A bear doctor usually carried one and sometimes two elk-horn daggers,
called _bōō a_, literally “elk horn.” Such a dagger was from six to ten
inches in length and was made by pounding at its base and breaking off
the large end point of an elk antler and sharpening its tip. It was
rubbed on a grinding stone and smoothed throughout its length and a
hole was bored in its base through which a loop about two feet long was
passed for suspending it about the neck or from the belt. This loop was
always of string, as this is not affected by dampness.
Obsidian or flint knives, called _bat!_, were sometimes used in
addition to or in place of the elk-horn dagger. The blade of such a
knife was made by first striking the larger flakes from it with a
hammer stone and then chipping its edges with an antler chipping tool.
This blade was set into a split oak handle and bound securely with
string, but was not pitched. Both of these were thrusting weapons.
Other weapons were sometimes used, even the stone pestle being employed
as a weapon.
Bear doctors often operated in pairs, and sometimes in greater numbers.
They frequently deployed so as to cover a considerable area in their
hunt, and had a method of intercommunication. If a prospective victim
was sighted at some distance, the bear doctor stood erect on the top
of the nearest ridge, with his back turned directly toward him. This
signal brought the other bear doctors into positions to surround the
victim. Informants maintain that in the actual attack a bear doctor
frequently stood unconcernedly, near the path of his victim, and with
his back toward him until he was quite near. He then whirled and
attacked suddenly. They stated that this was also the method of attack
of a real bear.
It is said that the only way to overcome a bear doctor was to seize his
head or shoulders and jerk off his helmet. This completely removed his
magic power. The story is told that Kamachi, a very brave and powerful
man formerly living at the Yorkville Rancheria, mistook two real bears
for bear doctors, attacked them in this manner, and finally succeeded
in killing them.