The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-13
MAM,rosA GRIZZLIES
4onstross Of slse. 1Aey stin Roa0 q
Northern Far~~ss

pioneer, recently the grizzly bears were
so plentiful Ia the Manitoba rocs,es
that the Hudson Bay company annually
secured many Of their skins from the
ermy of hunters aud trappers that had
its range in that wild regior; bat 70.
day the fierce and ponderous beast
nowhere so 6erce or OF such enormous
proportions as among the Maniso6a
fastnesses-is quite rarity in its old
haunts and doubt il one can now he
come upon without difficult and
tedious Journey Of AZ least three han.
dred miles into the interior wilderness
OF the province. The grizzly has met
with almost as hard . fate as the brss
falo. although. from the nature ard
isolation of its present retreats and tho
difficulties attendant ca hunt ur aud
trapping FOR it the grizzly bear. like
the Manitoba moose. viii never become
extinc; in that country. l believe that
the moose. although the flesh of two
thousand OF them is required to supply
the military stations in the territory
alone with fresh meat every year, is as
plentiful to-day in its wild retreats "a
il has been at any time since the great
inroads of FIR and pslt hunters were
begun in the territory.
know no reason why the grizzly
bear of the Manitoba rockies should
grow so much larger than the grizzly
OF the sar~c mountains in the States.
but long and varied experience In
hunting these animals in their respect
i've localities has proved to me that
such Is the fact No grizzly bear that
lever captured, or that ever knew 10
be captured south OF the Manitoba
measured more than seven feet from
muzzle to tail. or weighed more than
one thousand two hundred pounds
But 1t was no uncommon thing in the
palmy days cf grizzly bears in Manitcha
for the hunter or trapper to be con-
fronted by one of these monsters. ninc
feet in length with bulk of one thou
sand i've hundred pounds or more
have seen Manitoba grizzlies that.
when they threw themselves on their
launches and rose erect. lowered Eve
aud six fee. above me. and | want 20
tell YOU that il takes = man with large
quantity and the best quality of nerve
to stand in that tremendous presence
and prepare to do battle cooliy and with
level head. Grizzly bears. like all
the rest OF the bear family. have tho
curious ha abit OF rising against tree.
and reaching up as far as they can with
their forepaws, making marks in ,he
bark by digging il with their claws
have more than once came across these
measuring marks Of grizziy. ~ the
marks on the bark are called, twelve
feet from the ground Imagine coming
suddenly upon y beast like that In
some deep ravine or insulated spot al.
most impassable owing TO the down
timber hespcd and tangled on tho
ground, and surrounded by thick rocks
and underbrush- The sight of his grea.
claws, open aud red. and nis eyes hash,
ing in fury at Won from the enormous
head that towers 30 far above you, Is
something only 10 be appreciated when
once seen
When there were buHaloes on the
plains Manitoba grizzly bears were
keen persistent hunters of them. When
a grizzly and a buffalo met there was
sure To be a fearful contest althou h
1t seldom lasted long. and the buffalo
was usually the victim The buffalo
bull, when confronted by bear. would
invariably charge ferociously upon it's
big and ugly foe. This was Just what
the bear desired. and he awaited. erect
on his launches, the onset of the but-
falo. As the latter rushed forward,
with lowered head. and was almost
upon the bear, the immense grixxl,l
threw himself quickly to the size and
with a blow rs quick as lig ghtsning with
one of his grea: forepaws seldom !a!l,d
to break his antagonists neck. A Man.
itoba grizzly has been known to en-
gage, in rapid succession. four and even
five infuriated buffalo bulls. and kill
every ono Of them II sometimes hap
pened, though. that . bull younger and
more agile than his companion sue.
ceeded in evading the fatal blow of the
terribly paw long enough to
give in turn deadly thrust of HE horn
into the bears side. puncturing the
vitais and making the contest a mutual
slaughter
Ia general characteristics, of course.
the Manitoba grizzly IL not In any way
different from others CT the family.
While believe that a grizzly bea- will
wait and preclpitaie fight
with a man. and take pasus TO put him,
self in the way of one, In the grcat
ma jority Of cases he will take a second
thought about the matter and back
but A queer instance o. this disposi-
tion came 20 my knowledge once w wbsre
3 famous Manitoba guide eouraasously
advanced upon three grizzlies. an old
shs and t7-o half-grown eubs aud, by
series Of ridiculous nonkeyshines aud
scrobstic maneuvers within q rod or
.wo of The tnrea,eninz besr4 filed
hem with snch astonIshnent and ap-
parent fear tha. they retreated 70 the
woods as fast "a they eould 90.
The hunters gua had snapped in
10Th barrels. ne having drawn On the
bid bear before the young ones had
;ouas upon the scene ]. WA IN f3i.
u desperation that he tried the trrp
ng of hand sp<sng sad Jumping up
Iad down. cl.ppis9 his hands and re-
l0rting TO other rnhan;erssiss rusas<
'res- He bad been tod onc- that p
lunt@r lad frightened a mountain lion
way by similar movements anG hs
ound that I. worked 20 perfection In
hs case Of ;he three grizzly t.~zTs. bs,
ls neser. esen Ia the face - that tact.
ayised or encouraged any cue % 80
lvntinz asnsto or sny other ksnd
z grizzlies armed ~ith no:kinS moro
han capacity 70 .arn grotesoae .sxn.
xlza1.A -. 4. Ssa-
Ne safety N saaA>,p