Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-06-12
CALIFORNIA BEAR HUNT.
THE MAJOR AND HIS FRIENDS
HAVE SOME SPORT.
They First Find Their Game and
Then Open Fire-Results Very
Far From Satisfactory.

Correspondent Cincinnati Commereiai-6azette.
UKIAH (Cal. J, May 3, 1886.
Our hunting trip is over somewhat
sooner than we expected, but we are all
very glad to get back. For over year the
Major has heen expressing his sanguinary
intention to go up ON Eel river and tackle
a bear, and ten days ago he told me that
judge Loomis. of Petaluma, had told him
that he had heard there was an unusual
crop of grizzlies this spring in Mendoeino
and Humboldt counties, and weresolved to
go at once, before any San Francisco pot
hunters could go there and thin them out.
So we went down and got two Winchester
rifles and four hundred cartridges, and the
Major purchased long double-edged knife,
which he said would be handy to have in
case two or three simultaneous bears got in
OF us al close quarters.
The Major said | had better buy knife,
too but j said | hated to take advantage
of dumb animal, and always preferred
shooting my bear, and at long range; it
was more sportsmanllke The man at the
gun-store wanted to know if we would like
to lire couple of shotguns to kill quail
and woo6peckers, but the Major said that
we were no amateurs-at least he wasn't;
we were going for bear-bear were good
enough for him. The man was impressed,
know. for he begged the Majors pardon
and said that most of his customers had
scruples against bear hunting on Eel river,
but that he wished US luck and hoped that
if we got more bear than we wanted we
would ship him three or four, c. o. D., to
send around among his friends. The
Major said he would, and so We got our
arsenal and lett.
There was one point on which the Major
seemed to be in doubt He couldn't make
up his mind, he said, whether it would be
better to shoot our bear through the heart.
in the eve or Just back of the ear, and re-
ferred the question to me. | said it was
precisely that which had been perplexing
me and asked him how he had usually
shot his. He replied that he really didn't
renember-his memory never had been
good for trivialties, anyway, but that it was
his impression that he never had pursued
any special policy before with bear, but
thought that on this trip he would. So he
suggested we go out to the menagerie at
WoOdward's Gardens, where there are sew
eral grizzlies, and make up our minds. We
went There were four bears pacing up
III,
around; another lay on his back asleep,
and a sixth was sucking his paw
and mnmbling remonstrances against
the fate which kept him from
getting at the monkeys in the next
cage. They all looked so heart-broken and
mild that SAID it was really shame for
as to go out with guns when clubs would
answer Just as we'll; but the Major said
that all the authorities admitted that there
were technical differences between the dis
position of grizzly in the woods and that
of a grizzly in a cage, and that II wouldn't
be right for US to make up our minds until
after investigation. We agreed, however,
TO shoot our'bear in the eye. The location
of the heart could not be easily determined,
particularly if the animal was indulging
IN a gallon. and the butt of the ear was
hidden in hair, and we might miss 1t and
put the bear to unnecessary suffering.
Late in the afternoon we put on our
buckskin suits. The major had been firm
on the subject of buckskin said no bear
hunter should go clad in any other mate
rial, and called my attention to several
pictures of Daniel Boone, Sam Houston,
Kit Carson and other noted bear killers,
who were all clad in buckskin with fringe
down the legs. The suits were very expen-
sive but we felt much more wild and
bloodthlrsty after we got them on, ana
didn't regret the amount OF the OIL linen
we bought two wide-brimmed hats, Tor the
Maior.said no other style harmonized with
buckskin, and he was right for everybody
on the Petaluma boat seemed to be afraid
of us.
The Major buclSled on his knife and car
fridge belt before we left the house, and We
carried our Winchesters in our hands, the
magazine loaded to the neck. Really this
last precaution was not strictly necessary,
for il would be at least twenty-four hours
before could get into the bear country. but
the Major said an unloaded rifle always
felt to him more useless than n club, and
besides it looked better to be ready, even
though no emergency appeared at hand.
Early in the morning we were slipping
along through the chaparral. The MAJOR
said that was the way to kill bear-slip
along through the chaparral The slipping
along involved great many scratches and
slaps in the face from branches, but we all
knew it was the correct thing, and didn't
mind. Presently the Major, who was i'll
advance, halted. We halted. The Major
put his hand behind him, and enjoined 81
iepce. We didn't breathe. Then he turned
toward us a face blazing with excitement,
and beckoned. We stole up without a
sound We were on the edge of little
opening-perhaps forty yards across. OPP
posite through a cleft in the bushes. shone
about a square foot of reddish hide and
beyond we saw the tip of an ear of the
evidently asleep. We leveled our
Winchesters, and were about to pull when
the Judge exctedly called our attention to
tie fact that there was another not fifty
feet away, only bit of him showing. This
was terrible, but we did not finch. We
consulted hurriedly in whispers. ] was to
shoot the first, as nearly as | could, i'll the
butt of the ear, and the Major and the
Judge were to take the other. If the in
furiated animals were only wounded and
rushed at u.s. we were to drop on one knee
and fire rapidly, so as to sell our lives as
dearly as possible. This was understood.
We again took careful aim; the Major said
Fret and we fired. There was a tre-
mendous thrashing around in the bushes.
Bear seemed to start up all around us. We
dropped on one knee and worked the Win
chesters desperately, and the Major got out
his knife and prepared for close quarters.
For half minute the volleying was in
cessant and then we thought we recognized
human ,,lice. We ceased firing and list
ened IL Nas human voice. The human
voice secuted to be angry, too, and other
human voices appeared 10 be trooping to its
assistance. In a moment we were sur
rounded and the Major was endeavoring
| to exp'a ain to an excited farmer and his
| three grown sons how it was we had killed
-four of lis best cattle within dozen rods
of his house. 1t took $50 and great deal
of conversation TO smooth matters as re-
| garded the cattle, and then the farmer
wanted 20 know why in blank we had
come 10 Eel river bear hunting, any way,
when every blankety -5lanked fool in the
| whole BANKED region knew there wasn't
bnt one banked bear in the whole county,
and ne was in cage at [ kiah. He said he
wished there were bears around there;
wished there were some of the old-tlme
grizzlies; he'd help US find one and then
skin up a tree and watch him knock the
tar out of the whole BANKED party. He
added that he didn't care blank II we had
paid for the cattle, we couldn't have
steak, as the Major requested; he wasn't
keeping no BANKED butchers shop for the
lunatics, anyhow. In fact he seemed to be
considerably annoyed, and so we returned
to camp. A few minutes later Deputy
Sheriff rode over from an adjoining farm
and requested us to move out OF the
county. We moved.
On the way back it rained, and our buck
skin suits felt like the white of an egg.
Then the sun came out hot and they dried
up and shrunk so close the Major couldn't
wink his eyes. We had 10 cut them off
when we got to the hotel, and the Judge
fx1