2 78 The Wilderness Hunter, 



bison was the most easily approached of all game, and the 

 great bear could often get near some outlying straggler, 

 in its quest after stray cows, yearlings, or calves. In 

 default of a favorable chance to make a prey of 

 one of these weaker members of the herds, it did 

 not hesitate to attack the mighty bulls themselves ; 

 and perhaps the grandest sight which it was ever the 

 good fortune of the early hunters to witness, was one of 

 these rare battles between a hungry grisly and a power- 

 ful buffalo bull. Nowadays, however, the few last sur- 

 vivors of the bison are vanishing even from the inaccessible 

 mountain fastnesses in which they sought a final refuge 

 from their destroyers. 



At present the wapiti is of all wild game that which is 

 most likely to fall a victim to the grisly, when the big 

 bear is in the mood to turn hunter. Wapiti are found in 

 the same places as the grisly, and in some spots they are 

 yet very plentiful ; they are less shy and active than deer, 

 while not powerful enough to beat off so ponderous a foe ; 

 and they live in cover where there is always a good chance 

 either to stalk or to stumble on them. At almost any 

 season bear will come and feast on an elk carcass ; and if 

 the food supply runs short, in early spring, or in a fall 

 when the berry crop fails, they sometimes have to do their 

 own killing. Twice I have come across the remains of 

 elk, which had seemingly been slain and devoured by 

 bears. I have never heard of elk making a fight against 

 a bear ; yet, at close quarters and at bay, a bull elk in the 

 rutting season is an ugly foe. 



