The sun., 1897-07-18

S.rtnua.e .etOuno .o camp fire, and always by ten
soai.s MsG ever % saw % bear weighed that tipped the
oees SEEM a sesT 100 pounds pcrson who had
his frat that Il was tSe bpEert fay ybnG I'm soens
wrapped up in hide The first bear S ever saw saw
killed him he sSrunR SoWn % out ss s9F basa
Snnsn one, could pack him all around, he was SO
That reminds me of funny thinr that han.
pened once when my old partner Randall and I
were badly fooled about the weight Of bears. IL
iumbia VI, in Oregon, along IN 1850. We went
up small creek that empties into the Coium.
elk and deer meat for Bear trap bait .0Oo One Sng
not senS No ors seo sp1 SP tho creek had
bear track in the mud along 9 he wSn bSnt of the
Ssr, SSy TSs Fss.R handy around ne bait e tracks
the bear had gone, but the bait show cd signs Of
hsyitng aging been eaten.
I'VE We put the dogs on tho track and thon fol-
lowed after thom as fast as we could travel,
through underbrush and across swampy spots.
hof sonS naSt aST hag big SS %s
when when ! heard one OF the dogs howl. Then
knST the tSn bear was our meat We went down
bears either of us had ever seen. He was light
ing the dogs, running first at one and then at
the other. Finally aftor deal OF worrying
from from M tho dogs, he eat up on his hannches. That
both turned loose with our rifles and tho bear
%tnmbIed tumble In heap: We skinned him and
houLu WueTe one OF inc DuIgtS nnu DTOken us
neck and the other his shoulder.
II had never seen such an animal before for
would wes The fs hs
hut We would try and pull him. We could just
pSsy soa scf OF ToSsA %us Ri' sas
brSels. ,ISs., % co we had 2 good pull at him, We
q hundred times qs we slowly pulled him along,
and We thought he probably would weigh 500
| 1O feet inches from ttD OF to the tall, and
was s feet o Inches vide When we went, down
sa Il %ss tho sst
got somo steeiyard balances from ranchman,
weight OF that bear was not over l50 pounds.
Neither partner nor l ever said word after
You want to hear when have had narrow
times were ali a generation ago. Nowadays
don't take chances, and, as have said, grizzlies
one experience that's worth telling about. 1t
was in the first few months after ! cam came TO
and nS when Waf RSsS wa Rree
and fresh then, even II | had been In the war; ,
One morning TnS out & alone for deer SdnninS in inc
Fsht Mas After SR 1 him without S realizing
much as possible. i got within 100 yards q
hin the and shoadaF es drSa I
the crack OF the gun, but was on his feet again
tain Ia n on I a bee line for where stood. To this
very day ! can hear the bear groaninas Ti.a haa
no time I to reload. was not half 50 anxious to
kill the bear as was to save my own bacon. m
A tree stood below me- and without out stoppng, , g, to
place of escape it was. / sprang TO It and went vent
up like a coon chased by hounds. had reached
and had not yet thought OF looking down, whom
, heard the bear scratching at the foot OF tho
tree, and imagined that he was coming attef
well, he didn't come, and when / l.. a.; had
} died a limb to await developments, The
t grizzly stood his hind legs, scratched and
growled and snarled while my heart ] was FEhfI taaI
VIII When the bear ealmed down, isil s easier; ;.n
, ing watch and would get up and go away. He
did nothing of the kind, however, and hour after
! / Imagined / saw him move occasionally.
was cool by that time and expected 70 stay
, still, and finally began TO break branches and
{ throw them down on him, and yelled at him
l determined to remain there until he starved me
!. out. My situation began to grow desperat;SG; a.; g
from ga' my maI position that could scarcely move
Q Something must bo done and it had to be done
Ses sfbsn bear was y beow I he ee
. down to the lower branches, and, breaking on
teS the o. 5ear ane He did not E lie asleep
thoaght and now Was s my time caref9llIIy Sh,lIy
s was within six feet of the ground, when
!. sprang Oh the upper side, grabbed my gun, and
d ran ike a scared coyote TO some rocks abou
hi Wien p Ia got back behind the rocks poeped
q out. The bear had not moved Then load loaded
i between the eyes. Still he did not move. Agail gail
@y Fs fhs SSsr sne
II carefully shot another charge into him HI
n courage enough to go near enough to poke hin hin
with my gun He was S as S haa as bSn p9ks ent an
i vi" Eve shoot grizzlies more in California thai
n we trap them. Up in Oregon and in the Rock
5. Mountain the hunters use traps more. Some
s. how the Sierra and Coast Range grizzlies are TO
n wary 20 be taken in traps Then there Is mnc
B shots in trapping grizzly bears than in shootin
o them. You know the meanest, ,pgliest, an
10 most powerful beast we have in all America !
r the mountain grizzly, and when he is caught 1
y a trap he Is a whirlwind OF rage and ferocit,
. reach ~U o Of ~ grizzly bear when he is in such
:, state. The grizzly bear traps are great stSt
fPrlrg ars hnnter % has % his own pet scheme for d
n construction of some detail OF bear trap; Th
jaws arc 50 str 1t REQUIRES S Two % men % sei Using
attach ehsh to he bs b5raP ena snri
or elr0 eight inches in diameter This Is forced
is pounding 1t with wooden hammer over u
n enough around to mako the iron band flt tigh
10 ly. When grizzly steps on The pan OF one
II these great traps aud the stif jaws close on h
Is legs, the heavy log serves as hindranco nd !
10 drags along on his retreat to his haunts in Il
ar tanaly thiCkeU he fayors. Whewl How
ID does rage and storm he goes along in pail
with the trap cli1ging to hi his feet; feet; All hun
h ers know the sound when they hear IT. t., t., 90
to ting a trap for the grizzly bear for he Is alm9
as Suspicious as a fox, and Will frequently d
m sort what has the appearance OF a good me-
re- Il he makes up his mind danger Is lurking nea
i. I've known II hunters hat accidentally ieit fe
AZ wards from a bear trap TO make grizzlies su
an picious for a fortnight at time. The sense
,s smell is very acute in all bears, and Ihey ce
ys smell some meats even n milo away. The gri
81 1iy never no itatcs at danger that he may 5,
I positively confronting or challenging MN h, ,
an | uuspiciou blocking object tho nature OF whit
e cannot understand Is enough n 70 6 start It M
nd until he has placed "A good extent Of territo
Id between him and the cause of his fear. He
rs a wonderfully curious beast ana does uhe
Ill oil