The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-04-26
BEWARE OF BRUIN
The Brown Bear Of Alaska Ia q
Courageous Fighter.
N Instance OF the Fearlessness of the
A1fmal-A Few Words Of Advice
from . Hunter Who II PamiI-
Il lar with Its Habits.


Francisco Chronicle advises others who
hsy complain that the California griz-
ny is growing scarce and losing his
nerve that there is foeman worthy
his lead in the brown bear of Alaska.
he thus describes the brute and his
habitat: The northern side OF the
Kenai peninsula, bordering the shores
Of Cooks inlet, Kodiak island and the
Alaskan peninsula as far west as Uni
max island, are the habitat of the Alas
kan brown bear (urs,s Richardsonii),
b huge, shaggy animal, varying in
length from six to twelve feet, and
weighing from eight. hundred to if
teen hundred pounds. This animal
possesses al the courage and fierce
ness of his southern cousin, the grizzly,
and has been hunted SO little as vet
that he is absolutely fearless of man
and is an exceedingly dangerous ad-
versary. The island of KODIAK, being
more settled than the other localities
mentioned, is less favorable as hunt
Ing ground for the sportsman than the
wilder regions adjacent. This is espe-
cially true of the eastern and wooded
end of the island. On the west the
country is more open, and on that ac-
count seems to be preferred by the
bear. There is stin good sport to be
had in certain localities hereabout,
and na6ive guides can always be OBJ
tained at the villages situated on the
shores of the bays or on the banks of
The salmon streams IN this vicinity.
Being an expert fisher the bear fire.
puDuts during the salmon season all
the rivers emptying into the Behring
sea and the North Pacific and their
tributaries as far as the fish go. After
the salmon run Is over the animal re-
treats into 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
pnly are the banks of the streams
trodden into good trails by the huge
numbering brutes, but the swampy
plains are crossed in every direction
by paths leading to the hills. The
traveller VIII do well to follow them in
his journeying across the country, as
they invariably lead to the best ford
ing places of streams and form the
Easiest routes to the hills.
The northern limit of the brown
bears habitat is, as yet, undetermined,
but have seen them in the interior as
far as latitude 67 degrees, and they
probably range still further.
The mainland Of Alaska adjacent to
the island of Uuga is full of brown
bears, and, although somewhat small
er than those found on the west side
pf Cooks inlet, they are sufficiently
Gerce and aggressive. Some officers
from one of the vessels of tho Behr.i
Ing sea feet went ashore at Herendeen
bay during the summer of 1921 on e.
5eer hunt, and one OF the party saw
! bear about one hundred yards dis
amt eating berries. Withouta a thought
of the conseq uences he raised his gun
and fired at the animal. The shot
wont wide Of the mark, out at the re-
port OF the gun the bear started for
he hunter on the dead run. His
charge was met by shower of bullets
from the officers repeater, but, al |
.hough badly w wounded, the infuriated |
brute did not hesitate an instant, but
rushed straight at his enemy. When |
within about ten feet of tho hunter |
,he bear rose on his launches and pre- |
pared to close. Blood wns pouring in |
1ad shattered his upper jaw. but he
vas still so full of fight that the out
.orne of the struggle would have been |
doubtful had not another Of |
,he party arrived and ended the fight |
oy shooting the brute through the |
,rain. An examination of the bears /
body showed that it had been struck |
tx times. Three of the shots were in
,arts of the body ordinarily consid-
red vital, and would doubtless have
caused death; but the vi
atty Of these animals is almost in
redible instances having been cited !
# their running over hundred yards
Ifter being shot through the heart.
One of the best places in Alaska TO
ind the brown bear ia in the vicinity
# Portage bay, ten or twelve miles
cross Unga strait from Sand point.
1t the latter place hotel has recent
y been erected where visiting sports
aen can be assured of comfortable
uartcrs. The ptarmigan shooting is
xcellent on these islands, and deer
; plentiful, If that kind of sport is
lore desirable. The bear hunter.
o,vever. will not have any cause for
on account of scarcity of
is particular variety of game. Last
uanmer, while / was at Sand point,
wo hunters came in after an absence
f little over a month in the vicinity
4 Portage bay and reported having
igled thirty-three bears. On one day
lone they killed seven In order to
bow that they were not spinning hun
srs' yarIs they had brought the skins
nth them and sold them at the trading
ost at Sand point In dealing with
ne Alaskan bear hunter should new
r go alone. A companion is almost as
as gun
Featherstone-I picked winner at
he races yesterday.
Ringway-Then you didn't have TO
valk home?
Featherstone (sadly)-Yes. I did.
There were five other races after that.