The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-01-24
MANITOBA GRIZZLIES.
INDUSTRIOUS BEARS ~ THE FORESTS
BACK ~ THE MOUNTAINS.

Fifteen years Ego. said George y
Rae, a Manitoba pioneer. the grizzI =
bear was 90 plentiful among the Nam
toba Rookie that the Hudson Bay coz
pany annually secured many hundreds
OF their skins from the army Of hunters
and trappers that had is range IN that
wild region, but today this fierce and
ponoerous beast-nOwhere 50 fierce q
OF such enormous proportions as among
the Manitoba fastnesSe-is quite rar1-
y IN its old haunts, and doubt If one
can now BE- come upon without a diff
cult and tedious journey Of at least go
miles into the interior wilderness Of the
province
The grizzly has met with almost as
hard q fate as the buffalo, although, from
the nature and isolation Of its present
retreats and the difficulties attendant On
hunting and trapping for 1t. the grizzly
bear. Ike the Manitoba moose. viii new
er become extinct in that country. BE-
GeTe that the moose, although the flesh
of 1000 Of them IL required 70 supply the
military stations IN the territory alone
with fresh meat every year, Is as plenti-
ful today In its wild retreats as IL ms
been at any time since the great inroads
Of fur and pelt hunters were begun II
the territory.
know no reason why the grizzly bear
Of the Manitoba Rockies should grow 50
much larger than the grizzly Of the
same mountains IN the States, but long
and varied experience IN hunting these |
animals IN their respective localities has |
proved 20 me that such is the fact No |
grizzly bear that ever captured or that |
ever knew to BE- captured south Of |
Manitoba measured more than az feet /
from muzzle TO tail, or weighed more |
than 80 pounds. But II was no un-
common thing IN the palmy days Of /
grizzly bears In Manitoba for the hunter
Or trapper to be confronted by one Of |
these monsters feet IN length and with
a bulk Of ], 800 pounds or more. have
seen Manitoba grizzlies that when they
threw themselves on their launches and
rose erect lowered five feet and six feet
above me, and want TO tell you that it
takes man with a large quantity and
the best quality Of nerve to stand In that
tremendous presence and prepared 10
do battle coolly and with a level head
Grizzly bears, like all the rest of the |
bear family. have the curious habit Of
rising against tree. and, reaching NJ |
as far as they can with their fore paws, |
making marks IN the bark by digging Il |
with their claws. I have more than
once come across these measuring marks
Of grizzly. as the marks ON the bark |
are called. IL feet above the ground
Imagine coming suddenly upon beast
like that IN some deep ravine or isolated |
spot almost impossible owing TO the |
down timber heaped and tangled on the |
ground and surrounded by rocks and |
thick underbrush- The sight Of his |
great jaws, open and red, and his eyes
flashing In fury at you from the enor-
nous head that towers so far above you,
Is something only TO be appreciated when
once seen
When there were bufTaloes ON the |
plains, Manitoba grizzly bears were keen
and persistent hunters Of them. When
a grizzly and buffalo met, there was
sure TO be fearful contest, although IL
seldom lasted long, and the buffalo was
usually the victim The buffalo bull.
when confronted by bear, would in
variably charge ferociously upon its big |
and ugly foe This was just what the |
bear desired, and he awaited, erect on
his launches. the onset Of the buffalo
As the latter rushed forward with low
cred head and was almost upon the bear
the immense grizzly threw himself |
quickly 70 one side, and with a blow as
quick as lightning with one of his great
forepaws seldom failed to break his an
tagonist's neck a Manitoba grizzly has
been known TO engage in rapid success
zion four and even five Infatuated buffalo !,
bulls and kill every one Of them. 1:
sometimes happened, though. that bull
younger and more agile than his com
IL Al.
blow of the grizzly's terrible paw long
enough TO give in turn deadly thrust cf :
his horn into the bears side. puncturing
his vitals and making the contest mu-
tual slaughter
In general characteristics, of course,
the Manitoba grizzly Is not in any way
different from others of the family !,
While believe that grizzly bear will :
sometimes wait and precipitate fight !.
with man and take pains 10 put him :
self in the way Of one. III the great ma
Jority of cases he will take a second |
thought about the matter and back out
A queer instance of this disposition
came t. my knowledge once where a .
famous Manitoba guide courageously =
upon three grizzlies, an old she
one and two half grown cubs, and. by a =
series Of ridiculous monkeyshines and
acrobatic maneuvers within a rod or .
two of the threatening bears, filed them
with such establishment and apparent
fear that they retreated to the woods as
fast as they could 60
The hunters gun had snapped in both
barrels, he having drawn on the old bear
before the young ones came upon the
scene. 1t was In a fit of desperation q
that he tried the turning of handspring
and jumping up and down, clapping his
hands and resorting TO other unhunter-
like measures He had been told once
that hunter had frightened a noun
tain lion away by similar absurd move =,
ments. and he found that it worked TO q