by Doudna, Kenneth Lloyd.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 92 -- Richard Williams.

One of John Doudna's neighbors, having had trouble with wolves killing his sheep, set some guns for them. He and Zadock Boswell, who lived adjoining, placed the guns star fashion, their muzzles pointing inward to a trap as a common center. From the trap, strings extended to the triggers of the guns, so that when the bait was disturbed, the triggers were pulled and the guns were discharged.

It was harvest time and he was up late putting up hay. When he had gone to the house and was about to go to bed, he heard the guns go off. He immediately went to Boswell's and the two of them went to see the results. It was entirely satisfactory, as a large wolf lay dead at the trap.

At another time, he and his son were hunting a hog when they found a den of wolves. He left his son to watch while he went for help. When they returned, he decided to crawl into the den. He tied a rope to his leg so those on the outside could pull him out if necessary. He took his gun and crawled several feet under the rock, thinking he might "shine" the old ones eyes as they called it and shoot her. But he could not see her and the litter of whelps could get so far back into the crevices of the rocks that he could not reach them.

He was not to be undone in that way, so he went to work and made a large stick trap which he set on the side toward the den. Then he walled up the mouth of the den at the side of the trap so that the adults could not get out while the young ones could.

In the morning, four or five of the young ones were in the trap, but the old ones were no where to be found. He then posted his friends about the den at different places and made one of the whelps howl. This brought the old ones in sight of the men, and a well directed shot by one of the men, who was posted in a hollow log, killed her.

The next night another young one was caught in the trap. Thus the den was broken up.

Source: Written by: Kenneth Lloyd Doudna, a great great Grandson of John Doudna.

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 94 -- William Henry Stanton, 1860-.

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction.

This entry is adapted from Little Home Histories in Our Early Homes, Belmont County, Ohio, which was published in 1942. Its publication was coordinated by Robert D. and Beulah Patten McDonald. This entry has been reedited for inclusion in the Pierian Press Fulltext eBooks database, and is included on the Stratton House Inn Website by special permission. This entry is licensed for use ONLY on this Website. It may be used for educational purposes and personal pleasure under fair-use provisions via this Website. Please note that the Stratton House Inn iteration of this entry does NOT include the subject headings assigned each chapter for use in the Fulltext eBooks database.

DATABASE: Fulltext eBooks: Copyright (c) 2002 The Pierian Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ENTRY NUMBER: EBK30013793