Morning journal and courier., 1894-03-30
The Brown Bear of Alaska.

lfEOEa INC c&1 EAuC4tCo NuEOu4ClcAA
The northern side of the KeRsi pen
insula, bordering the shores of Cooks inlet,
Kodiak Island, and the Alsskan peninsula
as far westward as Unimsk leland. is the
habitat of the Alaskan brown bear (ursus
kichaIdsaniD, huge, shaggy animal,
varying In length from s'1 to twelve fee.
and weighing from 500 to i 500 pounds.
This bear possesses all the courage and
nercensss Of his southern cousin, the griEz.
ly, and hss been huated 60 little as Jet that
he is sbolutsly fearless of man and is an
exceedingly dangerous adversary. The
island Of Kodiak, bsing more settled than
the other localities mentioned. is lees tsv-
orable ss hunting ground for the sports
This is especially true Of the eastern and
wooded end of the Island. On the west
the country is more open, and on that &c-
count seems to be preferred by the bear.
There 10 still good sport to be had In
certain localities hereabout, ard native
guides can always be obtained at the vii
lages situaud on the shores of the bays or
on the banks of the salmon streams In this
vicinity.
Being an expert fisher, the bear frt qasnts
during the salmon season all the rivers
smptying into Bsring Sea ard the North
Pacific and their tributaries as far ne the
hsh 60. After the salmon run is ever the
animal retreats into the recesses of the
hills, where berries and small game are
plentiful.
The brown bear is the great rosdmAker
of this part of Alaska. Not only are the
banks of the streams trcddsn into coed
trails by the huge, Numbering brutes, but
the swsupy plains are crossed In every
direction by paths lesding TO the hills.
The traveller will do well 20 follow them
In bis journeyiug across the country. ss
they invariably lead to the best fordlpg
places of streams and from the easiest
routes TO the hills. The northern limit OF
brown bears habitat 10, ss yet, updster-
mined, but ] have sssn them in the interior
as far IS latitude 67 degrees, ard they
probably range still further.
Ny FIRST encounter with ore of these ami
malls was q startling tx xperience for me and
I have always thought, equally 30 for the
bear. We hsd been working up EgsiBst
the strong current Of the Koowsk River
all day, and to wards nightfsll pitched our
tent at the base of high bluff forming
the right bank of the stream, While sup.
per was being prepared climbed the blnf
to get . look at the country, and was walk.
ing leisursly along With my gun csrslessly
held In my left hand. The top of the bluf
was densely covered almost 70 the edge
| with spruots and alders, and the under
| growth was so thick that 1t was impossible
| TO zee more than q few feet through It.
Il Ahead of me cluster of rocks offered q
Il temporary place to sit down and enjoy the
view, and made for It. Just IS reached
Il the nearest rock q tremendous shaggy anil
NAL ross apparently from under my feet
and I Immediately recognized In him th,
brown bear, of whose hsrceness the nstivel
had been telling me for wesks.
Ny hrst instinct was to shoot. and ! prob
ably would have done 30 had my gun bsel
In my right hand, but the frst motion
made the bear reared on his hsunches, sn,
was 30 formidsbls-looking that I Ieoncludt'
to wait and ste what he intended doing
After . mou1ents Meditation, duripl
which he turned his head from eide .
side and licked his chops in . most sugges
tive fashion ne dropped on all fours, an
with wonderful quiokness turned sn,
spraps out of sight In tbs dense under
growth.
When returned to camp aad rslsts'
my experience, Tah-tah-rok, my nstiv
guide, assured me that the bear must has
recently concluded heavy meal, az othsr
wise he would have most certainly attack
| ed me.