The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-09-12


sheep are also quite numerous on
the low spurs of the Sawtooth range,
but their ever vigilant eyes and open
ears keep them beyond the range
of the hunters rifle unless much
patience and more or less strategy
are brought into exercise in the
pursuit.
In the woods about the lake and
along the stream above are always
found "fool-hens" { a pheasant so
tame that it can be knocked over
with a stick) and timber grouse,
both of which are highly priced as
a frying-pan delicacy. The river
bottoms and foothills afford fine
fields for winging the luscious sage
hen and prairie grouse, while duck
shooting is equally good.
There is an occasional bear seen
in the valley and in the vicinity of
the lakes, but it is very seldom that
hunter is lucky enough to get a
shot at one. At the first sniff of
danger they bound away, and it
must be feet horse indeed that
can overtake Salmon river bear
when he once gets on good scare.
During early spring when the
ground is soft, they venture down
from their mountain lairs to the
fiat grounds on the streams to dig
camas root and wild onions. While
thus engaged they may be ap-
preached to within rifle range. But
during the months of August and
September, when the big salmon lie
in schools on the rifles, it is not an
unusual thing to witness whole
colony of the Bruin family chasing
fish in the shallow water. They
Jump on them with their spear-like
claws and toss them ashore with
the dexterity Of an old salmon eater
Indian.
1t is related by a prospector who
was once upon time coming down
the Salmon valley from the lakes
during the salmon season. that he
suddenly came in sight of a bevy OF
bears out in the river fishing. They
we're so interested in their work that
they had not noticed him. He sat
on his horse and quietly observed
their operations. One stood erect
on the bank. and the others, to the
number of three or four, were sta
toned in the water few feet apart
The inside one would reach down
and catch up a salmon and toss II
to his next neighbor; he in turn
tossed it to the next one, and so on
to the last one, whose business il
was to flip it up to the one on the
bank and this one again caught II
and threw it out in the grass
When they discovered the horsemar
each one of the bears gathered {
salmon and fed into the brush
near by.
There are several bear species ir
this neighborhood; the silver-tip
a very large animal that habits In
and about the highest mountains
generally known as the Sawtooti
grizzly the ordinary black bear
and a ragged, ugly looking mongre
specimen of root-digger and sal
mon eater, of dirty sandy color.
It was at a slaughter pen near th'
town of Sawtooth that the man
moth silver-tip was caught SOM
years ago. He had been a terro
to the neighborhood for a numbe
of years, and all the depreciation
committed on the calf corrals an(
pig pens were laid at his door
whether he was guilty or not. Hi
footprint was of itself sufficient t
guarantee him a wide berth, and II
the community in which he relgnet
he was known as "Sawtooth Jack.
There was standing reward for hi
hide, and he seemed to be aware o
it, for he moved with great caution
and kept his eyes open for trap
and pitfalls. Although frequentl..
seen at a distance, he always man
aged to elude his pursuers, and nj
stalwart anatomy protected hin
from annoyance by bear-dogs. NJ
one but an experienced bear hunte
would dare follow his track. 1t
said that On different occasions dog
were put on his trail with the hop
that he might be held up for a tim
sufficient for the hunters to get
shot at him; but the dogs invari'
bly, returned in a hurry when the
discovered "Jack" at the other en-
of the trail.
But Jacks midnight still -huntin
finally got him into trouble. On
dark and stormy night he put h'
foot into huge steel-trap set pu
posely for him. The old huntt
,, who made the lucky catch procure
. the assistance of neighbors, and tt
great Sawtooth terror was, att
; three or four days sturdy resistanc
= wound up in chains and ropes, an
= forced into cage built on wheel
: similar to those that contain II
+ Bengal tigers and African lions
; q menagerie. The captor was POI
man with a large family dependin
and he saw in Jack" somethlr
- -o.,nnerativa than prOspec