The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1899-11-02
BEAR HUNT NO. 2.
o. R. Gaskill Tells of a Second
Experience.

Dayton, Wash, Oct. &c, '99.-DeGr
old Herald Myself and Cy Matthews
loaded our pack horses,-Cy rode a
horse and 1 rode mule. We rode
out to Uncle Joe Able's, an old Ma
haska county man, six miles from
Uncle Joe and his good wife gave US
a hearty welcome. He has a fine
farm and nice house with all the
comforts of life. 1t rained all night,
and when we arose in the morning it
was still raining and rained all day.
But we started with Uncle Joe, two
horses and six fine hounds. We trav-
eled to camp called Thumbville and
camped there for the night. 1t rained
all night and was still raining in the
morning; but myself and Uncle Joe
started up the mountains to hunt a
bear. We hunted most of the day and
killed a wild cat and then returned
to camp. Rained all night. In the
morning we packed our horses and
started up a steep mountain for the
next camp, six miles away; and oh!
such a trip you never saw! Some
times pretty near straight up, then
down so steep we would have to walk
and drive our horses ahead of US.
When on top of a mountain it is all
rock and you have to follow dim
trail or be lost; but Uncle Joe can fol-
low any kind of trail. If you could
have seen us slipping and holding to
brush and rock, driving our horses
up and down the mountains, you
would have called us fools. But that
is the only way you can cross the
mountains. You can see mountains
still higher above you.
Down the canons and up again and
so on from mountain to mountain we
climbed until we struck the timber on
top of one of the mountains covered
with snow. There we crossed two
bear tracks. The hounds struck the
track of the bears and away went six
fine hounds. Captain Joe gave orders
to dismount, secure horses and de-
ploy, for the bear would soon return
on the back trail to bother the hounds.
| was stationed in the center. Soon
Uncle Joe opened fire on the right
flank; bear coming towards center.
Cy Matthews, never being in bear
fight before and fearing flying bullets,
climbed tree out of danger. AS the
bear reached the top of the mountain
he was shot through the shoulder SO
he could not run. He rolled down
the canon about 100 yards and lodged
against a log, but could crawl yet.
Captain Joe ran down the canon be-
fore him and shot him in the head
and stopped him. He was the largest
bear ever killed on the Blue Noun
tains here. Captain is an old bear
hunter, having killed six bears this
fall, and he says this was the largest
one he ever saw. 1t would weigh over
400 lbs. gross. His feet measured
when dead inches wide and 9inches
long; so you may know what kind of
a track he would make in the snow.
We camped there on top of the
mountain where there was no water
or feed for our horses except a little
chop feed. We had no water to cook
with except by melting snow. Moth
ing to drink except snake poison
YOU call it fish bait-which all hunt
ers carry. They drink it for fear of
snake bites, but there are no snakes
in the snow. 1t took US one-half day
to skin the bear and get the meat up
on top of the mountain-1OO yards
so you can guess how steep we had
to climb. Our horses had all they
could carry, so we started for home.
1t was showing on one mountain and
raining on another, and there was
danger of being showed in twenty
five miles from home.
met with two accidents; first in
crossing a small pool of water my
mule fell down and rolled over me,
covering me with mud and water. l
had a Marlin rife and two heavy re-
volvers strapped to me and sprained
my lett ankle. Accident No 2: My
mule fell down on my right leg, raised
up, fell back and rolled over on my
left leg. My head just missed large
log which would have killed or Grip
pied me if | had struck it. l let the
mule go and he got up and waited for
me to get up. 1t is dangerous sport.
Tell His Honor w. H. Wray to de-
tail w. R. Lacey or some other good
hunter to take my place, as l resign.
Remember the reputation of Oska-
loosa hunters is at stake. Inow own
four bear skins and one wild cat hide.
Some of them will see Oskaloos as