked in the woods in that general area during that period persisted for more than two decades. At this time, the conservation era was still in its infancy, and many older backwoodsmen felt that it was still their right to shoot any game animal they happened to encounter. Eventually, this population disappeared, but it was able to sustain itself for over twenty years.

In a similar type of event, a wild boar preserve was established in Central New Hampshire in 1899 by a wealthy landowner. Some of these animals were also able to escape and established a local population. These wild boars also provided hunters as far away as Vermont with an exotic species of game to pursue, and it was not until 1961 when the last wild boar was reported killed in the wilds of the Granite State.

Both of these wild boar incidents occurred several generations ago, before our climate experienced noticeable moderations. While deep snow would seem to limit this rather short-legged animal’s ability to travel during winter, the toes of the wild boar are able to spread far apart, allowing it to move more easily than a white-tail in places with a substantial snow pack. Also the more compact body shape of the wild board, its thick hide, and layers of fat enable it to tolerate temperatures that are well below zero. In Europe, wild boars are able to flourish in areas that have just as severe a climate as the Central Adirondacks.

Some people point out that both of these long ago incidents occurred prior to the introduction of the eastern coyote to our fauna. In Europe, centuries ago, wild boars were known to exist in the same stretches of forests in which packs of wolves roamed. It is doubtful that the Adirondack coyote, known for it ability to kill deer, would have much of an impact on any population of wild boars which are renowned for their aggressive temperament and ability to defend themselves with their sharp tusks when they feel threatened.

It would not take much for a few of these wily creatures, which are presently just south of the Blue Line, to make their way into our forests and become an established part of our fauna. The Adirondack backcountry no longer contains lumber camps occupied by individuals that enjoy dining on wild game. Also, hunting is not as popular among the general public as it once was, and individuals toting firearms into the woods are a rarity. Should wild boars enter the Park, they would have few controls that would limit their numbers.

The notion of the very elusive wild boar roaming the forests of the Adirondacks is becoming more real. It has been shown time and time again that once an invasive species enters an area, it becomes increasingly harder to eradicate with the passage of time.

It is impossible to predict what impact a population of wild boars would have on the Adirondack environment, however, most individuals would just as soon spend their time contemplating the means to prevent their entrance into our wildlife community rather than their effect on the workings of nature here in Park.

 

[Farflung]

Airedale- Thanks for the article.  And I believe that other great camps had similar "preserves"

[Grouse]

Adirondacks circa 1900

[Grouse]

Hunters pose at the camp meat pole after a successful buck hunt. Circa 1900 Adirondacks.

[Grouse]

Hunters pose with rifles outside their bark covered hunting camp "Shanty" in the Adirondacks, Circa 1900.