Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-03-24
FACTS ABOUT BEARS.

"a
sylvania and the north woods. Ihave
seen him in Wisconsin and Mime
sofa.
Ordinarily bruin is about as dan
gerous as a raccoon or the festive
woodchuck. But it does happen that
the mother of any mammal will lg-
more danger to herself in defense OF
her young Almost any animal will
go wild and reckless of danger in de-
fense of her young, and the bear is
wonderful on music. Consequently,
when she bear turns on her tor
mentors, it is well to keep back about
eighty five and half feet. She
doesn't want to hurt anybody; she
only wants to get her babes away
from the fearful biped with the Derby
hat and a dead rabbit cut on his
hair.
If you humor her you are safe
enough. If you want to put your
hounds on her, making the escape of
her cubs doubtful-well, you takes
your choice" If you drive her to
desperation, and she has the grit to
stand by her cubs, "better you stand
leedle back"
[ have bagged a good deal of bear
meat. | have been twice on long
cruise in. the north woods. l saw
several bears there-all intent on
their own affairs. So slight was the
danger from wild animals there, and
SO childish seemed the armaments OF
the average tourist, that came to
leave not only my rifle but my re-
volver behind. And l found the
eight rod and the pocket
hatchet all sufficient for defense
againt wild beasts. All the same, a
she bear with cubs may be dangerous
| will give three instances that L can
vouch for.
Forty years ago Jim Steele, with a,
record of seven panthers, twenty one
bears and thirteen hundred deer, re
sided at the mouth of Asoph Run.
He sent his son, aged fourteen, up
the creek for the COWS, one evening.
The boy came back frightened and
crying, saying that a big bear had
chased and nearly caught him. Old
jim was disgusted at the boys COW
ardice. Leaving his rifle, he went
back with the boy. and at the mouth
of the Kennedy Run the boy com
menced to say, at was just here"
when an immense bear jumped from
under the bank, reared on her hind
legs, and, showing all the teeth she
had growing, snarling and threaten
ing. made at the party. Old jim
took it in at once.
Jump on my backp' he yelled to
the youngster, which he did at once;
and yelling, hacking and fourishing
a knife, all the weapon he had, old
jim and the boy got away. Then
they saw the mother bear cross the
''rifle" on the creek and scamper up
the mountain side, to be seen no more
of men forever.
Thirty-tw years ago, Harry Ellis.
bonn and bred on Pine creek, guided
a party to the huckleberry hills of the
Barrens. While prospecting for the
best herrying grounds he was sud
denly confronted by an immense
bear, which arose from behind large,
fallen tree, and rearing on her hind
legs. made directly for him, roaring,
snarling and showing her best array
of teeth. Harry seized and fiourished
pine knob, whooping and yelling
at the top of his voice as he ran back
ward at his best pace for few yards
only, when the bear turned and
quickly conveyed her cubs out OF
danger.
On the same range of hills | once
went huckleberrying with Farmer
T, his wife and daughter, on in
vitation. Our rig was a two-horse
farm wagon, the bottom of the wagon
packed with inverted tubs and
buckets. Distance to the grounds
twenty one miles. BY dint of start
ing at three in the morning, ano
abusing the horse to unwonted speed
we were on the ground at eleven
among berries so plenty that tn,
ground was absolutely hidden. L
was a short job to pick q bushel O.
berries on such ground; but L ha9
been there before, and L thought
knew of place about threequarter'
of mile westward where the berries
were equally plenty, but larger. 81
/ took a large tin-pail and started.
Half way to the ground there is
gulch to be crossed, and this gulcl
was badly blocked with fallen timber
When near the bottom l halted t.
select the best route for getting by, O
over some fallen trees that lay in m.
path, when large, dingy looking
brown nosed bear sprang on pine
sprang off again directly at nae, ant
began to play the usual game of scar
showing all her teeth, making tn
savage, roaring, growing noise com
mon to enraged bears. On the in
stant 1 made retrograde movement
Once 1 caught my heels and tumble'
over backward, but got up suddenly
, 1t was Chinese fight. Nobody hurt
: Bear badly scared. AS for myself
= 1 wasn't scared bit! AS for tn
bear, it goes without saying tina
when she had played me off fey
rods, she got down on all fours an
took herself out with her two cubs TO
all she was worth.