Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-16
HUNTING BEAR WITH SPEARS.
One of the Methods Of Killing Bruir
in Northern Europe.
From the Field.

During the last few years / have had
of bears. the biggest and perhaps the
most interesting game of northern
Europe, and have studied the ways OF
these animals beth in Sweden and in
Finnish and Russian Karella. where I
have come across thirty-six bears al
together and have myself killed o. caught
twenty-three, including six young ones
My Russian and Finnish bear hunting
has always taken place in winter. but
has been done in various ways The
one which has afforded me the greaieer
amount of enjoyment liz hunting the bear
Oh skis, and I will first relate my ex-
perience in that direction.
have twice hunted a bear with the
spear. On one occasion the lair was i'm
81 boggy country, and We socn found tn
entrance, outside which I took I'D my
position. armed with my bear spear.
which is strong ash pole rather more
than six feet long, with q steel point ~
about twelve inches. In order to protect
IL against the teeth CT the bear the lower
part of the pole is covered with copper.
The moment the bear appeared I tried 20
hit him in the throat, but he parried
with his paw and my spear mtscarrted
The bear came farther out and I man
aged to thrust my spear We'll into his
chest. He got furious and bit viciously
at the copper coating, at the same time
trying to knock the spear out of my
hand with his paw
He used his teeth with such force that
they almost penetrated the copper, and
higher UP the pole i've tore out great
splinters of wood. II took me all my
by degrees he tired and lay down at the
entrance to the lair I drew out the
spear TO let the blood flow more freely
but the bear still had strength enough
left To snap at the point OF the spear
with such violence that he made some
big marks In the metal with his teeth.
MY friend how came up and gave him
the coupe de grace with his spear The
fight lasted about five minutes.
To tackle bear with a spear in the
summer time, when the ground is bare.
is serious business, although | have heard
OF Laps doing IT, But the bear is
1.-THE as a cat and uses his paws with
surprising rapidly and force. Even In
his movements, one needs "a cool head
and strong arm.
\ we'll known Norwegian bear hunter
commenting upon the use of the spear
when bear hunting. either when roCsina
a bear from his lair or when IN pursuit
of wounded bear, recommends in the
latter case that the spear should he 80
carried that ii trails on the ground with
the bCttCm end ana the point held
little behind ones body. When the hea-
PUSHES at the hunter the latter steps back
one step and the bear splits itself ON the
spear. which with it's other end finds
support on the ground.
Ii is mere especially IN northern NOR
way that the spear is used at bear hunts.
and such spears are often handed down
from father to son through several gen
rations, the same spear often having
been the death " many a bear. Its hau-
fs...r both II
adroitneSs. and now that both magazine
rifle and revolver are used In bear hunting
the use OF the spear Is less frequent than
A member of the recent Dan
lsh literary Greenland expedition relate
how the polar Eskimo hunts the 10
bear with a spear, considering IL belos
the dignity Of bear hunter to use FIRE
arms.