Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1884-01-05
A Notable Bear Hunt.
A HUNTING STORY WORTHY OF
THE GLORIOUS CLIMATE OF CALI
FORNIA.
FORNIA.
From the santa Rosa Democrat.

FORNIA
From the Santa Rosa Democrat.
r. H. Rawles proposed that we
take bear hunt on Monday morn
ing. We made every preparation
the evening before, and after harty
breakfast, at o'clock mounted our
horses for the hunt. We were pro.
vided with Winchester rifles and
three well trained bear dogs. After
a run Of about an hour they came to
bay. We hitched our horses and
crawled through the brush to the
dogs. The underground was so
thick that we could not see ten feet
ahead of US, but at last we found
the bear. a large brown one, percbed
on the limb Of a large pine tree, about
a hundred feet from the ground.
We took position and commenced
firing. Bears are very tenacious Of
life, and this one proved no excep-
tion to the rule, as we each fired
three times before he fell. When we
reached him he was dead.
We now started back, intending
to cut way in from our horses and
to pack him out, but we had not
proceeded one Hundred yards when
the dogs became very excited and
commenced barking up another tree.
Looking up we discovered two bears
a brown and black one, lying close
together on large limb. We took
position with the understanding that
/ was to take the brown, and Mr..
Rawles the black one. Just as we
got ready to fire / cast my eye down
the tree, and near the ground, the
brush having INSTRUCTED our view,
discovered large bear hanging to
the side of the tree broadside to me.
Mr.. Rawles, being further round,
could not see it plain, and told me
he would reserve his fire and for me
to 60 for him. | was about forty
feet from it, and fired twice when
it tumbled, badly wounded.
We now turned our attention to
the other two in the tree. At the
first they commenced bawling-the
barking of the dogs, the bawling of
the bears, and the rapid firing of our
Winchesters made it lively, I can as
sure you. We fired three shots
apiece before they fell. One of them
was pretty lively when he reached
the terra irma, and it required two
more shots, at a distance of ten feet,
to kill him; the other rolled about
fifty feet down the hill, and was dead
when we got to it. The dogs now
took the trail of the wounded one,
and after run of "a quarter of mile
brought it TO bay When we came
up we found it up large macondra
tres, about thirty feet from the
ground He was badly wounded,
but still able to make an ugly fight.
He fell at the first fire, but lodged in
the forks of the tree but three or
more shots apiece brought him to
the ground.
We again started for our horses
very much elated with our success,
but had not gone more than a hun
dred yards when the dogs started in
full cry, going this time in the d.
rectlen OF our horses. We supposed
that this time they had jumped a
panther. They had scarcely gone a
hundred yards before they had freed
their game. We now examined our
rifles and found that we had both
emptied our magazines. l found six
cartridges in my pockets, but they
were too large for Mr.. Rawles' gun.
When we came up with the dogs we
again found they had another bear
this time fine black one. Mr..
Rawles being without ammunition,
] had all the fun to myself. If there
is anything that will make man
feel out of place, it is to be in bear
fight without weapon to fight with.
] fired two shots, one of which
passed through the heart. and he
was dead by the time he struck the
ground.