The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-02-07
BEARS AT CLOSE QUARTERS.
The Only Grizzly Known to Have Been
Killed by a Single Shot.

Is out a single case on record of one of
them being killed instantly-by sin
gle shot. 1t was the common belief
among the old hunters in that section
that. even if shot through the heart, a
grizzly would live long enough to kill
half a dozen men, and it has never been
disproved. That wounded grizzly has
rarely killed more than one mar is due
to the propensity of the beast, when
wounded, to hold on to the first living
object he can seize. In this respect he
is most foolish of ali wild animals.
When struck by bullet, if another
bear is close by, he will attack the
bear sooner than go after man who is
further away.
When a grizzly's nose is pointed to-
ward rifle, the bullet will glance
from his forehead as from pillow with
two mold boards; and if shot fairly in
one eye the bullet will pass out of the
back of his head without touching the
brain. This may be verified by any one
who will examine grizzly's skull. A
bullet sent fairly into grizzly's nos
trll would penetrate the brain, but NO
hunter would attempt such shot.
In 1850 James M. Hudspeth (the pio-
Deer who saved the Bryant party from
perishing in the Great DESERT and
Lancaster Clyman were hunting to-
gether in the Sonoma mountains, Cali
fornia. In ascending a deep canyon
Hudspeth, who was in advance, clam
bered up steep place that opened
upon little plateau which was free
from brush. AS he rose to his feet.
rifle in hand, twelve UNDERGROUND
grizzly rose upon her launches di-
rectly facing him and less than ten
yards off 1t is the nature of the ami
NAL, when thus surprised, to spring
upon the intruder, as Hudspeth we'll
knew. Referring to the incident, some
months afterward, the writer asked
Hudspeth Uncle Jim, how did you
feel and what did you think when you
and the bear stood up face to face?"
'Well," he replied, considering it
was all over in three seconds, most of
the thinking and feeling were done
afterwards; but | felt | would be
dead man unless | killed the bear in
stantly, and knew the only chance of
doing it was to break her spinal cord
by shot in the neck. So | aimed di-
rectly under her chin, little low,
made line shot, and the bear was
dead before she recovered from her
surprise sufficiently to spring for me.
Then | felt thankful"
In contrast with this remarkable
case of self-possession and nerve, l will
relate an incident of man who missed
grizzly at three feet range. The
hero of this incident was Dr. Elisha
Ely, who had a truck ranch near the
town of Sonoma, in the fall of 1850.
when he sent onions worth seventy
five cents a pound to the San Francisco
market, with other root vegetables
which brought fabulous prices. The
doctor was a good rifle shot, deer were
plentiful, and he frequently went out
into the neighboring mountains to
bring in meat" for his workmen.
On the occasion in view he was hunt
ing with neighbor named Savage.
Neither of them had ever encountered
grizzly. AS they were riding along
opposite sides of broad wooded gulch
a good-sized grizzly appeared on the
margin in front of the doctor, about
sixty yards distant. The doctor lost no
time in securing his horse and giving
the bear shot in the loin. Before he
could shoot, however, the bear had
turned back into the gulch and was
Looping across the open space, making
for cover. just as he fired another
bear ran out of the bushes towards
bear No. /. The wounded bear with
tumble and bound, was upon the
other in an instant, and, as the doctor
described it, roaring, terrific battle
ensued which excited the doctor so
that he could hardly reload his rifle.
Savage left his horse and climbed into
tree. The battle lasted" said the
doctor, ''for several minutes, as it
seemed to me. Finally the second bear
broke way from the other. bounded
out of the gulch, and was running
along its margin before l got the ram
mer from my rifle. l confess | was a
long time reloading, and that my shot
at the second bear was wild one.
After again reloading l examined
the trail of the first bear (which mean
time disappeared in the brush), and
found blood enough to indicate that
the animal was badly wounded. 1t
was late in the day; we were out of
meat, and | resolved to get that bear
if possible. By threatening to shoot
Savage l induced him to come out of
the tree and station himself on the
bank behind me while l cautiously fol-
lowed the bloody trail into the brush
About twenty-six yards from the OPEN
ing l had to pass under a limb, and l
found myself almost on top of the bear,
crouching face toward me close to the
ground, his eyes hidden from me by
small branch. There never was worse
scared man. Nevertheless, l said to
myself: 'Confound you, l can blow
your brains out at this distance and,
-aising my rifle, with the muzzle hard
ly three feet from the bears head,
ired-missed him. But, thank God,
the bear was dead. My first bullet had
.uptured the femoral artery, and, as
lie was bleeding to death, he had
turned face to the enemy"
The writer, with fourth man,
started out with the doctor and Savage
~, sauna hunt MO h.