Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-07-26
RECALL STORIES
OF HOW BEARS
HUMANS
FOREST RANGER LOST HIS BOOT
TO GRIZZLY WHO HAD
HIM TREED

Bears are occasionally seen now
by fishermen and women. Each
tale Of 81 saw a bear" brings more
bear stories. Here Is one printed
ia the Grass Range Review Of
July Z, 1928.
Howard r. Larsen, ranger Of the
Cabinet forest, in western Montana
had a narrow escape from death when
he was suddenly and ferociously
charged upon by grizzly bear, &C.
cording to Theodore Shoemaker, who
is in charge Of the public relations
office for district NO. l, and who re-
turned recently from q business trip
to the Cabinet forest.
According to Shoemaker, Larsen was
engaged In locating trail through an
especially brushy district In the vi
cinity of Trout creek In the forest and
was alone. Suddenly he was aware Of a
shifting sound near the trail and this
was instantly followed by crashing Of
the underbrush It was then that Lar
sen saw the bear charging toward him.
Realizing that he was In danger
GUS position, for the bear was not over
40 feet away, and was coming In q
way that left no doubt as to his in
tentions, Larsen, armed with nothing
more than the small marking ak, with
which he was blazing the trail, headed
for and up a small tree which was
within a few feet Of him.
Bear Tackles Tree
He had barely cleared the ground In
his progress up the tree when the lung
ing silver tip drove against it with
almost enough force to dislodge the
forester. The branches aided him in
getting up the tree but 1t was small
and larsen was only about IS feet from
the ground when he had reached the
top. But the limbs also aided the bear,
which made but slow progress but at
last came within reach Of Larsen and
grabbed the foot Of the forester.
As the bear nabbed Larsen's foot he
either lost his foothold or ptIrposely
let go with the intentions of dragging
Larsen down with him, and crashed
to the ground with the heel and side
of the foot Of Larsens heavy cowhide
boot. It was only through great physi-
cal strength, doubtless aided by the
excitement, that the forester was able
to hang onto the tree. The bear did
not make a second attempt to climb
the tree but soon disappeared into the
surrounding underbrush.
Ate Black Bear
The grizzly had disappeared but dur
ing their search for him the rangers
found the carcass of a large black bear
which Larsen had killed a few days
before and been unable to locate. The
r,av, cold fTav f1aOrcff tha hear had
been feeding ON the carcass Of the
dead bear and had become enraged by
the forester's interruption Of his feast.
Larsen suffered no serious injury In
his encounter. He bore the marks OF
the bears teeth on his foot, where
they had scratched when the boot had
given way, and had few bruises which
he had sustained In climbing the tree.
It was apparent that tragedy had
been narrowly averted through the
fortunate proximity OF the tree and
the physical strength OF the ranger.
Iarsen's encounter with the bear Is
the second that has occurred IN dis
trict No. within the last few weeks.
Elers Koch, assistant district forester,
was chased by a large brown bear
while making an inspection trip into
the Madison forest little over week
ago.
the two incidents, it Is said, have led
most Of the rangers in the hills to
dispute the contention of the game laws
which classify the bear as game
animal. Instead, they say, the animal
is, without regard to species, distinctly
predatory.