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Show T f4 - ' ir UKcnenKXtCfiUMCCiCnaesnsmMJa It :l I! TR I M U i TH a :?i. iif l VJ f i ,7 : : I'.-- : i : M ; . . !: :f. i: ; r '..- i - . 1' . 'Vi. .: - V 3 S'l J.i g I - id - Ibi;- I - 4- 4 i iv -- i Sf: : -i : I:i .x i i n . u-.- i .5,C ;'u . flr; ?d - T r y I ? IF 7 1 t It: ii ! I i 9 M - k .V- A BEAR HUNT IN IDAHO. - m .V- ,'j: 3f s ' jyr . '! 4. :; ? .?. ',i. .$ ;I; .. & b- x' . ii : is ajl very well for those who like life to have the pleasure strenuous the and the danger of hunting the savage wild animals of the mountains. It may be grand sport for the Roosevelts to dispatch cougars with a knife, but when one is out in the hills after no more dangerous game than the timid deer, to come face to face with five huge cinnamon bears, one of which was a monster weighing nearly a ton, is certainly a little disconcerting. A Salt Lake hunter whose tastes, by the way, follow more closely those of Isaak Walton than those of Nimrod, had an experience of this kind which he will be a long time forgetting. That portion of Idaho around the Seven Devils is. In many places, very heavily wooded. It is also one of the wildest sections in the whole State, and it is doubtful if a wilder can be found in the entire Rocky mountains. As may be supposed, the game is more plentiful all over that portion of the country. One hunter, who was over there for the ' purpose of looking into the mines, thought- it would never do to return without at least taking one day with the deer. He started out oh'e morning bright and early, with the determina It ; :.j: tu & r ? tf. ' i . M fi ! i &i ; V ; I x$ ; 4 I w. - tion of at least bringing in one trophy before the day was over. That he succeeded the following will tell: I left the cabin," he said, "striking directly around the mountains. I went along a mountain road for about a mile, when I plunged at once into the timber. One of the boys had told me that I would not have to go very far in that direction before I ran against something, as a bunch of fine deer had been seen in the neighborhood. They had either changed their feeding ground or had taken it into their heads to try another field, for I walked fully three miles through the timber before seeing any living thing larger than a cottontail rabbit. The timber here is patchy, like in all the mountains, and I kept continually coming upon little glens and patches of open, sagebrush country which were the latter being the very spots on which the deer are in the habit of feeding. I was very careful in approaching, these openings, my proximity to which I could always tell by the lighting up of the dark pine foresit. "I had gone on in this manner, as I said, for three miles, expecting every moment to come upon a deer, when I came into a large, treeless tract. A deep ravine was before me, running down from the mountain above.- To the right was a patch of dark pine timber, reaching well up to the summit. Before reaching it, however, a patch of fallen timber would have to be passed over. Directly in front of me, but on the other side of the ravine, was a patch of - quaking asps. These trees were larger in size than su:h trees usually grow. They were likewise scattering, not the dense growth generally found. I determined to pass through them and take a turn to the right, with the object of skirting the pines, which I saw were too extensive to pass through. I had crossed over the ravine and halfway through the asps when I heard a movement up near the edge of the pines. I crept cautiously on in the direction of the sound, expecting to get a shot any moment. In a little while I caught sight of something I was not expecting, to see. It was a huge cinnamon bear pawing over the logs as if they had been straws, in search of grubs, which are usually found beneath them. I was tempted to beat a retreat, but I thought of the glory of having a bear to my count, and I determined to try a shot. Twice I took aim, but overcome by fear lowered my rifle. Then a thought struck me I would climb one of the asps. Though I knew a bear could climb a tree, I reasoned that I would be able to pour such a shower of lead into her that she never could reach me. Tying my handkerchief through the guard of the gun, I slung it over my arm and went up the tree to where two limbs branched off from the trunk. Once fairly settled I peered through the foliage for a sight of the bear. Sne. was still busy among the logs, and as the wind was blowing down the mountain she had not scented me. There was one opening through the leaves, where I could see the fallen timber, and as soon as she came to view I took aim and fired. There came a snarl that was louder r . than the report of the gun, and whether by instinct or scent, I do not know, she came tearing down the mountain toward my tree. When she came in view all the hair on her body was standing on end, and she made an awe-- . inspiring sight. So much so was this the case that I nearly let go my gun in my nervousness. Se came straight to the roots of my tree, and after tearing around it two or three times began to climb. What caused me the greatest surprise, however, was to see that she was accompanied by four cubs, which were fully and the snarling they made was something terrible. I allowed her to begin climbing, when I took aim at her head and fired. She fell to the ground with a hole in her skull. So great was the vitality of the animal that though I shot her sev-eitimes it was fully fifteen minutes before she ceased breathing. When she fell the cubs never once tried to leave, but kept running to and fro between the tree and their mother, all the time keeping up their deep growling. I took my time in dispatching the youngsters,, but did not venture down from my perch before I was sure they were all dead. "The surprise at the cabin when I returned with my story was great, and when I took them to the spot to fetch the bodies back, they were more sur- prised than ever, for the whole five bears lay in the square of a few rods.1 I did not tell them how they came to be so close together, but the way one. of the boys smiled when he saw the. marks of the old bears claws in the bark of the asp showed that he had his suspicions. half-grow- n, al i |