Herald's history series: 'Bad' bear, other wildlife news featured on Ruralite front page

By Lynn Hotaling

Headlined "'Honest John' safe unless he starts raiding again," the story featured two subheads, "Sportsmen object to plan to kill bear" and "'Honest John' probably North Carolina's best known animal." The text of the story follows:

RALEIGH - "Honest John," the bad bear of Western North Carolina's lofty mountains, probably will be placed "on the spot" only if he is caught in one of his forays against livestock.

John D. Chalk, state game and inland fisheries commissioner, has written hunters in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park area that the state game law sanctions the killing of animals while committing or about to commit depredations.

All the furor about "Honest John," perhaps N.C.'s best-known wild animal, began when members of the Bearwallow Hunting Club of East LaPorte, Jackson County, sought permission to put an end to the depredations of the shaggy animal in his home in the tall Balsams.

The bear came by the title of "Honest John" because of his habit of taking no more spoils among the livestock than was necessary to satisfy his own appetite, said to be voracious at times. The Bearwallow club wrote Chalk that people of the community had suffered great loss from the bear's hunting proclivity. They wanted permission to terminate his career when he emerges from his winter hideout.

"Honest John" found friends among Haywood County sportsmen and Chalk received the following telegram from G.C. Plott, county warden of Waynesville. "Sportsmen of Haywood protest granting permit for killing 'Honest John' out of season."

So, "Honest John's" life is in his own hands, and he probably will be safe unless he is caught in the act of going after a prize sheep or other animal.

Other wildlife news in that issue included a story about Rep. T.C. Bryson's trout stream bill passing the state House of Representatives, and another about the state Senate adding its approval to a bill to lengthen the hunting season.

Bryson's bill, which was sent on to the Senate, was designed for the "better protection of trout streams in Hamburg and Cashiers townships of Jackson County." The bill, if successful, would impose a fine of $10 to $50 for "trespassing on lands of another for the purpose of fishing in those two townships." Peace officers, or wardens, employed by the landowners would collect the fines.

The other wildlife-related story told of the Senate adding its approval to that already given by the House to a bill that would extend the hunting season for quail, squirrel and rabbits in nine WNC counties - Jackson, Buncombe, Swain, Clay, Cherokee, Graham, Haywood, Henderson and Transylvania. The bill made open season for squirrel Sept. 15 to Dec. 15; rabbit, Nov. 20 to Feb. 1; and quail Nov. 20 to Feb. 1.

Editor's note: This is the weekly installment of a review of our back issues as The Sylva Herald and Ruralite celebrates its 75th anniversary throughout 2001.

Back to Archive: 04/19/01.