The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-23
BEAR HUNTING AND TRAITS.
When Bruin Is in the Water He Al
ways Swims a Straight Course.

" VI co anu I'll
The bear has one trait especially that
is most dangerous to the uneducated
hunter. and that is when found swim
ming lake or river he invariably
goes in a straight line from where he
left the shore. Any obstacle in the way
he chambers over, be it log, boat or
canoe.
Should the place where he reaches
the further shore be high, rocky
from his direct course. This may be
pig-headedness or stupidity: be it as
Ii may, he will not turn 10 a low
shelving beach few yards at one side,
and it never enters into his head 10
take the easier landing.
L once saw a bear swimming across
near the discharge of lake. There
was string of booms hanging down
stream near the other shore and at
right angles TO where he was heading
He simply cIambered over the boom
logs and took the water again on the
other side, instead of trotting along
the boom 10 the shore
| was acquainted with an old Indian
who, knowing this trait of bears to
land where they head for, did a deed
of great daring for a man of so. He
was visiting his fish net on the shore
of narrow lake, when ne saw a large
bear enter the water on the opposite
side a little above and head for the
shore the old man was on. Old Pete
had no gun, but he did not hesitate a
moment, but caught up his hunting AK
and ran along shore TO where the bear
would land. The old man was plainly
visible TO the bear from the first, but
Bruin kept on his direct course Old
Pete waded out from the shore nearly
to his waist, with ak uplifted, and
waited. Everything depended on strik-
ing true at the proper and precise mo-
ment- He had the bear, il is true, at
disadvantage. Still, many a younger
and stronger man would have declined
the risk
Pete was successful; he buried the
ak clean into the skull at the first
blow.
Another instance 1 witnessed of
bear not turning aside for any OBJ
stacle: We were later than usual one
evening on the water. My men were
anxious to get to the portage before
camping. and were tracking the canoe
up the last mile at deep dusk. There
were four men on the line ashore and
the bow and steersman were standing
up in the canoe Tending her off from
the rocks and shadows. My companion
ana I were sitting very quietly in the
middle compartment of our large ca
noe. The men also were not in talk
ing mood. being tired and hungry I
Was sitting on the side next the river
and noticed a black object, which at
first / mistook for a stone partly out
of the water, but with a second and
more searching look made it out to be
a bear coming straight toward the
canoe
1 gave warning to the man in the
bow, who stood a few feet in front of
me, and he Immediately gave a sharp
tug on the tow line, which checked the
men ashore The bear by this time
Was about five or six yards from the
canoe, and just opposite me. I saw
that nothing would now stop him from
climbing into and across the canoe.
Before he could place his paw on the
side of the bark the man in the bow
made a savage lunge at him with his
pike pole, but before he could give a
second blow the bear was in on my
side and out on the other right across
our legs Our men on the tow had run
back. The man in the stern. being too
far off to be of any use, had the pres
ence of mind to throw an armful of
paddles. which, being of maple made
formidable weapons. When the bear
got out on the shore side they rained
blows upon blows with the sharp
blades. of the paddles upon his head
and body as they could get a chance
The bowman sprang ashore and lent
his assistance with his formidable pole,
but, marvellous as ii may sound, the
bear escaped into the bush in spite OF
all that his assailants could do to pre-
vent him.
Long into the night about the dying
embers of the campfire 1 heard the
men going over the whole scene and
blaming one another for not having
done something they ought to have
done.
One other instance will I give of a
bears persistency to go straight in
the water. and in this case it was fatal
to two men.
Two newly married couples left the
mouth of the Moisie for the interior.
Their third day UP stream brought
them TO a place where, off TO one side
in the bush about a mile back. was 4
noted lake for trout and whitefish. 1t
was decided that they should portage
one canoe. and with their blankets, net
and cooking utensils go and pass the
night on the lake shore. One gun was
all the men took "a fiintlock, for this
was years ago..
Shortly after arriving at the lake a
bear was seen swimming from the 9TH
er side, coming toward where the In
dams We're tying their net The two
young men jumped into the canoe and
pushed out to meet him, which was
fatal mistake. The man in the bow
waited until the bear was within a
couple of yards of the bow and then
pulled the trigger The old gun flashed
in the pan, but there was no report.
The next instant the bear clambered
over the head of the canoe and rolled
the occupants into the water The
young brides of d few days ran scream
ing along the shore, unable to render
any assistance TO their husbands. and
actually witnessed both drown before
their very eyes.
remember the arrival of two poor
women back at the coast, and the
relation of their pathetic story. To
make the case much more remarkable,
.hey were twins by birth and twin
widows by this tragedy.
4 word OF advice after the foregoing
Illustrations of the danger of getting
IN front of swimming bear is hardly
now necessary. but one cannot impress
too forcibly the danger in attacking a
bear by frontal move. Always ap-
proaeh a bear in the water either on
the side or from the rear You can
paddle up quite close to bear in the
direction he is swimming without the
least particle Of danger, and a more
vital and telling spot to fire at cannot
be got than the back and base Of the
SKULL