Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-11-20
ON THE OCQUEOC
An indianapolis Woman Kills a Black
Bear--An Enthusiastic Lady '.SpOrts.
man.,


man,
From the indianapolis Saturday Review.
The Review reporter was introduced
to Mrs Edwin May, of this city, the other
evening, and in the course of the conver-
satiOn that followed discovered that the
lady was an ardent sportsman; not only
being expert with rod and reel, but
keen shot with the rife. my friends
are not all of them aware of my accom-
plishments in this line," said Mrs. May,
but for a number of seasons /, with my
husband, have both fished and hunted.
My father was a great sportsman, and
taght me how to shoot. We lived in
northern Indiana, near Rensselaer,. The
chicken shooting used to be good there,
but have not been there for eight years,
and | suppose the place has been hunted
to DEATH Mrs. May is blonde, with a
clear blue eye, a medium sized lady,
with no suggestion whatever of the ANA
zOn. 81 have been shooting with the
rife. but three or four years, but my
gentleman friends all say shoot we'll.
| have done considerable target shoot
ing. A short time ago was at Macki-
nav, and some other ladies and myself
shot at target two hundred yards dis
tant. We shot with the soldiers rifles,
which were ever so much heavier than
my Winchester, and they recOiied, kick
ed you gentlemen call it, ever so vicious
| ly. / found that out. Now, my Win
chester repeater is just jewel of a gun.
/ 1t shoots fOrty-fOur cartridge, and new
er recOils,"
Mrs. May" interposed another lady
who was present, "has just had an ex-
perience on Lake Huron; yOn must ask
her to tell you. Something real novel, |
think"
"Oh, you mean on the Ocqueoc river. A
party of us had a camp on that river
last September. It's twenty-seven miles
| from ChebOygan, and we had a royal
time fishing and shooting. Mr.. James
Belts, Mr.. Metcalf and wife, and Mr.. Ed
ward, all of New York City, were of the
party, and they were just splendid. We
had guides, of course, and fished and
hunted to our hearts content. Mrs. Met
calf is good shot, too. Mr.. Flint, who
had camped their in previous years, told
us there were bears about, and that he
had killed them, at least one, every sea-
son he had been there. did so want to
shoot one. We had been there but lit
tie time before we began to see some
very fresh bear tracks. The bears come
down to the fishing camp at night, you
know, to get any fish they may find
thrown away or left by the fishermen.
One night, a bright moonlight, full moon,
we had the guides leave some fish for
bait. That was about six miles from
camp, and our party stationed them
selves to watch for bruin. They all
generously agreed to give me the first
shot. So we ambuShed ourselves and
waited. l was considerably excited, but
not nervous; l don't think was nervous
After three hours waiting l heard him
making his way through the brush. He
had to cross an open space to get to the
fish, and soon / saw his black, shaggy
coat as he crossed the sand. 1t was as
bright as day, and l pulled the trigger
when he was thirty yards off, striking
him on the left side just behind the
shoulder He fell with an unearthly
scream, and to make sure, for / was de
termined to have him, l pumped two
more shots in quick succession one OF
which struck him in the neck and the
other further back on the shoulder, OF
near the shoulder. He was dead and re-
ally the last two shots were unnecessary
as the first one had been fatal. What
did do thenp Why just took off my
hat. and threw it up into the air, and
hallooed real good. 1t may have been
wrong, not exactly lady-like, but IcOuld
MT help it. He was great big fellow, q
black bear, and weighed two hundred
pounds. l think had right to fee
proud over my exploit. couldn't bring
his hide home; should have liked tt
ever so much: but here's his head" Here
Mrs. May stepped to table and handed
the reporter black bears head, will
two great staring yellow glass eyes, a,
proof of her Workmanship. II waited
for him from eight o'clock until tel
minutes past eleven that night, but ht
; was worth it. Besides l had Dragged
that l would kill bear, and had tt
make my words good. Next Septembel
Pm going with the same party to Al
Sable river. Deer are plenty there, ant
bears too; while there is excellent fish
; ing, that choice fish, the grayling, bein.
abundant"
Mrs. May also killed several deer, an
caught as many fish as the best of them
She is the widow of the late Edwin May
State House architect.