The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-11-16

WhaC hunters VINO Have N.Y. the GTixziy
Have to say of His Alaska Cousin-They
Do Not Fear Man and Will Fight While
Mortally Wounded.
A traveller who recently returned from
Alaska says: THE Alaskan brown bear
is a huge, shaggy animal, varying il
length from 6 to 10 feet and weighing
from 500 to l, 800 pounds. l found him
to be an expert fisher, and during the
salmon season he frequents all the rivers
%emptying into the Boring sea and the
north Pacific and their tributaries as far
as he fish go. After the salmon run is
over the animal retreats into the recesses
of the hills, where berries and small
game are plentiful. Among other things
he does besides fishing and occasionally
chewing up a hunter, he is q great road
maker for this part Of Alaska. Nor only
are the banks of the streams trodden into
good trails by these huge numbering
beasts, but the swanpy plains are cross
ed in every direction by paths leading to
the hills. The traveller will do we'll to
follow them in jOurneying across the
country, as they invariably lead to the
best feeding places along the stream and
form the best routes to the hills"
A hunter who has spent some time
there recently chasing brown bears
writes several of his experiences to the
Seattle Telegraph.
MY first encounter, y he says, with
one Of these brown bears was o startling
experience for me, and I have always
thought equally SO for the bear. we had
been working up against a strong cur-
rent of the Koowak river all day, and
toward nightfall pitched our tent at tho
base Of a high bluff forming the right
bank of the stream. While supper was
being prepared I climbed the bluff to
get a look at the country and was walk
ing along with my gun carelessly held
in my left hand. The top of the bluff
was densely covered almost to the edge
with spruce and alders, and the under
growth was SO thick that it was impos-
slble to see more than a few feet through
It. Ahead of me a cluster Of rocks offer
cd a temporary place to sit down and
enjoy the view, and I made for it. Just
as l reached the nearest rock a tremen-
dous shaggy animal arose apparently
from under my feet, and I Immediately
recognized in him the brown bear Of
whose f1erceness the natives had been
telling me for weeks. My first instinct
was to shoot, and I probably would have
done SO had my gun been in my right
hand, but the first motion I made tho
bear reared on his launches and was SO
formidable looking that I concluded to
wait and see what he intended doing.
After a moments hesitation, during
which he turned his head from side to
side and licked his chops in q most sug-
gestive fashion, he dropped on all tours.
and with wonderful quickness turned
and sprang out Of sight in the dense
underground. When I returned to camp
and related my experience. Tah-tah-rok,
my native guide, assured me that the
bear must recently have concluded a
heavy meal, or otherwise he would have
attacked me.
"Some officers from some of the ves-
sells of the Bering sea feet went ashore
at Herendeen bay during the summer OF
1891 on a deer hunt, and ~ Of the
party saw a bear about 100 yards distant
eating berries. Without thought of the
consequences, he raised his gun and fred
at the animal.
"The shot went wide Of the mark, Duc
at the report of the gun the bear started
for the hunter Oh a dead run His charge
was met with a shower Of bullets from
the officers repeater; but, although bad
" wounded, the Infatuated animal did
not hesitate an instant n rushed
straight at his enemy. When within
about 10 feet Of the hunter, the bear
rose on his launches and prepared ia
close. Blood was pouring in streams
down his body. One bullet had shattered
his upper jaw, but he was so full Of fight
that the final outcome 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 he had beer
struck six times. Three Of the shots
were in parts Of the body ordinarily con
sidered vital and would doubtless have
caused death. but the vitality Of thes'
animals is almost incredible. Instances
arc cited Of their running over 100 yard
sitter being shot through the heart.
Last sumner, while I was at SaBl
Point, two hunters came in. after an ab
senoe Of oves a month in the vicinity O
Portage bay. and reported having killet
SO bears. Ono day they killed seven. Il
order to show that they were not spin
ming hunters yarns they brought tn
skins with them. and sold them at