This came across the Trumbull County List, and I just had to forward it to Portage County. It is wonderful! It is taken from a book called WESTERN RESERVE CENTENNIAL SOUVENIR by H. U. Johnson, 1896. A very kind woman is transcribing all the stories in the book and sending them to the Trumbull County list one by one. Kathy > A BEAR AND WOLF HUNT - Some seventy years ago, when I was a mere boy, the > citizens of Freedom, Portage County, and adjoining townships engaged in what > was then known as the "Great Hunt." Freedom was then almost an unbroken > forest, which extended even beyond its limits. Near the center was a dense > swamp of many acres, furnishing a fine rendezvous for bears and wolves. The > depredations of these very much annoyed the few settlers, as also those of > Winham, Charlestown, Shalersville, and Hiram, surrounding townships. > To exterminate these pests, they agreed upon a certain day, when they came > with rifles, shotguns, cowbells, tin horns and various other weapons, and > surrounded the great woods. I well remember how they passed my father's > house in Charlestown, ringing their bells and blowing horns to frighten the > animals, keep themselves in line and within proper distance of each other, so > no game might escape. As they approached the swamp, the deer were allowed to > pass through the lines, but bears and wolves making such attempt were shot > down. Most of these, however, sought safety in the swamp, where twenty-three > of the former and two score of the latter, if my memory serves me, were > killed, brought together, and their scalps turned over to the authorities, > for the bounties offered. > No bears were seen in the vicinity after that, and the few wolves remaining > did but little damage. > S W. James, Ashtabula, O. >