he bit for the wound. As he did so he was turned from his original
direction, which would have carried him in one bound out of sight among
the trees, and instead turned and galloped across our front, thereby
giving me an opportunity to fire two more shots. It frequently happened
that bears were turned from their original direction to the sides upon
which they received the first bullet, and we always gave this matter
careful consideration when making an approach.
My Aleuts were not permitted to shoot unless we were following up a
wounded bear in the thick brush; but I found it most difficult to keep
them to this rule. The large hole of the bullet from my .50-caliber which
Nikolai carried made it easy to distinguish his hits, and if a bear had
received the mortal wound from his rifle, I should not have kept the
skin.
The pelt of this bear which we had just killed was in excellent
condition, and although he was not fat, he was of fair size, measuring 6
feet 3-1/8 inches along the vertebrae.
Great care was taken as usual to pick up the empty cartridge shells, and
we pulled up the bloody bits of grass, throwing them into a brook, into
which we put also the bear's carcass.
The storm continued for several days, and was accompanied by an
unfavorable wind, which drew up into all our shooting grounds. We kept
quietly in camp, which was so situated that although we were just
opposite the great marsh, our scent was carried safely away. Then we
were most careful to have only small fires for our cooking, and we were
extremely particular to select dry wood, so that there would be as
little smoke as possible.
All this while we kept a constant watch upon the meadow, but no bears
made their appearance.
On the morning of the 19th, my friend and his hunter went up the shore
to investigate a small marsh lying a mile or so from camp. Here they saw
that the grass had been recently nibbled, and that there were fresh
signs about. They returned to this spot again that evening and sighted a
bear. The bear fed quickly up to within sixty-five yards, when Blake
rolled him over. This bear was not a large one, and was of the usual
tawny color.
The next morning a bear was seen by my natives in the big meadow by our
camp, but he did not remain long enough for a stalk. At 9:30 he again
came out into the open, and Nikolai and I made a quick approach, but the
bear, although he was not alarmed, did not wait long enough for us to
get within range. We had skirted the marsh, keeping just inside of the
thicket, and now when the bear disappeared we settled ourselves for a
long wait should he again come into the open. We were well hidden from
view, and the wind blew slanting in our faces and across our front. I
had just begun to think that we should not get a shot until the bear
came out for his evening feed, when Nikolai caught my arm and pointed
ahead. There, slowly leaving the dense edge of the woods, was a new
bear, not so large as the first, but we could see at a glance that she
had a beautiful coat of a dark silver-tip color.
Removing boots and stockings, and circling around, we came out about
seventy-five yards from where we had last seen the bear; but she had
moved a short distance ahead, and offered us a grand chance for a close
approach. Keeping behind a small point which made out into the open, we
were able to crawl up to within fifty yards, and then, waiting until the
bear's head was up, I gave her a quartering shot behind the
shoulders. She half fell, and bit for the wound, and as she slowly
started for the woods I gave her another shot which rolled her
over. This bear proved to be a female, the first we had shot upon the
mainland, probably the mate of the bear we had originally attempted to
stalk. The skin, although small, was the most beautiful I have ever
killed.
Upon examining the internal effects of my shots, I was disappointed to
find that my first bullet, on coming in contact with one of the ribs,
had torn away from the metal jacket and had expanded to, such an extent
that it lost greatly in penetration. I had of late been forced to the
conclusion that the small-bore rifle I was using on such heavy game
lacked the stopping force I had credited it with, and that the bullets
were not of sufficient weight.
The next morning I sent our men to the main camp for provisions, for we
now intended to give this marsh a rest, and go to the head of the bay.
They returned that evening, and reported that they had seen a bear on
the mountain side; they had stalked to within close range, and had made
an easy kill. They had but one rifle with them, and had taken turns,
Ivan having the first shot, while Nikolai finished the bear off. This
skin was a beautiful one, of light yellowish color, and although our men
wanted to present it to us, neither Blake nor I cared to bring it home
with the trophies we had shot.
On June 23 we turned our baidarkas' bows to the upper bay, at the head
of which we ascended a small river that wound through a vast meadow
until the stream met the mountains. Here we unloaded our simple camp
gear, and while the men prepared breakfast, Blake and I ascended an
elevation which commanded an uninterrupted view of the grassy plain. No
bears were in sight, so we had time and undisturbed opportunity to enjoy
the beauty of the scene. We lay for some time basking in the sun,
talking of books and people, and of many subjects of common
interest. Now and then one would take the glasses and scan the outskirts
of the vast meadow which stretched before us. All at once Blake gave a
low exclamation and pointed to the west. I followed the direction of his
gaze, and saw four bears slowly leaving the woods. They were at some
distance, and we did not think we had time to reach them before they
would probably return to the underbrush for their mid-day sleep, so for
the present we let them go.
After breakfast, as they were still In the same place, we attempted the
stalk, going most of the way in our baidarkas, winding in and out
through the meadow in the small lagoons which intersected it in all
directions. Every little while the men would ascend the banks with the
glasses, thus keeping a watchful eye upon the bears' movements. Taking
a time when they had fed into the underbrush, we made a quick circle to
leeward over the open, then reaching the edge of the thicket, we
approached cautiously to a selected watching place. We reached this
spot shortly after one o'clock. The bears had entered the woods, so we
settled ourselves for a long wait. It was Blake's turn to shoot, which
meant that he was to have an undisturbed first shot at the largest bear,
and after he had fired I could take what was left.
Just before three o'clock three bears again made their appearance. Two
were yearlings which in the fall would leave their mother and shift for
themselves, and one much larger, which lay just at the edge of the
underbrush. Had these yearlings not been with the mother she would not
have come out so early in the afternoon, and, as it was, she kept in the
shadow of the alders, while the two smaller ones fed out some distance
from the woods.
We now removed our boots, and, with Stereke well in hand, for he smelt
the bears and was tugging hard on his collar, noiselessly skirted the
woods, keeping some tall grass between the bears and ourselves. In this
way we approached to within one hundred yards. Twice one of the smaller
animals rose on his hind legs and looked in our direction; but the wind
was favorable, and we were well concealed, so they did not take alarm.
My friend decided to shoot the mother, while I was to reserve my fire
until after his shot. I expected that at the report of his rifle the
bear I had chosen would pause a moment in surprise, and thus offer a
good standing shot. As my friend's rifle cracked, the bear I had
selected made a sudden dash for the woods, and I had to take him on the
run. At my first shot he turned a complete somersault, and then, quickly
springing up, again made a dash for cover. I fired a second time, and
rolled him over for good and all. Stereke was instantly slipped, and
made at once for my bear. By the time we had run up he was shaking and
biting his hindquarters in a most approved style. We at once put him
after the larger bear, which Blake had wounded, and his bark in the
thick alders told us he had located her. We all followed in and found
that the bear, although down, was still alive. Blake gave her a final
shot through the lungs.
The third bear got away, but I believe it was wounded by Nikolai. The
one that Blake had killed was the largest female we got on the
Peninsula, measuring 6 feet 6 feet 6-1/2 inches along the vertebrae.
It is interesting to note that the two yearlings differed greatly in
color. One was a grizzled brown, like the mother, while the other was
very much lighter, of a light dirty yellowish color.
We had watched these bears for some hours in the morning, and I feel
positive that the mother had no cubs of this spring with her; yet on
examination milk was found in her breasts. My natives told me that
frequently yearling cubs continue to suckle, and surely we had positive
proof of this with the large female bear.
On our way back to camp that night we saw two more bears on the other
side of the marsh, but they did not stay in the open sufficiently long
to allow us to come up.
The mosquitoes had by this time become almost unbearable, and it was
late before they permitted us to get to sleep. About 3 A.M. it began to
rain, but I was so tired that I slept on, although my pillow and
blankets were soon well soaked. As the rain continued, we finally put up
our small tent; but everything had become thoroughly wet, and we passed
a most uncomfortable day.
In the afternoon a black bear appeared not far from our camping
place. My friend went after this with his hunter, who made a most
wonderful stalk. The bear was in an almost unapproachable position, and
the two men appeared to be going directly down wind; but Ivan insisted
that there was a slight eddy in the breeze, and in this he must have
been correct, for he brought Blake up to within sixty yards, when my
friend killed the bear with a bullet through the brain.
I think it is interesting to note that our shooting grounds were the
extreme western range of the black bear. A few years ago they were not
found in this locality, but it is quite evident that they are each year
working further and further to the westward.
The next day the heavy rain still continued. The meadow was now one
vast bog, and the small lagoons were swollen into deep and rapid
streams. Everything was wet, and we passed an uncomfortable day. Our
two hunters were camped about fifty yards off under a big rock, and I
think must have had a pretty hard time of it, but all the while they
kept a sharp lookout.
About one o'clock the men reported that a large bear had been seen some
distance off, but that it had remained in sight only a short time. We
expected this bear would again make his appearance in the afternoon, and
in this surmise we were correct, for he came out into the open three
hours later, when Nikolai and I with Stereke made the stalk. We circled
well to leeward, fording the many rapid streams with great
difficulty. The rain had melted the snow on the hills, and we frequently
had to wade almost up to our shoulders in this icy water.
In crossing one of the lagoons Stereke was carried under some fallen
trees, and for a while I very much feared that my dog would be
drowned. The same thing almost happened to myself, for the swift current
twice carried me off my feet.
The bear had fed well into the open, and it was impossible, even by the
most careful stalking, to get nearer than a small patch of tall grass
about 175 yards away. I put up my rifle to shoot, but found that the
front sight was most unsteady, for I was wet to the skin and shaking all
over with cold. Half expecting to miss, I pressed the trigger, and was
not greatly surprised to see my bullet splash in the marsh just over the
bear's head. He saw the bullet strike on the other side, and now came in
our direction, but Stereke, breaking loose from Nikolai, turned him. He
now raced across our front at about 125 yards, with the dog in close
pursuit. This gave me an excellent chance, and I fired three more
shots. At my last, I saw the bear bite for his shoulder, showing that my
bullet was well placed. He continued to dash ahead, when Nikolai fired,
also hitting him in the shoulder with the heavy rifle. He dropped, but
gamely tried to rise and face Stereke, who savagely attacked his
quarters. Nikolai now fired again, his bullet going in at the chest,
raking him the entire length, and lodging under the skin at the hind
knee joint. Unfortunately this bear fell in so much water that it was
impossible to take any other accurate measurement than the one along his
back. This was the largest bear we shot on the mainland, and the one
measurement that I was able to take was 6 feet 10 inches along the
vertebrae.
[Illustration: THE HUNTER AND HIS HOME]
On examining the internal effects of his wounds, I found that my bullet
had struck the shoulder blade and penetrated one lung, but had gone to
pieces on coming in contact with the bone. Although it would have
eventually proved a mortal wound, the shock at the time was not
sufficient to knock the bear off his feet.
The next morning the storm broke, and we started back to our camp behind
the rocks, for the skins we had recently shot needed to be cleaned and
dried. We reached camp that afternoon, where I found my old hunter,
Fedor, who was now better, and had come to join us. He had arrived the
night before, and reported that he had seen three bears on the marsh. He
said he had watched them all the evening, and that the next morning two
more had made their appearance. He could no longer withstand this
temptation, and just before we had arrived had shot a small black bear
with an excellent skin.
Two days after, a bear was reported in the meadow, and as it was my
friend's turn to shoot, he started with his hunter to make the stalk. It
was raining at the time, and I was almost tempted to lie among my
blankets; but my love of sport was too strong, and, armed with powerful
glasses, I joined the men on the rocks to watch the hunters.
The bear had fed well out into the meadow not far from a small clump of
trees. In order to reach this clump of trees, Blake and Ivan were
obliged to wade quite a deep stream, and had removed their
clothes. Unfortunately my friend carelessly left his coat, in the pocket
of which were all the extra cartridges for his and Ivan's rifles.
I saw them reach the clump of trees, and then turned the glasses on the
bear. At the first shot he sprang back in surprise, while Blake's bullet
went high. The bear now located the shot, and began a quick retreat to
the woods, when one of my friend's bullets struck him, rolling him over.
He instantly regained his feet, and continued making for cover, walking
slowly and looking back over his shoulder all the while. Blake now fired
another shot, and again the bear was apparently badly hit. He moved at
such a slow pace that I thought he had surely received a mortal wound.
Entirely against orders, Ivan now shot three times in quick succession,
hitting the bear with one shot in the hind leg, his other two shots
being misses. Blake now rushed after the bear with his hunter following
some fifty yards behind, and approached to within ten steps, when he
fired his last cartridge, hitting the bear hard. The beast fell upon its
head, but once more regaining its feet, continued toward the woods. At
this point Ivan fired his last cartridge, but missed. The bear continued
for several steps, while the two hunters stood with empty rifles
watching. Suddenly, quick as a flash, he swung round upon his hind legs
and gave one spring after Blake, who, not understanding his Aleut's
shouts not to run, started across the marsh, with the bear in close
pursuit. At every step the bear was gaining, and Ivan, appreciating that
unless the bear's attention was distracted, my friend would soon be
pulled down, began waving his arms and shouting at the top of his voice,
in order to attract the bear's attention from Blake. The latter saw
that his hunter was standing firm, and, taking in the situation,
suddenly stopped. The bear charged to within a few feet of the two men;
but, when he saw their determined stand, paused, and, swinging his head
from side to side, watched them for some seconds, apparently undecided
whether to charge home or leave them. Then he turned, and, looking back
over his shoulder, made slowly for the woods.
This bear while charging had his head stretched forward, ears flat, and
teeth clinched, with his lips drawn well back, and his eyes glaring. I
am convinced that it was only Ivan's great presence of mind which
prevented a most serious accident.
It is a strange fact that a well placed bullet will knock the fight out
of such game; but if they are once thoroughly aroused it takes much more
lead to kill them. When they had got more cartridges my friend with two
natives proceeded to follow this bear up; but though they tracked him
some miles, he was never recovered.
The Aleuts when they follow up a wounded bear in thick cover, strip to
the skin, for they claim in this way they are able to move with greater
freedom, and at the same time there are no clothes to catch in the brush
and make noise. They go slowly and are most cautious, for frequently
when a bear is wounded, if he thinks that he is being pursued, he will
swing around on his own trail and spring out from the side upon the
hunters.
The next day I started with my two natives to visit a meadow well up the
bay.
As we had but a day or two left before the schooner would come to take
us away, we headed in the only direction in which the wind was
favorable. We left camp about three o'clock in the afternoon, following
the shore with the wind quartering in our faces. We had gone but a mile
from camp when I caught an indistinct outline of a bear feeding on the
grass at the edge of the timber, about 125 yards away. I quickly fired,
missing through sheer carelessness.
At the report the bear jumped sideways, unable to locate the sound, and
my next bullet struck just above his tail and ranged forward into the
lungs. Fedor now fired, missing, while I ran up with Nikolai, firing
another shot as I ran, which knocked the bear over. Stereke savagely
attacked the bear, biting and shaking him, and seeing that he was
breathing his last, I refrained from firing again, as the skin was
excellent.
This bear had had an encounter with a porcupine. One of his paws was
filled with quills, and in skinning him we found that some quills had
worked well up the leg and lodged by the ankle joint, making a most
loathsome wound.
This bear was almost as large as the one I had last shot at the head of
the bay, and his pelt made a grand trophy. I was much disgusted with
myself that afternoon for missing my first shot. It is not enough simply
to get your bear, but one should always endeavor to kill with the first
shot, otherwise much game will be lost, for the first is almost always
the easiest shot, hence one should kill or mortally wound at that
chance.
This was the last bear that we shot on the Alaska Peninsula. I had been
fortunate in killing seven brown bears, while Blake had killed three
brown and one black, and our natives had killed one brown and one black
bear, making a total of thirteen between the 7th and 28th of June.
The skulls of these brown bears we sent to Dr. Merriam, Chief of the
Biological Survey, at Washington, and they proved to be most interesting
from a scientific point of view, for from them the classification of the
bears of the Alaska Peninsula has been entirely changed, and it seems
that we were fortunate enough to bring out material enough to establish
a new species as well as a new sub-species.
The teeth of these two kinds of bears show a marked and uniform
difference, proving conclusively that there is no interbreeding between
the species. I was told by Dr. Merriam that the idea which is so
commonly believed, that different species of bears interbreed like dogs,
is entirely wrong.
III.
MY BIG BEAR OF SHUYAK
As I had been fortunate in shooting bears upon the Island of Kadiak and
the Alaska Peninsula, nothing remained but for me to obtain a specimen
from one of the outlying islands of the Kadiak group, to render my trip
in every way successful.
I therefore determined to take my two natives and hunt from a baidarka
the deep bays of the Island of Afognak, while Blake, not yet having
obtained his bear from Kadiak, went back to hunt there.
He had been extremely good to his men, and in settling with them on his
return from the Alaska Peninsula had good-naturedly paid the excessive
demands they made. The result was that his kindness was mistaken for
weakness, and just as he was about to leave his hunters struck for an
increase of pay. He sent them to the right-about, and fortunately
succeeded in filling their places.
A sportsman in going into a new country owes it to those who follow to
resist firmly exorbitant demands and at the same time to be fair and
just in all his dealings.
I have already described bear hunting in the spring, when we stalked our
game upon the snowy hillsides, and again on the Alaska Peninsula, where
we hunted across the open on foot, and also in the baidarka. I will now
speak of another form.
Toward the end of June the red salmon begin to run. These go up only the
streams that have their sources in lakes. After the red salmon, come the
humpbacks, and after the humpbacks, the dog salmon. Both of these latter
in great numbers force their way up all the streams, and are the
favorite food of the bears, which come down from the mountains by deep,
well-defined trails to catch the fish in the shallow streams. When the
salmon have begun to run, the only practical way of hunting these bears
is by watching some likely spot on the bank of a stream.
Early in July Blake and I parted, intending to meet again two weeks
later. My friend sailed away in a small schooner, while I left with my
two natives in the baidarka. In Fedor's place I had engaged a native by
the name of Lofka. We three paddled with a will, as we were anxious to
reach a deep bay on the north side of the Island of Afognak as soon as
possible.
This was all familiar country to me, for I had spent over a month in
this locality the year before, and as we camped for the night I could
hardly realize that twelve months had gone by since I left this
beautiful spot. For the Island of Afognak, with its giant cliffs and
deep bays, is to my mind one of the most picturesque regions I have ever
seen.
The next morning the wind was unfavorable, but in the afternoon we were
able to visit one of the salmon streams. The red salmon had come, but it
would be another week or more before the humpbacks would begin their
run. It was a bleak day, with the rain driving in our faces. We forced
our way up the banks of a stream for some miles, following well-defined
bear trails through the tall grass. Some large tracks were seen, but we
sighted no game. We returned to camp after ten o'clock that night, wet
to the skin and chilled through. The following day was a repetition of
this, only under worse weather conditions, if that were possible.
I now decided to push on to a large bay on the northeast side of the
island. This is locally known as Seal Bay, and is supposed to be without
question the best hunting ground on Afognak.
Unfortunately a heavy wind detained us in Paramonoff Bay for two
days. The morning after the storm broke we made a four o'clock start.
There was a strong favoring breeze, and we made a sail of one of the
blankets. The baidarka fairly flew, but it was rather ticklish work, as
the sea was quite rough. Early that afternoon we turned into the narrow
straits which lie between the islands of Afognak and Shuyak. Shuyak is
uninhabited, but some natives have hunting barabaras there. Formerly
this island contained great numbers of silver gray foxes. A few years
ago some white trappers visited it and put out poison. The result was
the extermination of all the foxes upon the island, for not only the
foxes that ate the poison died, but the others which ate the poisoned
carcasses. The hunters obtained but one skin, as the foxes died in
their holes or in the woods, and were not found until their pelts were
spoiled. This is a fair example of the great need for Alaskan game laws.
At the present time Shuyak is rich in bear and in land otter, and I can
imagine no better place for a national game preserve. It has lakes and
salmon streams, and would be an ideal place to stock.