Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-04-19
DRIVING OUT THE GRIZZLIES.
Fierce Brutes Retreating Before the
Magazine Gun-Scarcer Yearly.

Among the big animals which sports
men see getting scarcer every year
and harder to find in their native
wilds is the grizzly bear. Before the
advent Of the hunter armed with the
modern magazine gun caused this ami
nal to grow timid and more wary in
his raids, it is safe TO say that no
animal on earth was more courage
and fierce than the grizzly. In the
early days of California this powerful
brute resisted fiercely the invasion Of
his domain. \ few years ago the
grizzly liked nothing better than a
fair, square, standup fight with man
or beast but today he has learned
that the man has weapon which is
too much for urSine process, and he
has degenerated into a cunning robber
Of neglected cattle or stray sheep. and
will not fight unless cOrnered or
wounded. The hunter, eager to try
his nerve, must now look further than
the griZZly'S home for sport, and to
such who have time to make the
| journey the San Francisco Chronicle
recommends trip to any part of
western Alaska, between Sitka and
| Oonalaska Island, ard assures them
! that they Will easily find plenty Of
/ sport hunting the brown bear which
! infest that region
The northern side of the Renal pen
! insula, bordering the shores of Cooks
! inlet, Kodiak island and the Alaskan
peninsula as far westward as Unirlak
! island, is the habitat of the ALASKAN
| brown bear GurSuS RichardsOnii), a
huge, shaggy animal, varying in
! length from six to twelve feet and
weighing from 800 to 1000 pounds.
This bear possesses all the courage
and fierceness of his southern cousin,
the grizzly, and has been hunted so
little as yet that he is absolutely fear
less of man and is an exceedingly
| Kodiak, being more settled than the
other localities mentioned, is less IA
vOrable as a hunting ground for the
| sportsman than the wilder regions adj
jacent. This is especially true of the
eastern and wooded end of the island.
On the west the country is more open,
and on that account seems to be pre-
ferred by the bear. There is still good
sport to be had in certain localities
herabOut, and native guides can al
ways be obtained at he villages stu
atel on the shores Of the bays or on
, the banks of the salmon streams ii
this vicinity. Being an. expert fisher
the bear frequents Turing the salmon
season all the rivers emptying into
Boring sea and the north Pacific and
their tributaries as far as the fish
go. After the salmon run is over the
animal retreats in-O the receSSes OF
the hills where berries and small
game are plentiful.
The brown bear is the great road,
maker of this part Of Alaska. Not
only are the banks Of the streams
trodden into good rails by the huge
numbering bruteS, but the SWampy
plains are crossed in every direction
by paths leading to the hills The
traveller will do we'll to follow them
in his jOurneying across the country
as they invariably lead to the best
fording places of streams and form til
easiest routes to the hills. The north.
ern limit of the brown bears habitat
is. as yet, undetermined. but they have
been seen in the interior as far as
= latitude 81 degrees, and they probably
range still further.