Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-04-15
The Fiercs Brutes Ketresting Before
the Magazine Gun-Getting soarcsr

The Fiercs Brutes Ketresting Before
the Magazine Gun-Getting soarcsr
Yearly.
Among the big animals which sports
men see getting scarcer every year aud
harder TO find in their native wilds 10
the grizzly bear. Before tie advent OF
the hunter armed with the modern
magazine gun caused this animal 10
grow timid and NOSE wary Ia his raids
IL is safe TO say that no animal on
earth was more courageous and fierce
than the grizzly. Ia the early days OF
California this powerful brute resisted
I fercely the invasion OF his domain. A
few years ago the grizzly liked nothing
better than fair, square, stand-up
! fight with man or beast, but to-day ne
has learned that the man has weapon
which Is too much for ursine proves,
and he has deEenerated into cum
ming robber OF neglected cattle or
stray sheep, and will not fight unless
cornered or wounded. Tbs hunter,
eager to try bis nerve, must now leok
further than the grizzly's home for
sport and 10 such who have time 10
make the journey tho San Francisco
Chronicles recommends a trip 20 any part
OF Western Alaska, between Sitka aud
Oonslaska Island, sad assures them
that they will easily find plenty OF sport
hunting the brown bear which infsst
that region.
The northern side Of the Renal PenlA.
sula, bordering on the shores OF Cooks
inlet, Kodiak Island and the Alaskan
Peninsula es far westward as Unimak
Island, Is tbs habitat OF the Alaskan
brown bear (ursus RichardsoniD, .
huge, shaggy saimsl, varying In length
T from six TO twelve feet and weighing
/ from 500 20 1900 pounds. This bear
possesses all the courage add hereeness
I, OF its southern cousin, the grizzly, aud
] has beeu hunted SO little AS YET
that he IS absolutely fearless Of msn
aud is an exceedingly dangerous adver-
sary. The Island OF Kodak, being
more settled than the other localities
mentioned. Is less favorable as a hunt
ing ground for the sportsman than tho
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 sfeuis 10 TO pftloFIcu " tuo
bear There is still good sport TO be
had In certain localities hereabont,
and native guides can always be OBJ
tanned az tho villages situated on the
shores OF tho bays or on tho banks OF
the salmon streams In this vicinity.
Bong an expert fisher the bear fro
quents during the salmon season all tho
rivers emptying into Berlng Sea and
the ncrth Pacific and their tributaries
as far as the fish 30. After the salmon
run is over the animal retreats into The
recesses OF tho hills where berries and
srall game arc plentiful
The brown bear is the great road.
maker OF this part OF Alaska Notonly
are the banks OF the streams troddsn
into good trails by tho huge, umbering
| 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 journey
| ing scrOss the country, as they inVarid-
bly, lead 10 the best fordlng places OF
streams and form the easiest routes to
tho hills. The northern limit OF tho
brown bears habitat Is, as yet, unde-
termned, but they have been seen Ia
the interior as far as latitude 81 de-
grees, and they probably range stih
! further