Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1904-03-03

Stories of the Chase.

| have been requested to write of
some of the experiences of my life
in hunting.
The one which | am now going
to tell occurred in the year 1876 as
near as | can remember. While |
was stopping in Ashland, Oregon,
became acquainted with a couple
of men by the name of Bob and
Jim Neal, who owned stock ranch
known as the Cove ranch, about
Is miles southeast of Ashland. The
Neal Bros, knowing that | had had
considerable experience in ranch
life, hired me to take charge Of the
ranch. After | had been staving
there abont three weeks | had an
adventure upon which this story is
based. One morning when | went
out TO do the chores, / discovered
that one of the best milch cows on
the place had been killed and part
ly eaten, the indications of which
led me to believe that the deed had
been committed by Old Reel foot,
the monstrous grizzly bear who was
famous in Southern Oregon and
Northern California as stock
destroyer. | Immediately mounted
my saddle pony and went to Ash
land, where | reported to the broth.
ers and bought a large bear trap
then went back to the ranch, ac-
companied by Bob Neal. On our re.
turn we attached a large alder log
to the trap, setting it by the dead
COW. The next morning we found
that the trap, log and all had been
, carried away and bear tracks were
plainly visible by the side of the
furrow which had been plowed by
the log.
Bob and |, after breakfast, gave
chase and must have followed the
bear half a mile, when we found his
progress had been interrupted by
the log entangling with hazel brush.
The two dogs held him at bay while
went, according to the suggestion
of Bob, up the sidehill to scare him
out of the brush, while he stood be-
low in an opening where the bear
would be likely to cross. After
had climbed above | discovered his
outline in the thick brush, and
thinking | might possibly hit ia
tai spot, fired with a As calibre
bullet. which took effect in his alb
domen. He plunged from the brush,
tearing everything up by the roots,
and the log swinging fully ten feet
in the air, while he was tearing off
down the hill direct for Neal nearly
catching him as he was turning SOM
mersaults When the bear rose
Neal shot him through the head,
killing him instantly. To our sur
prise we found it was not Reel foot,
but bear fully as large, if not
larger. He was roam in color, and
weighed fully 1900 pounds.
A short time after that, perhaps
three weeks, young man named
Sam " yland came to the ranch
and inquired if | had dog that
would tree cougar | answered in
the affirmative and he then told nae
he had seen fresh tracks of three
cougars and, as it was showing. we
would have TO hurry if we wished
to catch them We took the two
stag hounds and started after them
the dogs taking up the scent AS
soon we arrived at the spot and
were soon barking at a great rate
After following them awhile we saw
they were baf1led by the cougar,
who had jumped from ledge of
rocks to a tree far below. We
couldn't find him at first, but after
little time Wyland saw and shot
him dead. We then started the
dogs after the others. They were
not long gone when they freed one
of the others When we overlook
the dogs we found them barking in
a thick bunch of fir trees. We
hunted all over examining every