The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-07-07
A TOUGH CUSTOMER.

"A AOOOA OO04 Om1AUs
The Brown Bear Of Alaska Is .
Courageous Fighter.
An Instance Of the Fearlsssness Of the
Animal-A Few Words Of Advice
from . Hunter Who In Famn-
iar with It's Habiss-
A sportsman writing to the San
Francisco Chronicle advises others who
may complain that the California griz-
zly is growing scarce and losing his
nerve that there is foeman worthy
lis lead in the brown bear of Alaska.
He thus describes the brute and his
habitat: The northern side Nof 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 (ursus RichardsoniD,
huge, shaggy animal, varying In
length from six to twelve feet. and
weighing from eight hundred to fif-
teen hundred pounds. This animal
possesses all the courage and fierce
ness of his southern cousin, the grizzly.
and has been hunted SO little as yet
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 still good sport to be
had in certain localities hereabout,
and native guides can always be OBJ
tanned 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.
quents 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
only 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 will 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 81 degrees, and they
probably range still further.
The mainland of Alaska adjacent to
the island of Unga is full of brown
bears, and, although somewhat small
er than those found on the west side
of Cooks inlet, they are sufficiently
fierce and aggressive. Some officers
from one of the vessels of the Behr-
ing sea fleet went ashore at Hcrendeeu
bay during the summer of 1891 on q
deer hunt, and one of the party saw
q bear about one hundred yards dis
tant eating berries. Without d thought
of the conseq uences he raised his gun
and fred at the animal. The shot
went wide of the mark, but at the re-
port Of the gun the bear started for
the hunter on the dead run. His
charge was met by shower of bullets
from the officers repeater, but, al
though badly wounded, the infuriated
brute did not hesitate an instant, but
rushed straight at his enemy. When
within about ten feet of the hunter
the bear rose ON his launches and pre-
pared to close. Blood was pouring in
streams down his body. One bullet
had shattered his upper jaw. but he
was still SO full of fight that the out
come of the struggle would have been
extremely doubtful had not another OF
the party arrived and ended the fight
by shooting the brute through the
brain. An examination of the bears
body-showed that it had been struck
six times Three of the shots were in
cred vital, ana would doubtless have
ultimately caused death; but the vi
!, tality of these animals is almost in
credible, instances having been cited
of their running over hundred yards
after being shot through the heart.
One of the best places in Alaska to
find the brown bear is in the vicinity
of Portage bay, ten or twelve miles
across Unga strait from Sand point.
At the latter place hotel has recent
I ly been erected where visiting sports
men can be assured of comfortable
quarters. The ptarmigan shooting is
excellent on these islands, and deer
is plentiful, if that kind of sport is
more desirable. The bear hunter,
however, will not have any cause for
complaint on account of scarcity of
his particular variety Of game. Last
summer, while was at Sand point,
two hunters came in after an absence
of little over month in the vicinity
of Portage bay and reported having
killed thirty three bears. On one day
alone they killed seven. In order to
show that they were not spinning hum
ters' yarns they had brought the skins
with them and sold them at the trading
post at Sand point. In dealing with
the Alaskan bear q hunter should new
er go alone. A companion is almost a.
essential as a gun.
DYElN0 WOOL AND SILK.
Tsbeiss OF Deth Materials Colorsd In
Comblnatioo.