The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1895-11-23
GRIZZLIES OF IDAHO.


N IAcit Agreement with Men an the Ear1y
Days Not to Modest Each Othcr.
speaking of grizzly BEARS" said
i, Judge Henry /. Warren to New York
Sun man, 1--WE didn't look on these an
imals as particularly dangerous in
Idaho when / was the United States
district attorney of that territory. If
man attacked one at close quarters
he sometimes got killed, but at lit
tie distance not much more attention
was paid to bears than if they had
been SO many hogs or cattle. Between
human beings and the bears there
seemed to be Mt that time a tacst
agreement to let one another alone.
''One of my hardest horseback trips
led me through wild region where
often saw bears. At one point the
trail crossed an open valley, dotted
with scattering big trees and clumps of
underbrush, and ON the further side
wound up a steep mountain side
through thick oak and pine woods.
Coming down into that valley one day
/ saw, little way off on my ri hit,
five bears, two very large ones and
three smaller ones. constituting pos
sibly family party. They were run
ming aboat here and there nosing the
ground turning over stones and knock
ing to pieces rotten logs, hunting for
mice and grubs. They apparently
paid no attention to me as rode past,
one hundred and fifty yards away.
My horse looked little wild and fidg-
eted some at the sight of them, but
kept him in the trail without difficulty.
''At another time bear gave me
considerable of a scare. / had Just
crossed this same valley and was just
beginning to ascend the wooded
heights beyond it. I had dismounted,
and was leading my horse up the steep
hillside when bear broke out of the
bushes little behind me and came for
me furiously, showing her teeth and
growing. I stood still, expecting to
be torn to pieces the next moment,
from the determined way in which she
came-it was a she bear-but she
stopped just short of Selling me and
turned to dash in the same way at my
horse, and at that | dropped the bril-
and made up the trail us fast as | could
go. My horse, instead of turning back
to run for life in the clear open ground
of the valley. when she charged at him,
male detour up the hill and came
back on the trail behind me. The bear.
looking mighty ugly with her frothing
mouth and bristling hair, kept up her
demonstrations, directing them princi-
pally at my horse. You know how a
horse, when thoroughly frightened,
will seek the company and protection
of humanity, and SO, do all | could to
drive him away, my beast all the time
kept right behind me with his nose at
my shoulder, trembling with fear, but
refusing to leave me. as the bear kept
making dashes at us out OF the bushes,
from one side and sometimes
from the other
Il didn't know then what have
learned from the habits of the animals
since. tar t the bear was runninga bluff
on us and did not mean so mnch to
harm us as to scare us away. She I'M
doubtediy had cubs concealed close by
in the bushes and resorted to a common
trick of the female bear to drive away
intruders. Probably if had stood my
ground she would have tackled me and
in that case it would have been all up
with me. She followed us one hun
lred yards or so and then, seeming sat
siied that she had got us fairly on the
run, fell back into the bushes and
watched us out of sight,